Hi. My name is dprh and I'm an addict.


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I found this forum a couple weeks ago and have posted a few times.  I like this community and figure I'll stick around and check in every so often.

I am in my late 30's, married with three kids.  I've been a missionary, financial clerk, ward clerk, YM's adviser and councilor, den leader, primary and Sunday School teacher in church.  Recently excommunicated, but working hard to repent, change, and be re-admitted into the Church. 

I am trying to develop more healthy connections with more people instead of isolating myself.  I figure an anonymous forum would be a good place to reach out.  My wife and I aren't comfortable yet with most real-life people knowing of our situation.  She's changed the setting for our family on the directory to private so most people can't see us. 

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I'm sorry that you feel you have to keep your situation under wraps.  We have several recovering addicts in our ward who have even done jail time, but are very open and currently hold callings.  One is endowed.  Granted it took her 7 years to get to that point. I just want to offer you encouragement.  The Savior, the leadership of The Church and most of your brothers and sisters are in your corner. Most of us have been addicted to something whether it is a substance, a passion, a relationship or an activity such as reading, exercise, television, social media. Many just don't realize it or classify addictions in terms of severity or the impact on their life in general.

As the Savior said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."  I don't have to ask where thine accusers are for we are all human and make mistakes.  You are not alone and you and the Savior can do this. Sending love, prayers and hugs.

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Thanks for the response @lynnpca7.  I think we'll eventually get to a point where we're more open in our ward.  It's still fairly fresh and hard to be vulnerable.  We are both going to group support.  I go to three different ARP groups a week and my wife goes once a week, but 3 different groups depending on which night fits our schedule.  We both have talked to a couple friends about it.  

We have a great couple in our town that are serving as ARP missionaries whose story is pretty similar to ours.  I hope one day to follow them and serve in that capacity.  But for now, I have to focus on getting baptized and receive my blessings again.

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  • 2 months later...
Guest Gomezaddams51

I was baptized when I was 9 when the family moved to a little town that had a branch (more like a twig).  My mother got all gungho and henpecked my dad into going to church.  Unfortunately being 9 I didn't have much say in the matter.  Anyway  I quit the church.  Nothing official, I just stopped going.  Anyway to make a long story short I am also an addict.  Living the Biker lifestyle you kinda get pushed that way.  About 3 years ago the missionaries found me (hard to hide when you buy a house) and my 2nd wife (First wife was a Temple Marriage)  and I started going to church.  Surprisingly she ended up getting baptized. Nobody knows much of anything about what I did during the 44 years I was not active (they do know I was a biker, from my tattoo's one of which is a pentacle, and clothes.  My wife also has tattoo's) and I am sure I am not going to say anything.  Anyway you are not the only addict in the church.  So just go and don't get all wonky..   

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  • 9 months later...

I thought about starting a new thread, but figured it'd make more sense to update this one.  I had a membership council with my Stake Presidency (hurrah for the handbook changes!) about 5 weeks ago.  They made the decision to suggest to headquarters I could get baptized again.  I got a call from my Stake President on Sunday that the Area president opened up baptisms and that I can schedule it.  Tonight, I will again be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Thank you for being a wonderful community that has helped me in this journey.  (Not to imply that it's over)

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20 minutes ago, dprh said:

I thought about starting a new thread, but figured it'd make more sense to update this one.  I had a membership council with my Stake Presidency (hurrah for the handbook changes!) about 5 weeks ago.  They made the decision to suggest to headquarters I could get baptized again.  I got a call from my Stake President on Sunday that the Area president opened up baptisms and that I can schedule it.  Tonight, I will again be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Thank you for being a wonderful community that has helped me in this journey.  (Not to imply that it's over)

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!  This made my day!  There is hope for everyone.

So last Saturday we had a baptism under social distancing rules.  It was great.  We had the bishop, the ward mission president (who baptized the brother), the sister missionaries (who acted as witnesses), a burly member of our ward (to carry the brother into the baptismal font because he is wheelchair-bound), and the brother's family in the ward building.  The rest attended through zoom.  The talks and the music was provided by people over the zoom call and my son gave the prayer also over zoom.  We had about 30 connections on zoom attending the baptism.  It was one of the most spiritual baptisms I've ever witnessed.

I wish we could witness yours.  It's going to be one of those very special ones I'm sure.

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46 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!  This made my day!  There is hope for everyone.

So last Saturday we had a baptism under social distancing rules.  It was great.  We had the bishop, the ward mission president (who baptized the brother), the sister missionaries (who acted as witnesses), a burly member of our ward (to carry the brother into the baptismal font because he is wheelchair-bound), and the brother's family in the ward building.  The rest attended through zoom.  The talks and the music was provided by people over the zoom call and my son gave the prayer also over zoom.  We had about 30 connections on zoom attending the baptism.  It was one of the most spiritual baptisms I've ever witnessed.

I wish we could witness yours.  It's going to be one of those very special ones I'm sure.

Thank you.

My wife and I thought about using Zoom or WebEx so other people could 'attend'.  But our Stake President is extremely reluctant to have ordinances on video.  And that feels right to me.  We are doing it in my parent's backyard pool, so we're going to be able to have a few more than 10 people there.

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On 7/7/2019 at 10:07 PM, Gomezaddams51 said:

I was baptized when I was 9 when the family moved to a little town that had a branch (more like a twig).  My mother got all gungho and henpecked my dad into going to church.  Unfortunately being 9 I didn't have much say in the matter.  Anyway  I quit the church.  Nothing official, I just stopped going.  Anyway to make a long story short I am also an addict.  Living the Biker lifestyle you kinda get pushed that way.  About 3 years ago the missionaries found me (hard to hide when you buy a house) and my 2nd wife (First wife was a Temple Marriage)  and I started going to church.  Surprisingly she ended up getting baptized. Nobody knows much of anything about what I did during the 44 years I was not active (they do know I was a biker, from my tattoo's one of which is a pentacle, and clothes.  My wife also has tattoo's) and I am sure I am not going to say anything.  Anyway you are not the only addict in the church.  So just go and don't get all wonky..   

I've been a biker most of my life.  I have former biker in my ward, also.  I don't drink and my club respects that.

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  • 1 year later...
On 5/3/2019 at 12:33 PM, dprh said:

I found this forum a couple weeks ago and have posted a few times.  I like this community and figure I'll stick around and check in every so often.

I am in my late 30's, married with three kids.  I've been a missionary, financial clerk, ward clerk, YM's adviser and councilor, den leader, primary and Sunday School teacher in church.  Recently excommunicated, but working hard to repent, change, and be re-admitted into the Church. 

I am trying to develop more healthy connections with more people instead of isolating myself.  I figure an anonymous forum would be a good place to reach out.  My wife and I aren't comfortable yet with most real-life people knowing of our situation.  She's changed the setting for our family on the directory to private so most people can't see us. 

But for the Grace of Messiah Yeshua - Jesus I am sure that I would be some sort of addict myself.  

Although I am not L.D.S. yet I attended the local ward quite a few times over these past four or five years and if I was addicted at this time I would be talking to my L.D.S. friends for support and encouragement as well as for accountability.  

 

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