The right to choose between good and evil and to act for ourselves is called agency. Even though we are free to choose our course of action, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. The consequences, whether good or bad, follow as a natural result of any choice we make. When we have chosen a path without God in our lives, it is never too late to change even though we may think we are too far down the wrong road.
An Addict’s long Road to the Savior
I read an interesting account of an addict’s long road to the Savior. This is his story.
“I got arrested for two burglaries I had committed to pay for my addiction to heroin, and I ended up spending five
years in the Arizona state prison system. And I hadn’t even been out for a few days, and I’d started drinking and smoking pot again. And soon enough I got into trouble, and they sent me back in. And it became important for me to figure out where I was going and what I was doing with my life. I started to believe that God was trying to help me because I had these unmistakable feelings that were like God was reaching out, but I couldn’t understand why. And I finally got down on my knees, and it was the first time that I had prayed with any real sincerity in probably 11 or 12 years. And I said, “God, I believe that You’re there, and I believe that You’re trying to help me. What I don’t understand is why. Why would You want to help me? I’m a convict, I’m an addict, I’m an alcoholic, and I haven’t tried to follow You. Why would You want to help me?” I got an answer to that prayer in a feeling I had and words that I actually heard: “Mark, it’s because I love you.”
He Tried to Change but Relapsed
“I had a dentist’s appointment and they did a root canal and the dentist gave me a prescription for pain pills, and immediately I had a warning bell go off in my head. Before I’d even gone and gotten a refill of it, I had reversed the prescription and I was taking four to six every two hours. And not only did I relapse again; I ended up living on the streets and getting into the worst addiction I’ve ever been involved with. I got involved with a robbery. When I went in, I told this guy, “Hey, I just want your money. I’m not going to hurt you.” I just kept my hand in my pocket, and I left. Hiding in the bushes down the road, watching the cop cars go by and stuff, I realizedwhat an absolute phony and fraud and hypocrite I was. I saw this fellow’s reaction in my mind’s eye, and that look of fear that was in his eyes; how could I have done that to another human being? I felt like I was about the biggest failure on the earth because God had saved my life once before and I had thrown it away. I figured out how to get the safety off the gun and a bullet into the chamber, and all the sudden the whole world went silent; the sirens going by, the cars, everything else just totally went silent. And I heard these words: “I’m still here.” And I said, “How can You be? After all I’ve done, after all You’ve done for me, how can You still be there?” But I knew whose voice it was. And I knew that it was real. I finally walked out of those bushes and to the cops that were out on the street. I walked up to them and I said, “I’m the one you’re looking for.” I ended up spending nine years in the prison system. But you know, nine years was a small price to pay to have a life given back to me again, because I came to find a loving God who had been with me every step of the way, and the times that I didn’t think He was there were only because I wasn’t looking. I was able to get out of prison about 16 years ago now. There is a woman I met. We’re just about ready to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary, and our son, who we named Ammon, was born on Christmas morning seven years ago.”
The Savior is There to Help
The Lord has said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you…” (Matthew 7: 7-8 and Luke 11: 9 in the Bible) “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33 in the Bible). When we change our sinful ways the Lord forgives our sins and removes them. “…though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1: 18 in the Bible). “…for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31: 34 in the Bible) “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” (Doctrine & Covenants 58: 42 p. 106)
I Repeat, it is Never too Late to Bring the Savior into Our lives!
Dallas Jones is the local leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The quoted experience is from The Gospel Library “The Savior Wants to Forgive” February 18 2020. For further discussion call (231) 383-8359 or send an email to [email protected].