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The Perfect Brightness Of Hope
A Latter-Day-Saint's journey through alcoholism, addiction, and recovery. It explains how even devout Mormons who do not drink alcohol or use drugs are vulnerable to addictions.
"My name is Phil S., and I am an alcoholic and an addict-an LDS alcoholic and addict! This is my story-a true and honest account of how alcohol almost destroyed me and how I lost everything of value-family, Church, employment, self-respect, and hope. I was not unlike you, active in the Church, a father and husband. I even taught seminary and religion classes at BYU. When I hit rock bottom, something incredible happened-a miracle! The power of the atonement rescued me in a most unusual way, in a smoke-filled room, in the company of other addicts.
It is said that everyone has, or knows someone who has, an addiction. We live in an addicted society: alcohol, anger, caffeine, controlling behavior, criticism, food, gossip, pornography, pride, television, tobacco, videos, video games, work, street and prescription drugs-any destructive substance or behavior. To a lesser or greater extent, most of us have a drug or compulsive behavior of choice.
As you open your heart to my story, you will experience vicariously what being an addict is like. You will feel the pain and despair of being trapped in an endless loop of addiction. Your heartstrings will be tugged. But I promise that you will also feel the pure love of Christ. Compassion born of understanding will increase. Most of all, you will come to understand that an incredible power to overcome compulsive-addictive habits occurs when you simply surrender your will and your life to a caring, loving, and merciful Heavenly Father."
"My name is Phil S., and I am an alcoholic and an addict-an LDS alcoholic and addict! This is my story-a true and honest account of how alcohol almost destroyed me and how I lost everything of value-family, Church, employment, self-respect, and hope. I was not unlike you, active in the Church, a father and husband. I even taught seminary and religion classes at BYU. When I hit rock bottom, something incredible happened-a miracle! The power of the atonement rescued me in a most unusual way, in a smoke-filled room, in the company of other addicts.
It is said that everyone has, or knows someone who has, an addiction. We live in an addicted society: alcohol, anger, caffeine, controlling behavior, criticism, food, gossip, pornography, pride, television, tobacco, videos, video games, work, street and prescription drugs-any destructive substance or behavior. To a lesser or greater extent, most of us have a drug or compulsive behavior of choice.
As you open your heart to my story, you will experience vicariously what being an addict is like. You will feel the pain and despair of being trapped in an endless loop of addiction. Your heartstrings will be tugged. But I promise that you will also feel the pure love of Christ. Compassion born of understanding will increase. Most of all, you will come to understand that an incredible power to overcome compulsive-addictive habits occurs when you simply surrender your will and your life to a caring, loving, and merciful Heavenly Father."
232 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 12, 2022
This book is beautifully written. There was deep pain. I found myself hurting with Phil, rooting for him, sad for him, happy for him.
There is so much happiness and joy in this journey, too. I could feel the great endless love God has for Phil and for any of us who make mistakes. I found myself talking to my friends and family about the things I was learning even before the book ended.
This book deeply touched my heart. It's powerful! It will give hope to anyone with any type of addiction. It will help us all remember that we need our Heavenly Father in every aspect of our lives. Hopefully, it will help us remember to be a little bit more kind, loving, less judgemental towards others and to ourselves.
There is so much happiness and joy in this journey, too. I could feel the great endless love God has for Phil and for any of us who make mistakes. I found myself talking to my friends and family about the things I was learning even before the book ended.
This book deeply touched my heart. It's powerful! It will give hope to anyone with any type of addiction. It will help us all remember that we need our Heavenly Father in every aspect of our lives. Hopefully, it will help us remember to be a little bit more kind, loving, less judgemental towards others and to ourselves.
March 14, 2016
This is the story of an LDS man's journey through addiction. Because I lead an addiction recovery support group, the part I liked best were his comments about loving family members who sometimes become codependent during the struggle with addiction:
Ultimately codependents become so fixated on the other’s behavior they lose their own identity. They spiral downward and deeper into their own emotional and physical illness. And just like the addict they deny their own illness.
Perhaps the most severe damage to those who have shared some part of life with an addict comes in the form of the nagging belief that they are somehow at fault; they were not up to it all, not attractive enough, not clever enough to have solved this problem for the one they love. They think it was something they did or did not do. These are their feelings of guilt.
They center all of their attention of the addict’s behavior and trying to control them. In doing this, they lose sight of what they can control.
“We learn to deal with our obsession, our anxiety our anger our denial, and our feelings of guilt. Little by little we come to realize that much of our discomfort comes from our attitudes. We try to change these attitudes, learn about our responsibilities to ourselves, discover feelings of self-worth, love, and grow spiritually. The emphasis begins to be lifted from the addicts and placed where we do have some power—over our own lives.”
Ultimately codependents become so fixated on the other’s behavior they lose their own identity. They spiral downward and deeper into their own emotional and physical illness. And just like the addict they deny their own illness.
Perhaps the most severe damage to those who have shared some part of life with an addict comes in the form of the nagging belief that they are somehow at fault; they were not up to it all, not attractive enough, not clever enough to have solved this problem for the one they love. They think it was something they did or did not do. These are their feelings of guilt.
They center all of their attention of the addict’s behavior and trying to control them. In doing this, they lose sight of what they can control.
“We learn to deal with our obsession, our anxiety our anger our denial, and our feelings of guilt. Little by little we come to realize that much of our discomfort comes from our attitudes. We try to change these attitudes, learn about our responsibilities to ourselves, discover feelings of self-worth, love, and grow spiritually. The emphasis begins to be lifted from the addicts and placed where we do have some power—over our own lives.”
August 10, 2016
I am learning a great deal about addiction recovery and am humbled by the preconceived judgements I've held. Pres Brigham Young is quoted, "If brethren and sisters are overtaken in in fault, your hearts should be filled with kindness- with brotherly angelic feeling to overlook their faults" Also I'm learning more about boundaries and co-dependancy. This work of redemption is powerful stuff!
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January 20, 2016I didn't really like reading this.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews