Discussion Questions
• How might taking a stand against the use of harmful substances affect others around you?
• What effects can drug abuse have on your future? Schooling? Marriage? Motherhood? Occupation? Physical health?
• What are some ways we can avoid the temptation of substance abuse? How can we ensure we never become addicted to any substance?
• Where can we turn for help if we or our friends are involved in abusing drugs?
Excerpt from "O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One," by Elder M. Russell Ballard, October 2010 General Conference:
Medical research describes addiction as “a disease of the brain.” 4 This is true, but I believe that once Satan has someone in his grasp, it also becomes a disease of the spirit. But no matter what addictive cycle one is caught in, there is always hope. The prophet Lehi taught his sons this eternal truth: “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil” (2 Nephi 2:27).
If anyone who is addicted has a desire to overcome, then there is a way to spiritual freedom—a way to escape from bondage—a way that is proven. It begins with prayer—sincere, fervent, and constant communication with the Creator of our spirits and bodies, our Heavenly Father. It is the same principle in breaking a bad habit or repenting from sin of any kind. The formula for having our heart, our body, our mind, and our spirit transformed is found in the scriptures.
The prophet Mormon counseled us: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love … ; that ye may become the sons of God; … that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48).