“One
man who had been a slave to alcohol most of his adult life became
convinced … that he must give up the habit and prepare himself for the
temple. … With great effort he quit drinking. He moved many miles away
from the area where his drinking friends lived and, though his body
craved and ached and gnawed for [alcohol], he finally conquered. He was
at all his Church meetings, and was paying his tithing.
His new friends in the Church seemed to fortify him. He felt good in
the new activity, and life was glorious. His wife was beaming, because
now the whole family were always together. This is what she had dreamed about all their married life.
“They
got their temple recommends and the happy day arrived and they drove to
the temple city for this great event. They arrived early and each had
some errands to do. As it happened, the husband ran into some old
friends. They urged him to go with them to the tavern [where alcohol was
served]. No, he would not, he said, he had other important things to
do. Well, he could just take a soft drink [soda], they urged”
With the best of intentions he finally relented [and went to the tavern
with his old friends]. But by the time he was to meet his wife at the
temple he was so incapacitated [or drunk with alcohol] that the family
went home in disgrace and sorrow and disappointment” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 170–71).
