My Name is Bryce, not Jones

Please do not use the following experience to justify bad behavior.  My intention in sharing my story is to show that we are all capable of overcoming challenges in our lives.  The challenges I reference here were initially self-inflicted and could have been avoided.  It is through the atonement that I was able to overcome them, and I strongly discourage experiencing them.
 
 
 Just who the devil are the Joneses, and why exactly are we keeping up with them?
 
  We live in a therapist’s market.  Depression and anxiety are at an all time high.  As we peruse our social media feeds, we see the near perfect lives of everyone around us, and compare their lives to our own, we begin to question our own competency as human beings.  Sometimes resentment grows, and we pull away from others.  In religious communities, people even lose sight of their spiritual wellbeing.  If we can’t measure up to our neighbors and friends, how will we ever be good enough for God?
 
  I have a bit of a past, and I would like to briefly share my story.
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  I grew up a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I served a Mission for the Church from 2001-2003 in Lansing Michigan, and loved every minute of my time serving others.  When I got home, I had life figured out.  I found a girl I wanted to marry, had school lined up, I just started writing and performing music, and life could not better be.
  Things did not go as planned with the girl, my ego was severely bruised, and I grew bitter.  I threw myself into my music project and decided if I was going to be a “rock star” I was going to do it all the way.  I began partying and drinking.  Soon, I couldn’t go a day without drinking.  My personal relationships suffered, and I wasn’t a very kind person.  I wasted three of what could have been among my most productive years in a blurry haze.  My family was patient with me.  They knew I wasn’t in a good place but didn’t know the scope of my problem.  They showed unconditional love. 

  One night, at a friend’s house, I consumed a large amount of alcohol and prescription drugs.  A short time later, I was violently sick, and struggling to stay conscious.  My friends took me to urgent care where they did blood tests.  I was scared.  The doctor came back and said my kidneys were in bad shape and I needed to go to the Emergency Room for further evaluation.
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  I prayed for the first time in a long time.  I told Heavenly Father that if I made it through this, and if he would help me through the de-tox process, I would never drink again. 

Then I called Home.

  My Dad and Brother arrived at the ER a short time after I did.  Explaining to them what I was going through was one of the hardest things I’ve done.  My Dad kindly told me he didn’t judge me and was there to help and support.  They gave me a priesthood blessing, and a short time later I was released from the hospital.

The first week was the hardest.  

​  My family didn’t abandon me, and neither did God.  I attended the LDS church’s 12 step addiction recovery program, and slowly, my mind became clearer.  I know many other people who go through similar experiences suffer relapses, and intense withdrawal symptoms, but I was able to push through and stay clean.  I finally started to find a sense of self-worth through a series of small personal victories and overcoming obstacles.  A year and a half after that emergency room visit, I was able to get married and start a family, and now, almost nine years since my overdose, I have a wife and two amazing children.  Sure, I still crave a drink now and again, but what I have is worth so much more.  My family and other personal connections make it so easy to say no to the cravings. 

   ……. You don’t get any of that background from my Facebook profile.

We all have demons.  

​  Some demons are readily visible, while others are easily hidden from the public eye.  Some of us have conquered, while others are rising from defeat after defeat.  Often, those among us who seem to have the most perfect lives are dealing with the direst challenges.

  I firmly believe that we are children of God, and that he put us where we are to influence and be influenced by everyone around us.  Our individual worth is tied to our divine heritage.  We are all equal in the sight of Heaven.  I also believe that our sense of self worth is directly tied to our knowledge of our divine origin, and to our response to our unique trials.

   As we overcome obstacles, we gain confidence.  As we gain confidence, we overcome greater obstacles, and the pattern continues until we can start reaching out to help other people overcome their trials.  
  Our experiences give us the ability to relate to others.  If we can identify people within our circle of influence that may share some of the same challenges that we have conquered, we are in a place to help them in their battles, and we may find that they are uniquely qualified to help us with a battle of our own.

  And now a brief word to the Joneses, whoever and wherever you are.  I have a feeling maybe sometimes, it’s hard just keeping up with yourselves...

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