A.J. shares his heartfelt journey with us about struggles with mental health and addiction
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มิ.ย. 2023
- "When I got into prison the first thing I asked my family was to send me a triple combination. I had never read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. Prior to that it was piece by piece. It is hard to put into words the amount of darkness you feel while in prison that is surrounding you. You are always reminded of how horrible your decisions are, you are beaten down left and right. I religiously started reading the Book of Mormon everyday and really studying it, trying to understand it and grow my own testimony to know if it was true. I started to notice it brought me so much comfort no matter what was going on around me. My scriptures became a guide and a light to me in such a dark area."
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@AJ Whipple ... my brother, you have no clue how bad I needed so many of the words you spoke here. You're an answer to a prayer. Thank you.
I thankyou for your honesty with your feelings of perfectionism, and struggles with addiction and mental health. I would like to share with you i have had similar struggles....i was diagnosed bipolar & spent weeks in the hospital, i was suicidal, manic depression. The Dr.s everyday worked on medications to help me. When i got home and my strength back i asked if i could become an ordinance worker in the Temple. I served in the Temple every week, after about 7 months my eyes opened and i realized i wasn't sick anymore. I have been serving as an ordinance worker now for 8 years and have had no incidents of mental illness since then. I still take medications but have experienced no manic or depressive episodes since i began serving in the Temple. I know the Spirit of our Savior in His house has healed me. I will serve until i die, i never want to go back to being so sick.
Thank you for being so vulnerable and opening up on here. Sending love
I absolutely love this talk!! It reminds me when i was baptized 14 years ago and i worked every weekend double shifts. Then i got baptized and asked my boss if i could have the morning off and go to church and then after a few months i asked for Sundays off or i was going to quit too and pray that Heavenly Father would help me find a job that would help me to honor the sabbath. My boss knew i was a hard worker and i was really available any other day for several hours and she let me have Sundays off. It was awesome. I can relate to so many things you said AJ. I love your spirit and your faithfulness. God bless you. So grateful for you and your testimony. ❤
Wow! There is a person I care about very much who hasn't been active in Church in several years and he looks so much like you, AJ, and has similar mannerisms, and he is also 35 years old. Your story gives me hope that someday he will also have a great Come-back story!
I also really appreciate how you talked about your on-going weaknesses/temptations and your tendency toward toxic perfectionism / OCD, and how, even though you repented, you have to maintain vigilance against those susceptibilities. I believe we all have weaknesses, and we have to identify them and not allow ourselves to get discouraged when we fall short. I feel I want to do what I can to warn my children against toxic perfectionism. They need to know that they are loved no matter what, and that we all fail, and it will be ok.
He has such a beautiful spirit and he's so open in his telling of the story. I love his gentleness. I know it will help a lot of people.
Thanks for coming back AJ! We love you!
There is no perfect path to Christ, and once you are in the loving arms of the Good Shepherd it no longer matters how you were lost, how long you were lost, you have been found. Your experiences can stay with you and can help others on their way, you have learned lessons that can’t be learned any other way.
Our loving Father in Heaven can’t wait for you and I to return home and even when we’re “yet a long ways off” he races to meet us and embrace us in the arms of his love. I’ve felt that same embrace when I have wandered in sin and come back and it’s a core part of my testimony of the reality that Jesus Christ lives and performed the Atonement for us. “How is it done? Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before seen, nor heard.”
Thank you for the wonderful comment
I am from India living in Utah, thank you bro AJ for sharing your story. I go to Jordan river temple as well hopefully sometime I get to meet you 🙂 god is great and gospel changes lives. All the best to you 🙏
Thank you, AJ for sharing your story!
You really spoke from a real and raw place. Thank you for sharing your story, repentance is real and sooo healing.❤️
What a beautiful story! I love how he described the light he felt while reading the scriptures and while attending the temple. I can see the light of Jesus Christ in his countenance as he shares his testimony.
Thanks A.J. for sharing. You have many things to do for many. All the best!
I had that similar moment where I hugged my Branch President, and felt wanted, even though I was a prodigal son! I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, but I know the Atonement is so real! We can be changed and forgiven through Jesus Christ. We need Him every hour.
Relying on each other is absolutely necessary to do anything in the temple. Reminds me of this teaching : “We are Redeemed Through Relationship. “
love that
This wonderful man made me cry! He is such a fine young man and has a great story for perfectionists. His spirit is so good and clean and I enjoyed this episode very much!! THANKYOU Brother Whipple for sharing about your overcoming many of the struggles that many people suffer from!! Your an example and a hero!!
one heart ❤ brother
Thank you for sharing your story, A.J. I loved every moment of it.
Good job my friend. Many can relate to you, I'm sure! I know I can.
Unless we as members start understanding spiritual warfare and appreciating the battle between good and evil for our souls, satan will always have an upper hand over us. This life is no joke! Christ, the church, our covenants, our family, our testimony - are our refuge from evils of this world.
So great, thank you for sharing your experience!
A J thank you for sharing your story 👏
Thank you for sharing your story, it is helpful.
Another amazing inspiring story, thank you Lauren. I found this story to be so touching & inspiring. Is there an email or contact info in case we wanted to reach to AJ? Thanks
Thank you, will you email me at lauren.comebackpodcast@gmail.com
🤍
Hi! Great story. May i ask who is covering CB podcast?
Hi! My name is Lauren Rose and I am the editor/producer of the come back podcast.
*promo sm*