It's been 55 years since he took up cigarette smoking, which, at times, was a two-pack-a-day habit that started when he was 7 years old. It's been 10 weeks since [Stephen] Willard, an aide at Weber Human Services mental health residential treatment facility, quit smoking. . . . He's managed to reduce his smoking to 10 cigarettes a day. . . . "I have 16 or 17 clients at any time. In order to get the clients to get smoke-free, I need to be smoke-free, too," he said. (Marjorie Cortez, "Kicking the habit", Deseret News, Monday 9 January 2012, A1).
In order to help those wanting to kick the habit for good, The Mormon Eagle offers friendly advice, which, if heeded, will bring the Help the smoker desires into their life, greatly aiding them in their struggle.
Seek God the Almighty
Almighty God is your Father in Heaven. As your Omnipotent Father, He is acutely aware of your desire to quit and for your repentance to be complete. His Son Jesus Christ has said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" (Matt. 7:7-8).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about prayer and it's power. Said he, "Prayer changes our lives. Through it we draw near to the Lord, and he reaches out his finger and touches us, so we never again are the same. Prayer is a great tower of strength, a pillar of unending righteousness, a mighty force that moves mountains and saves souls” (“Patterns of Prayer,” Ensign, May 1984, p. 32).
I know God answers prayers, and also that He speaks to us, if we will quiet our mind a hearken to His Spirit. Prayer in my life has given me strength to get through all my trials; I know He will help you in your trial to quit smoking.
Read the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a volume of Holy Scripture in companion to the Bible. It, coupled with the Bible, brings strength, power, and peace beyond mortal means and comprehension. Concerning the Book of Mormon the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (Book of Mormon Introduction).
I have read the Book of Mormon many times, and can testify to the truth of President Smith's teachings. I know the Book of Mormon brings Divine strength because of what it teaches about Jesus Christ and His power. The prophet Helaman taught his two sons,
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall (Hel. 5:12).
Additionally the Lord taught, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27). Like any addiction, whether it be illegal drugs, pornography, sex, pill-popping, or drinking, smoking can be overcome through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. I know this to be true and bear witness that He will sustain you in your struggle.
Conclusion
I know God is real, that He is our Father in Heaven. As such, He is waiting for us to come to Him in prayer, and, in the name of Jesus Christ, petition Him for His grace to be sufficient for us, that He might heal us of our afflictions. As the prophet Jacob saith, so I echo, "Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction" (Jacob 3:1). In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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