Discovering Divine Identity: How Knowing You're a Son of God Empowers Healing from Addiction and Trauma

On the journey of overcoming addiction and healing from trauma, understanding one's divine identity as a son of God is a transformative realization. This profound truth offers hope, purpose, and a pathway to recovery.

The Power of Divine Identity

Every individual is a literal spirit child of Heavenly Parents. This foundational belief instills a sense your worth and potential. President Russell M. Nelson emphasized this in a General Conference address:

"We are children of God. Our potential is unlimited. Our inheritance is sacred.” (We are Children of God, 1998)

Recognizing yourself as a son of God provides a stable identity, countering the shame and self-doubt often associated with addiction and trauma.

Addiction: A Battle of Identity

Addiction—whether from substance use, pornography, or any other compulsion—does more than affect behavior. It distorts the way individuals see themselves. Over time, repeated relapses and secret struggles can chip away at self-worth, leading many to believe they are beyond help or that they are fundamentally broken. This mindset can spiral into shame, which is more than guilt over actions—it is the false belief that one’s very identity is flawed or unworthy of love.

Satan whispers the lies: "You’re too far gone." "You’ll never change." "If others knew the real you, they’d walk away." These beliefs cause isolation not only from loved ones, but also from God and our truest selves. We begin to wear masks, hide in silence, and detach from our divine potential.

However, the gospel of Jesus Christ offers a radically different message. At the core of our doctrine is the truth that we are sons and daughters of God, created in His image, with divine potential and infinite worth. Our mistakes, no matter how serious or persistent, do not erase that identity.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland offered this healing reminder:

“However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made… I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love.”
(“Like a Broken Vessel,” October 2013)

This is the counter-narrative to shame: that we are not defined by our sins, our struggles, or our past, but by our relationship to God. He knows our full story—every hurt, every habit, every failure—and yet His invitation to return is never withdrawn. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we are offered more than forgiveness—we are offered transformation and renewal.

When individuals begin to internalize this divine truth, shame begins to lose its grip. They begin to see themselves not as addicts, but as beloved children of Heavenly Parents—capable of change, worthy of connection, and destined for more.

Healing often begins with this simple, profound shift in perception: "I am not the sum of my worst choices. I am someone God still believes in." The Savior stands ready not only to cleanse us from sin but to restore our true identity and help us rediscover the peace and purpose we were always meant to have.