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[00:00:01.020 – 00:00:08.220] And I think we get here just as confused about where God is as we were ever confused about anything else. [00:00:08.220 – 00:00:13.180] As a kid growing up, somewhere I got a picture in my mind. [00:00:13.180 – 00:00:23.320] Now, I don't know whether I dreamed it or saw it, but in my mind, when I was thinking about God, He was a tall, elderly gentleman, stood on a cloud [00:00:23.320 – 00:00:33.500] up in the sky, long flowing white robes on, long white hair, golden halo around his head, and sun rays [00:00:33.500 – 00:00:37.940] shooting out of that halo, and a big stick in his right hand. [00:00:37.940 – 00:00:48.180] Now, I don't know whether I saw that or whether I dreamed it, but one of the reasons I thought God was there is because every time the minister talked about God, he always pointed up there, [00:00:48.180 – 00:00:50.040] so I knew He had to be up there somewhere.

[00:00:50.040 – 00:00:57.720] But then what really confused me, I no- I noticed every time the minister wanted to talk to God, he always looked down here. [00:00:57.720 – 00:00:59.260] He points up… [00:00:59.260 – 00:01:02.940] Hell, no wonder we get confused as kids- -about where God is. [00:01:02.940 – 00:01:12.940] And I looked, and I looked, and I looked, and I looked, and I never could find God because I never did know where He was, and it took the big [00:01:12.940 – 00:01:19.840] book Alcoholics Anonymous to tell me just exactly where I'm gonna find Him, page 55. [00:01:19.840 – 00:01:29.890] You know, uh, many years ago, I was working for, or not working, but I was involved in a halfway house in Tulsa, and I was heavily involved, and there was this young man there who'd asked me to be [00:01:29.890 – 00:01:38.700] his sponsor, and he said, "Well, what do you think I ought to do?" I said, "Well, it'd be probably a good idea if you had a job, you know, to start somewhere here." And, uh, he said, "Well, easy for you to say.

[00:01:38.700 – 00:01:41.640] I don't have any car, and I, I can't get back and forth with no money. [00:01:41.640 – 00:01:44.000] Can't even ride the bus." And I said, "Well, I'll take you around. [00:01:44.000 – 00:01:54.080] I'll help you find a job, and then if you find a job, I'll take you back and forth till you can get a couple of paychecks, and then you can buy a car or do whatever you need to do." He said, "Fine." So I'm taking him back and forth to work, [00:01:54.080 – 00:01:57.440] and one morning he told me a story that really helped me a lot. [00:01:57.440 – 00:02:00.300] And he said, and this is the way the story goes. [00:02:00.300 – 00:02:09.329] He said there was the three wise men of the East, he said, and they took from man the crown of life, the thing that would make us the happiest, and took it away from him. [00:02:09.329 – 00:02:11.530] And they said, "Well, now we took it away from him.

[00:02:11.530 – 00:02:14.980] What are we gonna do with it?" Said, well, one of the guys said, "I'll tell you what we'll do. [00:02:14.980 – 00:02:23.760] We'll take it to the highest, highest crevice on the face of the earth and the highest, highest mountain, and we'll hide it up there, and he'll never be able to find it." The other two said, "Yeah, but you know how they are. [00:02:23.760 – 00:02:27.680] They'll hunt, and they'll search, and they'll eventually find it." The third one said, "I'll tell you what. [00:02:27.680 – 00:02:35.200] We'll take it to the deepest, deepest crevice of the deepest ocean and hide it there, and they'll never think about looking for it there." But he said, "Yeah, but you know how they are. [00:02:35.200 – 00:02:39.020] They'll hunt, and they'll search, and they'll eventually find it." The third one said, "I'll tell you what we'll do. [00:02:39.020 – 00:02:45.460] We'll hide it within himself, and he'll never think about looking for it there." Page 55, first paragraph. [00:02:45.460 – 00:02:45.680] Yes.

[00:02:45.680 – 00:02:52.340] Said, "Actually, we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of God. [00:02:52.340 – 00:03:02.380] It may be obscured by calamity, by palm, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there, for faith in a Power greater than ourselves and miraculous demonstrations of that [00:03:02.380 – 00:03:05.480] Power in human lives are facts as old as man himself. [00:03:05.480 – 00:03:12.019] We finally saw that faith in some kind of a God was a part of our makeup, just as much as the feeling we have for a friend. [00:03:12.019 – 00:03:15.680] Sometimes we had to search furiously, but He was there. [00:03:15.680 – 00:03:17.310] He was as much a fact as we were. [00:03:17.310 – 00:03:20.540] We found the great Reality deep down within us.

[00:03:20.540 – 00:03:24.100] In the last analysis, it is only there that He may be found. [00:03:24.100 – 00:03:27.680] It was so with us." Said, "We can only clear the ground a bit. [00:03:27.680 – 00:03:37.720] If our testimony helps sweep a- sweep away prejudice, enables you to think honestly, encourages you to search diligently within yourself, then if you wish, you can join [00:03:37.720 – 00:03:38.740] us on the broad highway. [00:03:38.740 – 00:03:41.900] Now, with this attitude, you cannot fail. [00:03:41.900 – 00:03:45.480] The consciousness of your belief is sure to come to you. [00:03:45.480 – 00:03:55.840] A God of your own understanding is sure to come to you with an open mind." You know, it seems as though all human beings are born with

[00:03:55.840 – 00:04:05.940] some basic knowledge deep down inside themselves, probably lying at a subconscious level, and that basic knowledge seems to be able to tell us [00:04:05.940 – 00:04:07.760] what we should do and what we shouldn't do. [00:04:07.760 – 00:04:17.840] It seems to be able to tell us how we should live and how we shouldn't live, and I'm sure a lot of people would like to refer to that as just plain old common sense. [00:04:17.840 – 00:04:22.100] I think others might want to call it innate intelligence. [00:04:22.100 – 00:04:33.120] Some might want to call it the conscience, and others might want to call it the soul, and I don't think it really makes any difference what we call it, as [00:04:33.120 – 00:04:35.460] long as we recognize the fact that it's there. [00:04:35.460 – 00:04:43.100] And if you're anything like I am, as far back as I can remember, I've always been aware of that knowledge.

[00:04:43.100 – 00:04:53.160] There used to be times I would be getting ready to do something, and some voice somewhere from within inside me would say, "Charlie, I don't believe you ought to be doing [00:04:53.160 – 00:04:56.320] this." And I wouldn't pay a bit of attention to it. [00:04:56.320 – 00:05:00.240] I'd go right ahead and do it, and I'd just get in one hell of a mess. [00:05:00.240 – 00:05:02.760] And that same little voice would say, "See? [00:05:02.760 – 00:05:12.940] I told you not to do it in the first place." Now, if that's true, and if that's God, then what that means [00:05:12.940 – 00:05:20.480] to me today, if God dwells within me, then I've got my own personal God. [00:05:20.480 – 00:05:24.930] I don't worry anymore about whether He's the God of the Baptist Church or not.

[00:05:24.930 – 00:05:30.590] I don't worry whether He's the God of the Catholic Church, the Hebu- Hebrew religion, or anybody else's God. [00:05:30.590 – 00:05:40.560] If He dwells within me, then He's my own personal God, and He and I can come together in very simple, very understandable terms. [00:05:40.560 – 00:05:50.560] This is one of the greatest pieces of information that I have ever learned, is that I can have my own God, and He dwells within me, and my knowledge comes [00:05:50.560 – 00:05:54.640] from Him, and through Him, I'll be able to find that power. [00:05:54.640 – 00:05:57.260] Now then, am I ready to make a decision? [00:05:57.260 – 00:05:58.800] You betcha. [00:05:58.800 – 00:06:04.100] When He was a God of justice, when He was hellfire and brimstone, I wasn't ready to make that decision.

[00:06:04.100 – 00:06:14.328] But throughout this chapter, my concept of God has changed entirely, and I'm beginning to believe He just might be a kind and a loving [00:06:14.328 – 00:06:14.848] God. [00:06:14.848 – 00:06:20.888] And just maybe He'll start doing some good things for me, not hellfire and brimstone. [00:06:20.888 – 00:06:24.148] And now I'm ready to make a decision. [00:06:24.148 – 00:06:31.828] And I don't think it's by accident that the very next chapter is entitled How It Works. [00:06:31.828 – 00:06:41.848] You know, back on poi– page forty-five, he said, "The main object of this book was to enable me to find a power greater than myself which would solve my problem." [00:06:41.848 – 00:06:51.688] And Bill's g-gonna sit down here now, and he's gonna write some of the best spiritual information the world's ever seen, a little formula called– or proposals, he called them, the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:06:51.688 – 00:06:55.168] And I can just see Bill there with a, with a, with a problem that he has. [00:06:55.168 – 00:07:00.348] You know, we've got Protestants in AA, and we got Catholics in AA, and we got Jewish people in AA. [00:07:00.348 – 00:07:02.908] We got a sprinkling of Muslims in AA. [00:07:02.908 – 00:07:05.888] We got some Buddhists coming to– in the AA at that time. [00:07:05.888 – 00:07:10.568] And how are you gonna write a set of steps or proposals that's not gonna offend some of these people? [00:07:10.568 – 00:07:14.208] Quite a chore for a guy like Bill or anybody, to tell you the truth. [00:07:14.208 – 00:07:18.648] The, uh, Oxford groups were coming from first-century Christianity.

[00:07:18.648 – 00:07:22.648] They had those four absolutes, and they were really, really strong. [00:07:22.648 – 00:07:25.248] They, uh, wouldn't give you any slack at all. [00:07:25.248 – 00:07:29.908] They were more interested in the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law. [00:07:29.908 – 00:07:34.348] Bill was interested in the spirit of these things rather than the letter of them. [00:07:34.348 – 00:07:36.108] That's why it's a spiritual program. [00:07:36.108 – 00:07:46.108] So Bill had one gigantic he– uh, problem here, try to wr-write these steps in order to– i-in such a manner that it wouldn't offend anybody, and he accomplished that through the 12 [00:07:46.108 – 00:07:47.428] Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:07:47.428 – 00:07:57.648] These four absolutes that the Oxford group had said you were to practice absolute love, absolute purity, absolute honesty, [00:07:57.648 – 00:08:00.168] absolute unselfishness. [00:08:00.168 – 00:08:05.648] And these alcoholics were having a hell of a time being absolute anything except drunks, you know? [00:08:05.648 – 00:08:15.768] And they said, "Bill, we, we, we need to get rid of that kind of stuff." Also, they had made their own little steps, six of them, which [00:08:15.768 – 00:08:17.688] came from the Oxford group tenets. [00:08:17.688 – 00:08:24.488] And Bill could see loopholes in these steps that the alcoholic mind was slipping through. [00:08:24.488 – 00:08:34.208] And he knew that they were gonna have to have more strength, and he knew they were gonna have to be expanded, but he didn't know how far.

[00:08:34.208 – 00:08:44.368] And in trying to satisfy that bunch, in trying to satisfy the people from all different religions, and [00:08:44.368 – 00:08:50.468] in trying to satisfy those who didn't want God in here, Bill had a terrible time with it. [00:08:50.468 – 00:08:55.288] By that time, AA had really divided into, you might say, three factions. [00:08:55.288 – 00:08:57.388] Uh, in Akron, where Dr. [00:08:57.388 – 00:09:01.128] Bob was, they didn't have any problem with God. [00:09:01.128 – 00:09:01.808] Dr. [00:09:01.808 – 00:09:03.628] Bob was a highly religious man.

[00:09:03.628 – 00:09:04.478] He used the Bible. [00:09:04.478 – 00:09:07.388] He insisted everybody he worked with use it too. [00:09:07.388 – 00:09:08.788] God was no problem there. [00:09:08.788 – 00:09:13.147] But the New York City people were an entirely different breed of cat. [00:09:13.147 – 00:09:17.128] They really didn't want anything to do with God if they could avoid it. [00:09:17.128 – 00:09:23.448] They would have preferred a book dealing with the mind rather than spirituality, period. [00:09:23.448 – 00:09:33.928] And there was a– finally a, a third faction that had said, "Well, let's talk about God, but let's don't talk about Him too much." "Let's

[00:09:33.928 – 00:09:38.708] come down somewhere in the middle of this thing." So Bill's trying to satisfy them all. [00:09:38.708 – 00:09:44.888] And he said he tried, and he tried, and he tried, and he tried to get started on chapter five. [00:09:44.888 – 00:09:48.168] This is gonna be the directions on how to recover. [00:09:48.168 – 00:09:58.168] And he said, "I simply could not do it." And he said, "One night while in bed," leaning against– pillow behind his back, leaning against the headboard, pad and pencil in [00:09:58.168 – 00:10:08.728] hand, trying to start chapter five, he said, "I finally just gave up." And said, "I put down the pad and the pencil," and said, "I prayed and asked God for help and direction." [00:10:08.728 – 00:10:19.108] And he said, "I meditated for maybe ten or fifteen minutes." And he said, "Then after a while, I reached over and picked up the pad and pencil." And [00:10:19.108 – 00:10:28.608] he said, "It felt as if the pencil had a mind of its own as it raced across the pages." In less than thirty minutes, he had written How It Works.

[00:10:28.608 – 00:10:29.108] Mm. [00:10:29.108 – 00:10:33.708] One of the greatest pieces of spiritual information the world has ever seen. [00:10:33.708 – 00:10:41.428] After he had written it, he went back and numbered these proposals, and he found out there was twelve. [00:10:41.428 – 00:10:43.888] He didn't set out to write twelve. [00:10:43.888 – 00:10:47.028] He went back and numbered them, and there was twelve of them there. [00:10:47.028 – 00:10:53.648] Now, almost immediately after having done that, somebody knocked on the door. [00:10:53.648 – 00:10:59.088] One of the guys in a New York City group had one of his sponsees with him.

[00:10:59.088 – 00:11:05.628] They knew that Bill stayed up late working on the book anyhow, so they had come by to see Bill on the way home. [00:11:05.628 – 00:11:12.108] Bill could hardly wait- -to show this to this old, older member. [00:11:12.108 – 00:11:22.948] "Look, look, look at the new 12 Steps." And the older member said, "What in the hell is this?" Said, "Je–" Said, s-s– said, [00:11:22.948 – 00:11:33.038] "We only had Ten Commandments, and now you got twelve." And he said, "Six has been sufficient for everything up till now." And he said, [00:11:33.038 – 00:11:36.008] "I don't like it at all," and the fight was on. [00:11:36.008 – 00:11:41.428] And they fought, and they fought, and Lois finally came in and gave them a cup of coffee and settled them down. [00:11:41.428 – 00:11:48.668] Then Bill presented this How It Works to the other members, and that's when the crap really hit the fan.

[00:11:48.668 – 00:11:56.008] 'Cause they began to say to Bill, "This sounds too much like the Oxford Group absolutes. [00:11:56.008 – 00:12:06.208] You're gonna have to get some of that stuff out of there." And they said, "Bill, you're trying to give directions to people, and you don't have the right to tell anybody what they have to do." And [00:12:06.208 – 00:12:08.828] Bill this, and Bill that, and Bill this, and Bill that. [00:12:08.828 – 00:12:15.468] And they almost destroyed not only the book project, but the little fellowship in its entirety. [00:12:15.468 – 00:12:21.848] Now, Joe's gonna read How It Works from the original manuscript, which most of you have probably heard before. [00:12:21.848 – 00:12:32.028] And if he reads through there, I think you'll be able to see the differences between what Bill wrote that night and what the fellowship forced him to change [00:12:32.028 – 00:12:33.808] in order to have what we have today.

[00:12:33.808 – 00:12:36.928] Let's go through it for just a moment and see the differences. [00:12:36.928 – 00:12:43.428] Can you imagine what kind of fight you would have if you left here today, went back to your group, and you had twelve steps when you left, but now you had twenty-four? [00:12:43.428 – 00:12:44.388] Oh, yeah. [00:12:44.388 – 00:12:46.588] Be a little fighting going on, wouldn't there? [00:12:46.588 – 00:12:48.488] That's what Bill was up to. [00:12:48.488 – 00:12:50.888] And this is How It Works, the original manuscript. [00:12:50.888 – 00:12:59.368] He said, "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our directions." Not our suggestions, our directions.

[00:12:59.368 – 00:13:04.348] "Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program. [00:13:04.348 – 00:13:08.868] Usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. [00:13:08.868 – 00:13:10.908] There are such unfortunates. [00:13:10.908 – 00:13:11.738] They're not at fault. [00:13:11.738 – 00:13:13.768] They seem to have been born that way. [00:13:13.768 – 00:13:20.708] They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a way of life which demands rigorous honesty. [00:13:20.708 – 00:13:22.228] Their chances are less than average.

[00:13:22.228 – 00:13:30.488] There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. [00:13:30.488 – 00:13:35.428] Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we're like now. [00:13:35.428 – 00:13:46.068] Now, if you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any lengths to get it, then you are ready to follow directions." "At [00:13:46.068 – 00:13:52.028] some of these, you may balk." "You may think you can find an easier, softer way. [00:13:52.028 – 00:14:00.268] We doubt if you can." "With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. [00:14:00.896 – 00:14:05.776] Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas, and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. [00:14:05.776 – 00:14:11.196] Remember that you are dealing with alcohol: cunning, baffling, powerful.

[00:14:11.196 – 00:14:13.496] Without help, it is too much for you. [00:14:13.496 – 00:14:15.796] But there is one who has all power. [00:14:15.796 – 00:14:16.616] That one is God. [00:14:16.616 – 00:14:18.736] You must find Him now. [00:14:18.736 – 00:14:22.196] Half measures will avail you nothing. [00:14:22.196 – 00:14:24.436] You stand at the turning point. [00:14:24.436 – 00:14:27.976] Throw yourself under His protection care with complete abandon.

[00:14:27.976 – 00:14:29.716] Now we think you can take it. [00:14:29.716 – 00:14:36.356] Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as your program of recovery. [00:14:36.356 – 00:14:42.996] One, admitted that we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. [00:14:42.996 – 00:14:47.936] Two, came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. [00:14:47.936 – 00:14:55.676] Three, made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care and direction of God as we understood Him. [00:14:55.676 – 00:14:59.216] Over to the care and direction of God as we understood Him. [00:14:59.216 – 00:14:59.896] Remember that.

[00:14:59.896 – 00:15:01.276] We'll refer to it later on. [00:15:01.276 – 00:15:05.195] Four, made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. [00:15:05.195 – 00:15:11.646] Five, admitted to God and to ourselves and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. [00:15:11.646 – 00:15:16.626] Six, were entirely willing that God remove all these defects of character. [00:15:16.626 – 00:15:23.316] Seven, humbly on our knees asked Him to remove our shortcomings, holding nothing back. [00:15:23.316 – 00:15:29.836] Eight, made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make complete amends to them all. [00:15:29.836 – 00:15:36.396] Nine, made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

[00:15:36.396 – 00:15:41.436] 10, continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. [00:15:41.436 – 00:15:50.976] 11, sought through prayer and meditation to improve our contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. [00:15:50.976 – 00:16:01.236] 12, having had a spiritual experience as a result of this course of action, we tried to carry this message to others, especially [00:16:01.236 – 00:16:04.836] alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs. [00:16:04.836 – 00:16:07.316] Now, you may exclaim, "What an order. [00:16:07.316 – 00:16:10.135] I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. [00:16:10.135 – 00:16:14.456] No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles.

[00:16:14.456 – 00:16:15.756] We're not saints. [00:16:15.756 – 00:16:18.976] The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. [00:16:18.976 – 00:16:21.616] The principles we have set down are guides to progress. [00:16:21.616 – 00:16:25.096] We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. [00:16:25.096 – 00:16:33.256] Now, our description of the alcoholic- That's the doctor's opinion, Bill's story, some of it in chapter two and three … [00:16:33.256 – 00:16:35.956] the chapter two, the agnostic- Chapter four … [00:16:35.956 – 00:16:40.516] and our personal adventures, both before and after- Bill's story and those in the back of the book …

[00:16:40.516 – 00:16:44.456] have been designed to sell you three pertinent ideas. [00:16:44.456 – 00:16:47.616] Well, Bill was a salesman, you know. [00:16:47.616 – 00:16:52.236] A, that you are alcoholic and cannot manage your own life. [00:16:52.236 – 00:16:53.016] Step one. [00:16:53.016 – 00:16:57.136] B, that probably no human power can relieve your alcoholism. [00:16:57.136 – 00:16:58.136] Step two. [00:16:58.136 – 00:17:00.336] C, that God can and will.

[00:17:00.336 – 00:17:02.476] The rest of step two. [00:17:02.476 – 00:17:07.996] Now, if you're not convinced on these vital issues, you ought to reread the book to this point or else just throw it away. [00:17:07.996 – 00:17:11.636] Go ahead. [00:17:11.636 – 00:17:17.556] So you can see that Bill didn't– He, his intention was not just a set of suggestions. [00:17:17.556 – 00:17:27.076] He was gonna give real directions on how to work the steps and when to work the steps, and gonna give us precise, specifically clear-cut directions on how to do that, and he was very adamant about it. [00:17:27.076 – 00:17:34.756] But the crap hit the fan, and they asked him, and they made him through the argument to ch– make some changes in this, how, original How it Works. [00:17:34.756 – 00:17:40.036] And so today's How it Works that we have in the book are the, and the changes that was forced upon Bill.

[00:17:40.036 – 00:17:46.156] You know, and Bill said that he would compromise with them in, in this area, but he, he asked, he made a deal with them. [00:17:46.156 – 00:17:53.316] And I can imagine through all the arguments that they had up to this point, back and forth of this, of this program, the kind of arguments that they had. [00:17:53.316 – 00:17:58.516] And they were almost ready to disband and, and ruin the little fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous at that time. [00:17:58.516 – 00:18:00.396] So Bill made a little compromise. [00:18:00.396 – 00:18:10.156] He said, "I would, uh, I would, from now on, I'll make these changes, but from now on, I will complete the rest of this book or else you can do it." Well, they didn't want to complete the rest of the book. [00:18:10.156 – 00:18:11.616] They wanted Bill continue to do that. [00:18:11.616 – 00:18:16.896] So they, they agreed to let Bill continue to write the rest of the book without much interference on their part.

[00:18:16.896 – 00:18:26.476] You're not almost see old Bill when he wrote this and gave it to them, and they began to fight and argue over it, and they began to tell him he's gonna have to change it. [00:18:26.476 – 00:18:29.996] And remember, Bill's stubborn and bullheaded, just like the rest of us. [00:18:29.996 – 00:18:33.936] And he said, "No, I'm not gonna change this." And they said, "Well, Bill, you are. [00:18:33.936 – 00:18:35.356] Don't you remember? [00:18:35.356 – 00:18:36.216] It's not your book. [00:18:36.216 – 00:18:36.976] It's our book. [00:18:36.976 – 00:18:47.476] That's the deal we made to begin with." He said, "That doesn't make any difference." He said, "I'm not gonna change this part of the book." And they said, "Well, you are gonna change it."

[00:18:47.476 – 00:18:53.836] And he said, "What you guys don't realize is these aren't my words anyhow." He said, "These are God's words. [00:18:53.836 – 00:19:05.576] They came after prayer and meditation." And they said, "We don't give a damn whose words they are." "It's our book, and you're gonna change it." And [00:19:05.576 – 00:19:12.756] finally, finally, Bill realized that if he didn't compromise, they would destroy this project and maybe the whole fellowship. [00:19:12.756 – 00:19:18.476] And there was a non-alcoholic psychiatrist around in those days, and he made some suggestions. [00:19:18.476 – 00:19:24.056] He said, "Why don't you change it from directions to suggestions? [00:19:24.056 – 00:19:34.065] You'll still get your meaning across, and probably more people would accept it." And he said, "Where you're saying you, you, you," he said, [00:19:34.065 – 00:19:34.776] "Don't do that.

[00:19:34.776 – 00:19:36.436] Don't tell them what they have to do. [00:19:36.436 – 00:19:37.776] Change that to we. [00:19:37.776 – 00:19:39.876] Say this is what we had to do. [00:19:39.876 – 00:19:49.976] Then you'll get your message across, and more people would probably accept it." And he said, "Where you're saying must, must, change that to ought, [00:19:49.976 – 00:19:55.135] ought, and it will be more acceptable." Now, Bill very, very reluctantly made those changes. [00:19:55.135 – 00:19:57.916] Now, today, we don't know. [00:19:57.916 – 00:20:07.036] If they hadn't made the changes, if they'd left it like it was originally, maybe instead of two million worldwide, we might have 10 million.

[00:20:07.036 – 00:20:13.512] But also if they hadn't made the changes, instead of two million worldwide, we might only have ten thousand. [00:20:13.512 – 00:20:14.392] Who knows? [00:20:14.392 – 00:20:15.732] Nobody knows. [00:20:15.732 – 00:20:20.312] We just know this is the history behind this particular part of the book. [00:20:20.312 – 00:20:30.812] Bill was cunning, baffling, and powerful also 'cause he said, "Okay, I'm gonna compromise with you, but you're gonna have to compromise with me." [00:20:30.812 – 00:20:33.772] And they said, "Well, what do you want?" He said, "I'm tired. [00:20:33.772 – 00:20:41.212] I fought with you all I'm gonna fight." He said, "If you want me to finish the book, then you give me the authority to do so.

[00:20:41.212 – 00:20:50.252] And if you don't want to give me the authority, then you finish the book." Well, they didn't want to give him that authority, but they didn't want to finish the book either. [00:20:50.252 – 00:20:53.252] So they very reluctantly agreed to that. [00:20:53.252 – 00:21:02.692] Now, what Bill knew that they didn't know is two pages later, he's gonna put directions and you and must right back in the book. [00:21:02.692 – 00:21:07.192] He's had it in the book all the way up to how it works. [00:21:07.192 – 00:21:13.272] They jerked it out, and then he puts it back, and that ruins some of the continuity of the book. [00:21:13.272 – 00:21:16.392] But now that we see what happened, it makes more sense. [00:21:16.392 – 00:21:26.452] The other thing that is so apparent is when he says back here about the three per-pertinent ideas, if

[00:21:26.452 – 00:21:29.672] I can find it again, I don't trust my memory that good anymore. [00:21:29.672 – 00:21:40.132] Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after have been designed to sell you three pertinent ideas. [00:21:40.132 – 00:21:46.952] He's talking about the doctor's opinion in the first four chapters and the stories in the back of the book. [00:21:46.952 – 00:21:56.152] And if we've been sold on those three pertinent ideas, A, that we're alcoholic and cannot manage our own life, then we're through with step one. [00:21:56.152 – 00:22:04.212] If we've come to believe that no human power can relieve our alcoholism and that God can and will, then we're through with step two. [00:22:04.212 – 00:22:11.652] Now, the very next statement says, if you are convinced, you are now at step three. [00:22:11.652 – 00:22:21.832] You see, the fallacy in trying to start somebody in, in chapter five is it starts with step three, and it's hard to start with step three unless

[00:22:21.832 – 00:22:23.272] you've got one and two behind you. [00:22:23.272 – 00:22:29.332] People come to us today and they say, "Well, how do you work steps one and two?" And our answer is you don't. [00:22:29.332 – 00:22:32.532] They are not working steps. [00:22:32.532 – 00:22:34.992] There's no action involved here. [00:22:34.992 – 00:22:44.132] These are conclusions of the mind that we draw based upon information presented to us in the doctor's opinion in the first four chapters. [00:22:44.132 – 00:22:49.552] I've always been powerless over alcohol, and my life has been unmanageable because of that. [00:22:49.552 – 00:22:56.212] I just did not know that, nor did I know why until I read the doctor's opinion in the first four chapters.

[00:22:56.212 – 00:23:00.712] There's always been a power greater than I am could restore me to sanity. [00:23:00.712 – 00:23:09.412] I just did not believe that he would, nor did I understand the insanity until I read the doctor's opinion in the first four chapters. [00:23:09.412 – 00:23:14.272] Now, if I can say to myself today, "You betcha, I'm powerless over alcohol. [00:23:14.272 – 00:23:17.552] My life is unmanageable," I'm through with step one. [00:23:17.552 – 00:23:27.592] If I can say to myself today, "I, I have come to believe there's a power greater than I am can restore me to sanity," I'm through with step two, and now then [00:23:27.592 – 00:23:29.672] I'm ready to look at step three. [00:23:29.672 – 00:23:31.552] He said- Now I might make a decision.

[00:23:31.552 – 00:23:32.232] Yeah. [00:23:32.232 – 00:23:41.252] Being convinced we were at step three, we haven't took step three yet, but we're just there, which is that we decided to turn our will and our life over to God as we understood Him. [00:23:41.252 – 00:23:44.112] Well, just what do we mean by that, and just what do we do? [00:23:44.112 – 00:23:46.172] Well, that's a very good question, isn't it? [00:23:46.172 – 00:23:47.272] What does step three mean? [00:23:47.272 – 00:23:49.152] Well, we're gonna make a decision. [00:23:49.152 – 00:23:50.392] That's part of it.

[00:23:50.392 – 00:23:50.961] To do what? [00:23:50.961 – 00:23:53.172] To turn our will, and what is our will? [00:23:53.172 – 00:23:57.232] Our will is our thinking, and our life is our actions. [00:23:57.232 – 00:24:05.052] We're gonna carry– make a decision to turn our will and our life over the care and direction, that's what the step used to say, to God as we understand Him. [00:24:05.052 – 00:24:13.552] Our will is our thinking, our life is our actions, and we're gonna make a decision to let God direct our thinking and direct our life in step three. [00:24:13.552 – 00:24:15.931] Haven't done that yet, but we're getting re– willing to do that. [00:24:15.931 – 00:24:24.112] I've always heard a lot of people say one of the most misunderstood steps in the big book is step four, and I'll agree with that.

[00:24:24.112 – 00:24:28.792] But I don't think step four is any more misunderstood than step three is. [00:24:28.792 – 00:24:35.452] I hear people today say, "I've been in AA about five years. [00:24:35.452 – 00:24:45.762] My life's still all screwed up, and I don't understand why, 'cause I turned it over to God three years ago when I took step three." No, [00:24:45.762 – 00:24:48.342] we don't turn anything over to God in step three. [00:24:48.342 – 00:24:58.132] We make a decision to do something in step three, and the decision itself implies we're gonna have to take some further action to carry it out. [00:24:58.132 – 00:25:08.612] You know, one of the greatest examples I can think of is probably four, five, six years ago now, Barbara and I made a decision [00:25:08.692 – 00:25:12.012] to come to Los Angeles, California, and visit some of our relatives.

[00:25:12.012 – 00:25:16.492] But we didn't do anything to carry that decision out. [00:25:16.492 – 00:25:19.152] And sure enough, we didn't get to Los Angeles that year either. [00:25:19.152 – 00:25:25.552] Second year in a row, we made a decision to come to Los Angeles and visit our relatives. [00:25:25.552 – 00:25:30.052] Again, we didn't do anything to carry it out, and we didn't get to California either. [00:25:30.052 – 00:25:33.332] Third year in a row, we made that decision. [00:25:33.332 – 00:25:36.052] Only this time it was a little different. [00:25:36.052 – 00:25:39.532] This time I took the car down and had it serviced.

[00:25:39.532 – 00:25:47.252] Barbara packed the clothes and a little food, and we got in our car and we drove from our home to Tulsa, Oklahoma. [00:25:47.252 – 00:25:50.072] Then we drove to Oklahoma City. [00:25:50.072 – 00:25:52.992] Then we drove to Amarillo, Texas. [00:25:52.992 – 00:25:55.812] Then we drove to Albuquerque, New Mexico. [00:25:55.812 – 00:25:57.612] Then we drove to Flagstaff, Arizona. [00:25:57.612 – 00:25:59.452] Then we drove to Barstow, California. [00:25:59.452 – 00:26:03.612] Then we drove to San Bernardino, and then we drove to Los Angeles.

[00:26:03.612 – 00:26:13.852] And by golly, one day we ended up visiting our relatives in Los Angeles, not because we made a decision, but because we took the action [00:26:13.852 – 00:26:15.852] necessary to carry out that decision. [00:26:15.852 – 00:26:18.732] Now, what is it we're deciding to do? [00:26:18.732 – 00:26:28.192] Well, we're making a decision to turn our will over to the care and direction of God as we understood Him. [00:26:28.192 – 00:26:30.272] What is our will? [00:26:30.272 – 00:26:34.912] Well, our will is nothing more than our thinking apparatus. [00:26:34.912 – 00:26:37.672] Our will is nothing more than our mind.

[00:26:37.672 – 00:26:43.052] Our will is nothing more than this thing up here that tells us what to do and what not to do. [00:26:43.052 – 00:26:53.092] You know, a good example of the word will, tying it together with mind, and let's say that some of us are beginning to approach the end of our lives, which a few of [00:26:53.092 – 00:27:00.612] us in here are, and we've gathered up a few material things, and we become concerned with what's gonna happen to them when we pass on. [00:27:00.612 – 00:27:07.932] We'll go down and sit down with an attorney, and we'll tell that attorney what we want done with these things. [00:27:07.932 – 00:27:09.632] I want this to be my spouse's. [00:27:09.632 – 00:27:11.312] This is to go to my daughter. [00:27:11.312 – 00:27:13.852] I want this to be my son, and et cetera.

[00:27:13.852 – 00:27:22.412] Now, that attorney will take my thinking coming from my mind that day and write it down in legal terms on a piece of paper. [00:27:22.412 – 00:27:26.672] I'll sign it, the attorney will sign it, and we'll put it in a safe. [00:27:26.672 – 00:27:30.892] Now, a year or two or three later, sure enough, I kick the bucket. [00:27:30.892 – 00:27:37.792] And if my family's like most of them, they're gonna call the undertaker and say, "Come and get him. [00:27:37.792 – 00:27:46.492] Get him ready, and let's get him out to that cemetery about as soon as we can." And a couple of days later, they all gather out at the cemetery. [00:27:46.492 – 00:27:51.252] They have me suspended over a hole in the ground. [00:27:51.252 – 00:27:54.292] They're all standing around that hole.

[00:27:54.292 – 00:28:00.132] Somebody says a few words and gives a little prayer.