The 12 Steps are our PROGRAM OF RECOVERY. The pages from The Doctor’s Opinion through page 164 is our textbook—these pages describe this program, giving us ‘clear-cut directions’ for a full recovery from our obsessions.
BB xi, Preface: “Therefore, the first portion of this volume, describing the A.A. recovery program, has been left untouched in the course of revisions made for the second, third, and fourth editions.”
BB xxii, Foreword to Third Edition: “The Twelve Steps that summarize the program may be called los Doce Pasos in one country, les Douze Etapes in another, but they trace exactly the same path to recovery that was blazed by the earliest members of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
BB pages 28-29: “In the following chapter (More About Alcoholism), there appears an explanation of alcoholism, as we understand it, then a chapter addressed to the agnostic (We Agnostics). Many who once were in this class are now among our members. Surprisingly enough, we find such convictions no great obstacle to a spiritual experience. Further on, clear-cut directions are given showing how we recovered (How It Works) thru page 164 & Dr. Bob’s Nightmare). These are FOLLOWED BY forty-three PERSONAL experiences. Each individual, in the personal stories, describes in HIS OWN language and from HIS OWN POINT OF VIEW the way HE established his relationship with God. These give a fair cross section of our membership and a clear-cut idea of what has actually happened in their lives. We hope no one will consider these self-revealing accounts in bad taste. Our hope is that many alcoholic men and women, desperately in need, will see these pages, and we believe that it is only by fully disclosing ourselves and our problems that they will be persuaded to say, “Yes, I am one of them too; I must have this thing.”
BB p.59, How it Works: “Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery: …”
BB p.72, Into Action: “This brings us to the Fifth Step in the program of recovery mentioned in the preceding chapter.” (How It Works)
The ‘WE’ of the first 164 pages are the inclusive experiences of the pioneers and the ‘first 100’, which is not the ‘I’ of the personal stories. The Stories help a newcomer to IDENTIFY as an alcoholic. They also describe PERSONAL, SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES to reassure newcomers that it can happen for them also.
PRECISE instructions: “To show other alcoholics PRECISELY HOW WE HAVE RECOVERED
is the main purpose of this book.” Pg xiii
An OUTLINED PLAN “He accepted the PLAN OUTLINED IN THIS BOOK.” Pg xxxi
GREAT NEWS “We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.”
CLEAR-CUT directions “…clear-cut directions are given.” “If we have carefully followed (these clear-cut) directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us.” Pg 85.
The BB authors clearly told us the stories are NOT part of the program. Each of us will have OUR OWN spiritual experience from OUR OWN efforts at conscience contact with God as WE understand God. We are not expected to have the same spiritual experiences and awarenesses that someone else had.
The 12 traditions were written to UNIFY our society as a whole, and were NOT intended as OUR PERSONAL RECOVERY PROGRAM (the steps are for our RECOVERY). The AA big book was published in 1939—and the traditions weren’t published until 1946.
THE 12 & 12 WAS NEVER INTENDED TO REPLACE OUR BASIC TEXT
HOW DO WE KNOW?:
Pg 17: “In it (the AA book) alcoholism was described from the alcoholic’s point of view, the spiritual ideas of the Society were codified for the first time in the Twelve Steps, and the application of these Steps to the alcoholic’s dilemma was MADE CLEAR.
The remainder of the book was devoted to thirty stories or case histories in which the alcoholics described THEIR drinking experiences. This established identification with alcoholic readers and prived to them that the VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE HAD NOW BECOME POSSIBLE.
The book “Alcoholics Anonymous” become the BASIC TEXT OF THE FELLOWSHIP, and IT STILL IS. This present volume (the 12 & 12) proposes to BROADEN AND DEEPEN the understanding of the Twelve Steps as first written in the earlier work.”
WHAT ELSE DOES THE 12 & 12 TELL US in the Foreward?
The STEPS are a new way of living—our PROGRAM: “A.A.’s Twelve STEPS are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole.”
The TRADITIONS are intended for continued UNITY of the fellowship: “A.A.’s Twelve Traditions apply to the life of the Fellowship. They outline the means by which A.A. maintains It’s unity and relates itself to the world about it, the way it lives and grows.”
Page 18 of the Foreword explains the need for the Traditions for the quickly expanding fellowship and the need for UNITY of the society— to help these “great numbers of yet erratic people” to “live and work together with harmony and good effect.”
Understanding the three distinct sides of our Society (the triangle), reinforces that the Steps are intended to be taken for our personal recovery. We need to make this clear for anyone who is sincerely searching for a new way of life.
The third side of our pyramid: The 12 Concepts are the SERVICE part of our society.
Page 574, Appendices: “A.A.’s Twelve Steps are principles for personal recovery. The Twelve Traditions ensure the unity of the Fellowship. Written by co-founder Bill W. in 1962, the Twelve Concepts for World Service provide a group of related principles to help ensure that various element of A.A.’s SERVICE STRUCTURE remain responsive and RESPONSIBLE TO THOSE THEY SERVE.”
Bill W gave three major talks at The Second A.A. International Convention in St. Louis, Mo, 1955 (from article by Nancy O.) “On the first night Bill talked of what he called the first of the three legacies: ‘How We Learned to Recover.’ His second talk dealt with the second legacy ‘How We Learned to Stay Together.’ His third talk was on the third legacy: ‘How We Learned to Serve.’
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ETC— recovered from the obsession but not cured of the allergy — alcoholic in Oregon
Listening for group members who speak the truth is how to tell the difference between the “know-it-all-but-the-big book” meeting regulars from the A.A.s who actually practice the steps and the spiritual principles (we cannot transmit something we haven’t received) and have had life-changing spiritual experiences.
