THE MARLBORO MAN

Yep, folks, that was the brand I smoked, because I saw those Marlboro advertisements, and ain't it every young red-blooded all-American boy's dream and ambition to grow up and become a genuine real-life cowboy out in the wide-open wild, wild West?

When the missionaries were teaching me the Restored Gospel, I well remember that dreadful day they asked me to hand over my last pack of cigarettes. I think they prepared me in advance by giving me a few days warning, so I had some time to think it over.

It was tough wrestling with the withdrawal symptoms. If I remember correctly (it was over thirty years ago), I think I went through some really bodacious sweating, and my skin seemed rather yellow. As I gradually and initially overcame the smoking urge, I observed another totally unexpected fringe benefit. One day, I happened to glance at my hands and I discovered that I had fingernails! I had, without realizing it, ceased biting and chewing my fingernails.

All of my entire life, up until that point in time, I had lived with an uncontrollable nervous habit of constantly chewing my fingernails. But I was so caught up in the struggle to resist smoking, that I had completely forgotten to chew my nails.

As a new convert, I was kept busy attending Church functions, and my only associates were other active LDS young single adults. Back in those days, LDS young single adults were called "M-men", if they were male, and "Gleaners", if they were female. After a couple of months of Church activity, I hitch-hiked to Spokane, Washington, where I got a job working on the Sundance Mountain - Trapper's Peak forest fires in Northern Idaho. I was the only Latter-day Saint there, and everybody around me smoked, so I began smoking again.

After the firefighting was done, I returned to Portland, Oregon. There, I once again surrounded myself with other active Latter-day Saints, and immersed myself in Church activity. I immediately lost any desire for cigarettes.

In December, I was drafted into the United States Army and began my Basic Combat Training at Fort Lewis, Washington. Because of the threat of a spinal meningitis epidemic, recruits were strictly confined to their own squad and platoon. We could not, under any circumstances, leave our company area, except in formation. I could not attend LDS services. I was the only Latter-day Saint in my platoon.

Everybody smoked, and I began smoking again. I did once meet with an Army chaplain about my smoking problem, but he was a Baptist, and saw nothing wrong with me smoking, and in fact, suggested I look for another religion. After basic training, I was sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia for Signal School, where I had the freedom to attend LDS services at the Augusta Ward, and could associate regularly and often with other Latter-day Saints. I lost all desire to smoke.

After leaving Georgia, I traveled the globe on various military assignments, including combat service in the Republic of Viet Nam. Often, I would be surrounded by smokers, and I would be quite removed from supportive LDS influences. But, by that point in time, I had developed a total lack of desire for tobacco, and would never smoke again.

My point is this: I did not immediately overcome a habit which had been acquired over a long period of time. It took a couple of honest attempts, interrupted by repeated failures, before I finally overcame my desire for tobacco. Further, I needed the constant association of my new LDS brothers and sisters, together with frequent Church activity. When I was alone and surrounded by smokers, I would revert to my old ways. When I was with other active LDS Church members, I had no desire to smoke.

I don't know if this will help you or not, but I feel there are some worthwhile teaching principles embodied in my own personal experience.

©Copyright 1998 by John Robert Mallernee