Addiction Didn’t Break This Family’s Faith

In this episode of One by One with co-hosts Nick and Austin, Landon Dennis continues to share his extraordinary near death experience story on the podcast, but this episode takes an even deeper dive into the spiritual gifts he received and the family perspective on addiction recovery. As someone who survived homelessness, drug addiction, and clinical death, Landon brings unique credibility to discussions about divine intervention and spiritual transformation. His willingness to share ongoing struggles with addiction, even after miraculous spiritual experiences, provides authentic hope for others facing similar battles.

What makes this episode particularly special is the inclusion of Landon's family members, who share their own perspectives on praying for loved ones struggling with addiction. His brother, Nate, and sister, Neleh, join the conversation to discuss their 12-year journey watching family members battle substance abuse while maintaining faith that recovery was possible. Their testimonies reveal the hidden impact of consistent prayer and the reality that addiction affects entire families, not just individuals. This multi-generational conversation showcases that spiritual healing involves communities of support working together rather than isolated individual efforts.

Ongoing Spiritual Gifts and Daily Prayer Practice  

Following his near death experience, Landon discovered he had developed spiritual gifts that continue to manifest in his daily life. One of the most notable abilities is seeing colored auras around certain people during emotionally significant moments. He describes this as rarely happening, perhaps with only two people out of every hundred he encounters, and the colors vary depending on the situation and person involved. During one particularly moving moment at an AA meeting, he witnessed a yellow aura surrounding a woman who was sharing about her father's terminal brain aneurysm.

These spiritual gifts only function when Landon is living according to his values and maintaining his spiritual practices. He emphasizes that these abilities aren't psychic powers or special talents he can control, but rather manifestations of spiritual sensitivity that come and go based on his spiritual condition. The beings during his near death experience also shared personal information about his future that has begun manifesting in his earthly life, but only when he maintains his commitment to recovery and spiritual growth.

Perhaps most significantly, Landon's approach to prayer transformed completely after his experience. Rather than formal, ritualistic prayers, he now treats prayer as ongoing conversation with his best friend throughout the day. He prays while walking through stores, sitting in bathrooms, or during any moment when gratitude or need arises. This casual but constant communication style reflects his understanding that divine connection doesn't require perfect circumstances or formal language, just sincere intent and an open heart.

Family Perspectives on Addiction and Recovery  

Landon's brother, Nate, shares his own 12-year recovery journey, revealing that addiction had affected multiple family members across different time periods. Nate describes the daily choice required to maintain sobriety and his recent temple sealing with his wife and daughter, demonstrating that long-term recovery creates opportunities for sacred experiences and covenant relationships. His story illustrates that recovery isn't just about stopping destructive behaviors but building meaningful spiritual foundations that support lasting change.

Sister, Neleh, provides the perspective of family members who watch loved ones struggle while feeling helpless to create change. She describes dropping off food anonymously at locations where Landon was staying, wanting to help without enabling his addiction or making him feel ashamed. Her experience reveals the delicate balance families must navigate between showing love and avoiding behaviors that might inadvertently support destructive habits. She also shares the frustration of wanting to rescue someone immediately rather than allowing them to experience their own journey toward recovery.

The family's unified testimony centers on the power of consistent prayer even when visible results don't appear. Neleh emphasizes that family members were always praying for Landon during his darkest periods, creating spiritual protection he couldn't see or feel at the time. Their persistence in prayer, despite years of apparent unanswered requests, demonstrates faith that extends beyond immediate evidence. This family perspective validates the near death experience revelation that prayers create literal barriers of protection around struggling individuals, even when those being prayed for remain unaware of this spiritual intervention.

Spiritual Experiences Don't Guarantee Instant Change  

One of the most important aspects of Landon's testimony is his honesty about continued struggles with addiction even after his miraculous near death experience. He admits to relapsing after receiving extraordinary spiritual instruction, emphasizing that divine encounters don't automatically eliminate the daily work required for recovery. This transparency provides hope for others who might feel discouraged by setbacks following spiritual experiences or assume that authentic spiritual encounters should produce immediate and permanent transformation.

The ongoing nature of recovery becomes clear through Landon's description of daily choices required to maintain his spiritual sensitivity and the gifts he received. When he neglects spiritual practices or makes choices inconsistent with his values, these abilities diminish or disappear entirely. This pattern reveals that spiritual gifts aren't permanent possessions but ongoing relationships that require nurturing and consistent commitment to maintain. His experience challenges common assumptions about spiritual experiences providing permanent solutions to life's challenges.

Landon's willingness to share his continued struggles while also testifying of divine intervention creates a balanced perspective that resonates with people facing their own battles. Rather than presenting recovery as a simple before-and-after transformation, he acknowledges the daily spiritual warfare involved in choosing recovery over addiction. This honest approach helps others understand that spiritual experiences provide tools and motivation for the journey rather than eliminating the need for ongoing effort and vigilance.

Divine Love Reaches Everyone Regardless of Worthiness  

The central message emerging from this family conversation is that divine love and intervention remain available regardless of past actions or current struggles. Landon's experience demonstrates that prayers work even when offered by people who feel unworthy or disconnected from spiritual practices. During his lowest moments, including periods when he was actively using drugs, he continued praying and asking for help despite feeling ashamed of his circumstances and choices.

The family's testimony reinforces this principle through their description of never giving up on family members despite years of destructive behavior. Neleh specifically mentions that they never called to shame or condemn, instead choosing to maintain love and support while setting appropriate boundaries. This approach mirrors divine love that remains constant regardless of human behavior, providing stability and hope even during the darkest periods of addiction or spiritual struggle.

Key principles about divine love and recovery that emerge include:

• Prayer works regardless of the spiritual condition of the person praying

• Divine intervention often occurs without immediate recognition or awareness

• Spiritual experiences provide tools for recovery rather than instant solutions

• Family support creates protective spiritual environments around struggling individuals

• Recovery involves entire communities rather than isolated individual efforts

• Worthiness isn't a prerequisite for receiving divine help and intervention

• Consistent spiritual practices maintain sensitivity to divine guidance and gifts

Begin Your Journey Toward Hope and Healing  

Landon's continuing story on the One by One podcast offers hope for anyone struggling with addiction, family members watching loved ones suffer, or individuals questioning whether divine help remains available during their darkest moments. His family's testimony demonstrates that consistent prayer and love create spiritual protection even when results aren't immediately visible. If you're currently facing addiction or supporting someone who is, remember that recovery is possible and divine help surrounds every person willing to reach out for assistance.

The conversation reveals that spiritual healing involves both individual commitment and community support working together over extended periods. Recovery isn't a destination but an ongoing journey requiring daily choices and consistent spiritual practices. The gifts and insights Landon received during his near death experience continue developing as he maintains his commitment to spiritual growth and service to others facing similar struggles.

Take time to listen to the complete episode on the One by One podcast, where the full family conversation provides additional insights into the ongoing process of recovery and spiritual development.