3 Nephi 2:3
Dare To Do Right
What
3 And
it came to pass that the people began to wax strong in wickedness and
abominations; and they did not believe that there should be any more
signs or wonders given; and Satan did ago about,
leading away the hearts of the people, tempting them and causing them
that they should do great wickedness in the land.
Why
Satan wants to draw all people away from God and to worship him.
Pattern
Job
1:7
7
And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then
Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and
fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
D&C
10:27
The Proverbs
Chapter 7
An
immoral woman leads a man to destruction as an ox to the
slaughter—The house of an adulterous woman is the way to hell.
The
Revelationof St John the Divine
Chapter 13
John
sees fierce-looking beasts that represent degenerate earthly
kingdoms controlled by Satan—The devil works miracles and
deceives men.
7 And
it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome
them: and apower was
given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
D&C
76:29
Alma 13: 28 But
that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy
name, and awatch and
pray continually, that ye may not be btempted above
that which ye can bear, and thus be cled by
the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, dmeek,
submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;
D & C
62: 1 Behold,
and hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, even
Jesus Christ, your aadvocate,
who knoweth the weakness of man and how to bsuccor them
who are ctempted.
Christ
10 Then
saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, aSatan:
for it is written, Thou shalt bworship the
Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
D&C
29: 39 And
it must needs be that the adevil should btempt the
children of men, or they could not be cagents unto
themselves; for if they never should have dbitter they
could not know the sweet—
40 Wherefore,
it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the
forbidden afruit and btransgressed the
commandment, wherein he became csubject to
the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation.
46 But
behold, I say unto you, that little achildren are bredeemed from
the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;
47 Wherefore,
they cannot asin,
for power is not given unto Satan to btempt little
children, until they cbegin to
become daccountable before
me;
Conference
Temptation
is a necessary part of our earthly experience. The Lord through the
Prophet Joseph Smith explains the reason why we are tempted: “It
must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or
they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should
have bitter they could not know the sweet” (D&C
29:39).
In
the Book of Mormon, Nephi explains the consequences of yielding to
temptation: “The temptations of the devil … blindeth the eyes,
and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them
away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost” (1
Ne. 12:17).
To
blind the eyes is not to
see or acknowledge the consequences of our actions. To harden the
heart is to ignore or
not be willing to accept counsel. To be led into the broad roads is
to give in to worldly enticements and lose the influence of the Holy
Spirit in our lives.
Brigham
Young stated: “Many think that the Devil has rule and power over
both body and spirit. Now, I want to tell you that he does not hold
any power over man, only so far as the body overcomes the spirit that
is in a man, through yielding to the spirit of evil. … The spirit
is influenced by the body, and the body by the spirit” (Discourses
of Brigham Young, sel.
John A. Widtsoe [1941], 69–70).
Temptation
is like a magnetic force which holds a metal object in its power. It
loses its magnetic force and power when you turn away from it. So we
must turn away from temptation; then it will lose its power.
Our
mind, throughout the day, is continually active. We choose the
avenues of thought that our mind travels. Allowing worldly thoughts
to enter your mind can lead to unrighteous acts. As we travel the
highways of life, our physical senses are continually bombarded with
billboards, posters, magazines, videos, movies, etc., that entice and
tempt the mind and, if allowed, create mental pictures that are not
becoming to a Latter-day Saint.
When
evil thoughts arise—Stop! Think! Control your mind! Visualize a
large EXIT sign in your mind’s eye. Immediately change your
thoughts. Get off of that avenue of thinking.
When
unrighteous feelings and desires well up inside of you, the Holy
Ghost will prompt NO. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Stop! Think!
Visualize a WRONG WAY sign in your mind. Immediately change or erase
those thoughts leading to wrong unrighteous feelings and evil
fantasies that can become addictive to mind and body.
When
tempted to choose an unrighteous act, or entertain unrighteous
thoughts, look down the road ahead and contemplate the inevitable
consequences of that act. Stop! Think! Visualize a STOP sign in your
mind. Put on your mental brakes. Immediately change your thinking to
something different and something uplifting.
To
overcome temptation you and I must control our thoughts. Exit from
your mind bad thoughts. Avoid the wrong
way of
unrighteous thoughts. Stop thoughts
that lead to behavior unbecoming to a Latter-day Saint. You do not
have to yield to temptation! Discipline what you allow your eyes to
see, your ears to hear, your mouth to speak, and your hands to touch.
Yielding
to temptation can lead to the addiction of both body and spirit.
Addiction can be overpowering and lead to enslavement, and
enslavement leads to loss of freedom and inner peace.
When
persons allow themselves to succumb to temptation, they are acting
against counsel: the counsel of the Holy Ghost, the counsel of our
prophet leaders, the counsel of sound doctrine, the counsel of
covenants, and often the counsel of those who love them most. They
then separate themselves from the friendship and love of others and
the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Temptation
can be a compassionate way of warning us of possible dangers. It acts
like a caution sign. It warns us of possible danger ahead. Temptation
can alert the mind to turn away from an improper thought or act.
As
eternal beings living this earthly experience, we will not be free
from temptation. Temptation implies an inner struggle to do that
which is right. The person who thinks continually in a sensual and
carnal manner cannot undergo inner spiritual development. His or her
sensual thinking prevents spiritual growth.
Elder
George Q. Cannon said: “Unless they [individuals] were exposed to
temptation they never could know themselves, their own powers, their
own weaknesses nor the power of God. If Satan had no power to tempt
mankind, they would be in a state where they could neither know good
nor evil; they could not know happiness nor misery. All their powers
would lie dormant, for there would be nothing to arouse them. They
would be destitute of that experience which prepares men to become
like God, their Eternal Father” (Gospel
Truth, sel.
Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 vols. in 1 [1987], 109).
Through
obedience to gospel principles, the enticements of the world lessen
in our lives. With each right choice we make, we spiritually empower
ourselves. The accumulation of right choices builds inner spiritual
strength and divine character. We should expect temptation, for
without temptations there would be little education and little
character improvement.
It
is a frightening realization that the powers of evil will increase in
the world. This brings us to the question, What can we do? Is there a
way to escape from the powers of evil? Yes, there is.
Members
of the Church can overcome temptation by (1) obedience to the guiding
principles and doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ, (2) following
the counsel of our prophets and leaders, and (3) living in such a way
that our lives are constantly influenced by the power of the Holy
Ghost.
Train
your mind to obey gospel principles and covenants. Stay on the
highway of daily personal and family prayer, the avenue of studying
the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets, the road of serving
in the Church, and be willing to get off the wrong road daily and on
the right road leading to eternal life. Your greatest protection
against temptation is an active and vibrant testimony of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, which binds us to our Heavenly Father. Our greatest
example of overcoming temptation is the Savior: “He suffered
temptations but gave no heed unto them” (D&C
20:22).
My
brothers and sisters, I know this work is true. I know prophets
travel the earth today. I know that Jesus is the Christ and that God
does live in the heavens. As we draw near to our Heavenly Father in
obedience and righteousness, He will draw near to us. He will bless
us, perfect us, and protect us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Apply
I
will just add again for emphasis the words of Elder Craven from his
talk above .
Members
of the Church can overcome temptation by (1) obedience to the guiding
principles and doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ, (2) following
the counsel of our prophets and leaders, and (3) living in such a way
that our lives are constantly influenced by the power of the Holy
Ghost.
Train
your mind to obey gospel principles and covenants. Stay on the
highway of daily personal and family prayer, the avenue of studying
the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets, the road of serving
in the Church, and be willing to get off the wrong road daily and on
the right road leading to eternal life. Your greatest protection
against temptation is an active and vibrant testimony of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, which binds us to our Heavenly Father. Our greatest
example of overcoming temptation is the Savior: “He suffered
temptations but gave no heed unto them” (D&C
20:22).
Hymns
254-True
to the Faith
260-
Who's On The Lord's Side Who
Primary
158-Dare
To Do Right
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