Brothers and Sisters, aloha! I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you some principles of the gospel and lessons I have learned from experience, from the scriptures, from the prophets, from my wife, from wonderful parents, from a mission president, and the many other faithful leaders and teachers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.
I have chosen a topic I found particularly needful and useful in my college days, yet it continues to be just as important and needful today in my life as a husband and as a father. I pray that we may all be edified by the Spirit.
Recently my wife shared with me a story she discovered during her gospel study about the son of King Louis XVI of France. King Louis had been taken from his throne and imprisoned. His young son, the prince, was taken by those who dethroned the king. They thought that inasmuch as the king's son was heir to the throne, if they could destroy him morally he would never realize the great and grand destiny that life had bestowed upon him.
They took him to a community far away, and there they exposed the lad to every filthy and vile thing that life could offer. They exposed him to foods, the richness of which would quickly make him a slave to appetite. They used vile language around him constantly. They exposed him to lewd and lusting women. They exposed him to dishonor and distrust. He was surrounded 24 hours a day by everything that could drag the soul of a man as low as one could slip. For over six months he had this treatment, but not once did the young lad buckle under pressure. Finally, after intensive temptation, they questioned him. Why had he not submitted himself to these things, why had he not partaken? These things would provide pleasure, satisfy his lusts, and were desirable; they were all his. The boy said, "I cannot do what you ask for I was born to be a king." (See Vaughn J. Featherstone, "The King's Son," New Era, Nov. 1975, 35)
Like King Louis, we all experience temptations and are exposed to filthy and vile things. Life is a test where we gain experience and prove ourselves. If we are to live up to our birthrights and return to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father, we must develop and prepare ourselves in many aspects of the gospel. One important aspect is to develop the ability to understand and resist temptations. We can each develop a personal battle plan that will enable us to resist temptation and ultimately help us to come unto Christ and return to live with Him. Our battle plan needs to be based on gospel principles founded in the scriptures and teachings of Christ. Just like no two people are identical, each of us will have a unique battle plan to resist those things that tempt us, but all battle plans contain similar key components. I would like to share with you some of the features and lessons of my battle plan in hope that we all may be a little stronger, a little more dedicated, and a little more capable to resist the evils of the world that eventually could drag one down to misery.
I have broken my battle plan up into two key areas:
1. Recognize the strength of your opponent and take his plans seriously.
2. Recognize the greater power of the Lord and embrace his teachings and protection.
Recognize the Strength of Your Opponent and Take His Plans Seriously
In sports or in the military we often hear about preparations for big games or battles. That preparation often includes understanding the strategy and tendency of an opponent. If you know your opponents tendencies and strategy you are more prepared to attack or defend.
President Spencer W. Kimball taught, "The fight against Satan and his forces is not a little skirmish with a half-willed antagonist, but a battle royal with an enemy so powerful, entrenched, and organized that we are likely to be vanquished if we are not strong, well-trained, and watchful."
Satan is real and will use any means to try to destroy us. Many great sports teams and nations have fallen because of pride and the lack of recognizing the ability or strength of their opponent.
President Kimball further explains, "The arch deceiver has studied every way possible to achieve his ends, using every tool, every device possible. He takes over, distorts, and changes and camouflages everything created for the good of man, "so he may take over their minds and pervert their bodies and claim them his." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006), 102-13)
So what are some of the strategies Satan uses to try and tempt and lead a soul to misery?
1) The adversary is subtle. He is cunning. He knows that he cannot induce good men and women to do major evils immediately, so he moves slyly, whispering half-truths until he has his intended captives following him.
To illustrate how cunning the adversary is, let me share a fable of a traveler and a talking camel. The camel and his owner who were traveling across the desert sand dunes when a wind storm came up. The traveler quickly set up his tent and moved in, closing the flaps to protect himself from the cutting, grinding sands of the raging storm. The camel was of course left outside, and as the violent wind hurled the sand against his body and into his eyes and nostrils he found it unbearable and finally begged for entrance into the tent.
"There is room only for myself," said the traveler.
"But may I just get my nose in so I can breathe air not filled with sand?" asked the camel.
"Well, perhaps you could do that," replied the traveler, and he opened the flap ever so little and the long nose of the camel entered. How comfortable the camel was now! But soon the camel became weary of the smarting sand on his eyes and ears:
"The wind-driven sand is like a rasp on my head. Could I put just my head in?" Again, the traveler rationalized that to acquiesce would do him no damage, for the camel's head could occupy the space at the top of the tent which he himself was not using. So the camel put his head inside and the beast was satisfied again, but for a short while only.
"Just the front quarters," he begged, and again the traveler relented and soon the camel's front shoulders and legs were in the tent. Finally, by the same processes of pleading and of yielding, the camel's torso, his hind quarters and all were in the tent. But now it was too crowded for the two, and the camel kicked the traveler out into the wind and storm. Like the camel, Lucifer readily becomes the master when one succumbs to his initial blandishments. Soon then the conscience is stilled completely, the evil power has full sway, and the door to salvation is closed until a thorough repentance opens it again. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006), 102-13)
Temptations often first start with seemingly minor infractions. Generally, serious sin is not committed without first giving in to small temptations. Sin is like a snowball rolling down a mountain that gains speed and size. One sin leads to another; they pick up one snow flake after another and encourage additional sins. Giving an example of one type of sin, someone said, "An honest man doesn't suddenly become dishonest any more than a clean field suddenly becomes weedy."
Remember, your opponent is sly and subtle.
So what is another strategy Satan uses to try and tempt and lead a soul to misery?
2) A second tool of the devil to try and weaken a person so that they may commit sin and believe all is lost in discouragement and doubt. He tries ever so hard to destroy one's faith and get them to doubt who they are, who they are intended to become, and doubt that sin is even a problem. If he can get one to doubt the validity of the commandments and the teachings of Jesus Christ then he has enabled a person to justify being disobedient. Let's turn to the scriptures and the temptations of Christ for an example: In St. Matthew 4:3 we read "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread" and in verse six we read And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee." (Jesus the Christ, James E. Talmage, pg. 137, The Devil's "If")
Notice that he starts the temptations with a word of doubt or discouragement. Satan try's to plant the seed of doubt by suggesting to Christ that he doubt who he really is. Let us be like Jesus Christ when Satan tempts us and tries to get us to doubt ourselves--Christ answered strongly and used his knowledge and the power of the scriptures to push aside the attack. We need to stand with faith in knowing that we are sons and daughters of God who loves us and will support us in our trials.
3) What else do we learn from how Satan tempted Jesus Christ? We learn that Satan will selectively time his attacks, he will choose moments when we are weak. Jesus had just fasted forty days and forty nights and Satan used that as a moment to tempt him to turn stones into bread. I am convinced that Satan knows when we are weak and he plans his attacks accordingly. So when are you weak? I have discovered that many people commit sin late at night--why? The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a person need rest and to be recharged. When the so called batteries are low the adversary attacks. If we are discouraged or had a frustrating experience, those are moments where we must take extra caution and beware that we may be tempted and to recognize that we need to regain our strength. There is great wisdom and protection in having and following a curfew.
4) A fourth and very powerful tool of the devil is Pride. President Ezra Taft Benson taught, "The Doctrine and Covenants tells us that the Book of Mormon is the 'record of a fallen people' (D&C 20:9). Why did they fall? This is one of the major messages of the Book of Mormon. Mormon gives the answer in the closing chapters of the book in these words: 'Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction' (Moro. 8:27). And then, lest we miss that momentous Book of Mormon message from that fallen people, the Lord warns us in the Doctrine and Covenants, 'Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old' (D&C 38:39)." (Ezra Taft Benson, "Beware of Pride," Ensign, May 1989)
Recognize the Power of the Lord; Embrace His Protection
Although we are under attack by a deceptive and powerful adversary, we can and should take great comfort in knowing that the power of the Lord is greater and if we will embrace his protection we will indeed be able to resist temptations and be protected. When we are baptized we are blessed with a wonderful protector that inspires and guides us through the tests and challenges of life. That great protector is the Holy Ghost.
President Kimball states, "He who has greater strength than Lucifer, he who is our fortress and our strength, can sustain us in times of great temptation. While the Lord will never forcibly take anyone out of sin or out of the arms of the tempters, he exerts his Spirit to induce the sinner to do it with divine assistance. And the man who yields to the sweet influence and pleadings of the Spirit and does all in his power to stay in a repentant attitude is guaranteed protection, power, freedom and joy." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006), 102-13)
We need to have a battle plan to help us be prepared to resist temptation and the cunning tests that come at us. I have found it particularly useful to have a one page document that I call my battle plan that helps me understand my adversary and more importantly gives me several tools to fight off and stay away from sin. These tools are broken down in categories: physical things I can do, mental things I can do, and spiritual things I can do. I will share with you some of the key steps I have found:
1) Watch and Pray: Over and over again Jesus Christ has taught us to watch and pray. When Jesus Christ visited the Nephites he taught them many things: in 3 Nephi 18 verse 15 we read, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him," He then emphasizes or repeats this same teaching in verse 18: "Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation, for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." Then, in verse 19, "Therefore, ye must always pray unto the Father in my name."
I find that this counsel is not only repeated in this one moment of teaching by Jesus Christ, but repeated often throughout the scriptures. Clearly, if we are to withstand temptation we must take seriously the call to watch and pray.
As we pray we demonstrate our humility and dependence upon our Heavenly Father and we are blessed with strength and capacity. We are often taught about prayer, as we should be, but what does it mean to watch? How do we watch? We observe and recognize our weaknesses; we learn by the experience of others' mistakes. I have heard somewhere that a smart man learns from his mistakes, a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. We watch very carefully our surroundings and who we associate with; we watch what type of media and influences we allow into our life.
President Hinckley gave counsel to a group of Priesthood brethren and said, "We all do a lot of studying, but most of us don't do much meditation. We don't take time to think" President Hinckley went on to encourage taking two hours on the next Fast Sunday to be alone and really think about yourself and how you are following Jesus Christ by asking yourself various questions or giving yourself a searching personal interview. (Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley Vol. 1, page 332-333)
We need to take the time to watch and pray so that we may understand our weaknesses and we can anticipate an attack.
Those who know me know that I enjoy the game of hockey. I would like to share a valuable lesson that I learned from playing hockey that applies to life and more particularly to watching and resisting temptations. While growing up and in college, I played the position of goalie. To score the opposing team often seeks to distract the goalie to increase their chances of scoring. They send someone to the front of the net to block the eyesight of the goalie. They don't want the goalie to see the puck. If the goalie loses sight of the puck, they have a better chance of scoring. They often subtly bump into the goalie and try to agitate the goalie. Sometimes the opponents make harsh comments to discourage and try to intimidate the goalie so they lose their mental focus. A good goalie learns to keep a determined eye on the puck and ignore the distractions. At times the goalie has to get low and look between the legs, or lean left or right to look around opponents standing in their way. I learned early that I could slash or hit the defender and try to push at him and discourage him from standing in front of me, but I quickly realized I was merely confirming to him that he was indeed agitating me. In fact, these attempts on my part actually stirred him up and encouraged him to intensify his attempts to block my vision.
Like a goalie in hockey we must keep our concentration and focus on the puck or the goal of living with our heavenly father. We can't let ourselves be screened, we have to be active and maintain focus on our goals. We also should not spend time agitating or encouraging temptation into our life. In addition to screening the goalie and blocking his view, the opponent will try to get the goalie out of position. They do this by either passing to teammates quickly or moving the puck from side to side, thereby getting the goalie out of position and open up holes in his defense. If a goalie is not ready and set in his position, it is harder to block a shot and stop the puck. The goalie has to constantly be aware of his surroundings, anticipate where the puck could go, and use quick reflexes to respond with a practiced reaction. Resisting the evils of the world requires great amounts of anticipation and practicing in our minds how to react if and when situations arise.
2) A second step in my battle plan is to be aware of and help control my environment. This is similar to watching.
I particularly enjoy the counsel given in Alma 5:57, "And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, (1) come ye out from the wicked, and (2) be ye separate, and (3) touch not their unclean things."
What wonderful counsel. If you hang around people who are doing wicked things, then get out and move on, you can find better friends. Don't be so prideful to think you can go to a party where there is much sin is and think you can always walk away clean. Take courage and comfort in standing a little taller and being separate from what the world considers appropriate habits and behavior, be separate, be like Christ. Touch not the unclean things. Think about that. What unclean things, like the subtle camel, have snuck inside your tent?
Alma continues in chapter 5 verse 60 saying, "And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed." What ravenous wolves are trying to come among you? A little cheating? A little backbiting? A little pride? A little pornography? A little immorality? A little disobedience of the word of wisdom? A little breaking of curfew? These are all ravenous wolves that we should not let enter among us.
3) A third practice we can do to prepare and embrace the Power of God is to diligently study the scriptures. Jesus Christ taught us an example of how to respond to temptations when he was tempted by Satan. Jesus Christ responded to the temptations by answering back with scriptures. We too can memorize scriptures that we can recall in our minds to give us the courage and strength to resist temptations.
4) Establishing boundaries is another important feature in a battle plan.
Elder Hartman Rector, Jr., who was also a pilot, taught an important principle regarding boundaries in the effort to overcome temptation, he said,
"In my experience, I have found that it is very, very dangerous to fly just high enough to miss the treetops. I spent twenty-six years flying the navy's airplanes. It was very exciting to see how close I could fly to the trees", and it is extremely dangerous. When you are flying just high enough to miss the trees and your engine coughs once, you are in the trees.
"Now let's pretend that the navy had a commandment, 'Thou shalt not fly thy airplane in the trees.' As a matter of fact, they did have such a commandment. In order to really be free of the commandment, it becomes necessary for me to add a commandment of my own to the navy's commandment, such as 'Thou shalt not fly thy airplane closer than 5,000 feet to the trees.' When you do this, you make the navy's commandment of not flying in the trees easy to live, and the safety factor is tremendously increased."
We all need to establish good guidelines and boundaries to keep us safe. The Honor Code is there to protect and provide safe boundaries. As you follow the Honor Code you accept inspired protection. Dating is an especially good practice in college. Dating is a good and wholesome event, but if boundaries are not followed it can quickly lead to temptation and sin, which leads to great sorrow.
5) A fifth step to resisting temptation is to decide once and decide now.
Right decisions are easiest to make when we make them well in advance. You can set boundaries by having ultimate objectives in mind and anticipating what temptations may arise that would prevent you from achieving your goal. By deciding once and now you will not have to make important decisions when you're tired and sorely tempted.
President Kimball explained, "The time to decide that we will settle for nothing less than an opportunity to live eternally with our Father is now, so that every choice we make will be affected by our determination to let nothing interfere with attaining that ultimate goal." He went on to say, "Develop discipline of self so that, more and more, you do not have to decide and redecide what you will do when you are confronted with the same temptation time and time again. You only need to decide some things once!" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006), 102-13).
6) A sixth step is controlling your thoughts. As President Packer has explained, "The Mind Is like a Stage" (Worthy Music, Worthy Thoughts, Boyd K. Packer, New Era April 2008).
He explained, "As you learn to control your thoughts, you can overcome habits, even degrading personal habits. You can gain courage, conquer fear, and have a happy life. I had been told a hundred times or more as I grew up that thoughts must be controlled, but no one told me how. I've thought about this over the years and have decided that the mind is like a stage. During every waking moment the curtain is up. There is always some act being performed on that stage. It may be a comedy, a tragedy, interesting or dull, good or bad; but always there is some act playing on the stage of your mind." (Worthy Music, Worthy Thoughts, Boyd K. Packer, New Era April 2008).
He explains that many times delinquent thoughts may creep into our minds, but it is what we do with the thought that really matters. Do we quickly dismiss an inappropriate thought or do we allow it to grow and fester? He explains we have to consciously put a different or worthy act back on the stage. We could hum a hymn or memorize a scripture.
Again, like a goalie in hockey keeping his focus on the puck, if we keep our thoughts and focus on wholesome and Christ-like attitudes and thoughts we can maintain our righteous desires and actions. As the Bible says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).
7) Another important step in my battle plan is looking for the escape hatches or the emergency shut-off valves. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Did you hear that? God will give us a way to escape temptations-we have an escape hatch. What are those escape hatches? Identify the times, places and situations that you are weak and then make a list of several escape hatches so that when confronted with a temptation you are prepared and able to quickly engage those escapes that our Father in Heaven will support us in.
We should have spiritual escapes, such as: sing a hymn, rehearsing a memorized scripture, expressing your testimony in your thoughts, or reading the scriptures. You can have physical escapes too. Go to a holy place, like the Temple grounds or the Visitors Center. Just leave. If you find yourself at a bad party, or a bad part of town, get out of there. If you are tempted when alone then go to a public place: study at the library or the common rooms in the dorms or on campus. Have a list of people you can quickly call: mom, dad, brother, sisters, or friends in the gospel. You can go for a walk, or a run; a hockey player can go take slap shots. There are so many escapes once you take the time to look and find them. I have found it best to use both the physical and the spiritual escapes. I encourage you to prepare them, have them ready, implement them, and I know Heavenly Father will help you with them so that you can indeed stay clean and bear the temptation.
8) A Battle plan also needs triage, or repentance. We all fall down from time to time and the Lord has paid for our sins if we would repent. Our repentance needs to be a mighty change of heart, even such a change as Alma the younger taught--that we become new creatures or born again (Mosiah 27: 25, 26). We can indeed become clean again through the loving mercy of God.
Brothers and sisters we can indeed come unto Christ and follow his teachings so that we can have peace in this world and so we can return to live with him. Tests and trials will certainly come our way, but if we are prepared and have a battle plan to resist these temptations we can maintain the comfort and peace that living the gospel provides. We need to understand the adversary is strong and he has certain tactics to bring us down. He is cunning and sly, he tries to get us discouraged and to doubt, he attacks when we are weak or tired, and he wants us to have pride.
There is great hope and safety in the greater power of the Lord, but we must choose to embrace the tools and teaching the Lord provides. I encourage you to build a personal battle plan. Go home and write a one page battle plan. I have suggested a handful of tools from the teachings of the scriptures and prophets, but there are many more. Each battle plan is unique and should be tailored to your own needs.
May we remember what we were born to be. Remember the teachings from the Book of Mormon when Alma said, "But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest." (Alma 13:28, 29)
It is my testimony that Jesus Christ lives and that he does indeed support, protect, and bless us in our efforts to be like Him and to return and live with Him. I am so grateful for the Lord's love and mercy. I share these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.