1 COR 9-10
1. President
Brigham Young
“You
cannot inherit eternal life, unless your appetites are brought in subjection to
the spirit that lives within you, that spirit which our Father in Heaven gave.
I mean the Father of your spirits, of those spirits which he has put into these
tabernacles. The tabernacles must be brought in subjection to the spirit
perfectly, or your bodies cannot be raised to inherit eternal life. … Seek
diligently, until you bring all into subjection to the law of Christ. …
“… If
the spirit yields to the body, [the spirit] becomes corrupt; but if the body
yields to the spirit [the body] becomes pure and holy” (Teachings of Presidents
of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 204–5).
2. President James E. Faust of the First Presidency:
President James E.
Faust
“One of the great
myths in life is when [individuals] think they are invincible. Too many think
that they are [made] of steel, strong enough to withstand any temptation. They
delude themselves into thinking, ‘It cannot happen to me’” (“It Can’t Happen to
Me,” Ensign, May 2002, 46).
3. President Spencer W.
Kimball
“Right decisions are
easiest to make when we make them well in advance, having ultimate objectives
in mind; this saves a lot of anguish [during moments of decision], when we’re
tired and sorely tempted. …
“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! …
“The time to quit
evil ways is before they start. The secret of the good life is in protection
and prevention. Those who yield to evil are usually those who have placed
themselves in a vulnerable position” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church:
Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 108–9).
• What changes could
you make to avoid temptation before you are ever faced with it?
• Are you willing to
make these changes?
INVITATION: Create a plan that you will follow to escape temptation. Seek help from the Lord through prayer as you work to accomplish your plan.