Question
Dear Gramps,
When you are feeling weak, and not able to live up to the expectations of the scriptures, what is the best thing to do besides praying, which I am doing, to start to feel strong again? What scriptures do you recommend? Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Brooke
Answer
Dear Brooke, We usually are much more obedient to those that we know really love us. Think for a minute of how the Savior loves you! There is no doubt that he had you in mind, as well as all the rest of us, as he paid for all the sins of all mankind. In a very real sense He has purchased us with a very dear price.
Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit-and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink-
Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. (D&C 19:18-19)
Now, we are commanded not to experiment with evil. Here is Moroni’s advice:
And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing. (Moroni 10:30)
We know that all temptation to violate the laws of God comes from the devil. Realizing that, we can foil him in his attempts to get us to give up our birthright and follow him. Satan gets at us through our bodily appetites and passions, the very qualities that we have come to mortality to learn how to control. We overcome evil actions by eliminating from our minds all evil thoughts. That, of course, is not an easy thing to do; but there is a way. You might find some uplifting spiritual thought that is particularly important to you. Use the adversary’s temptations as a trigger to bring up that wholesome, uplifting thought. Since you can’t concentrate on two different things at the same time, you can crowd the unclean, evil thoughts off the stage of your mind by replacing them with wholesome, uplifting thoughts. Satan will soon realize that his approach is not working and will change to some other tactic, and you, in the mean time, will have gained added spiritual strength. One little scripture that appeals to me in this regard is found in D&C 6:36. It says,
Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
I find great power in that statement.
Gramps
