Contributed by: Ann Scripture
Hel.
5:12 12
And now, my sons,
remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of
God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty
winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall
beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and
endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a
foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
2 Ne. 26:22
22 And there are also
secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil,
for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of
darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them
with his strong cords forever.
Quotations
Quote 1
Spencer W. Kimball
told about a huge tidal wave that struck Hilo, Hawaii, in 1946 with walls of water forty
feet high. He described the devastation this way: "Homes had been overturned and
shredded, crushed into splinters like toothpicks; fences and gardens were obliterated;
bridges and roads were washed away. … Where one of our little chapels had stood,
nothing remained but the foundation. More than a hundred people lost their lives; as many
more were injured; thousands were left homeless. … One woman told how she received a
telephone message from friends to get out and to leave—that a tidal wave was coming.
She looked out to sea and saw the monstrous wave approaching, like a mountain. She and her
husband picked up the baby and ran for their lives up the hill. However, two of their
little girls were away from home playing near a clump of lauhala trees. They saw the wave
coming, ran into the trees, and held tightly with their arms around the tree trunks. The
first gigantic wave washed entirely over them, but they held their breath and clung with
all their might until the water receded and their heads were again above the water. When
the wave receded, they quickly ran up the hill before the succeeding waves came. Together,
the family watched from the safety of the hill as their home disappeared under the
pounding of the waves."
President Kimball continued: "We, too, are faced with
powerful, destructive forces unleashed by the adversary. Waves of sin, wickedness,
immorality, degradation, tyranny, deceitfulness, conspiracy, and dishonesty threaten all
of us. They come with great power and speed and will destroy us if we are not
watchful" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1978, pp. 5-6; or Ensign, Nov. 1978, pp. 5-6).
Quote 2
Explain that Spencer
W. Kimball told about another way that Satan gains power over us: "All of you who are
students of the scriptures know of Satan, the father of lies. You know how he turns the
truth into a lie. He garnishes evil to make it appear beautiful, pleasing, easy, and even
good" ("The Blessings and Responsibilities of Womanhood," Ensign, Mar.
1976, p. 70; italics added).
Quote 3
Elder Gordon B.
Hinckley stressed the importance of living the Lord’s standard: "While standards
generally may totter, we of the Church are without excuse if we drift in the same manner.
We have standards—sure, tested, and effective. To the extent that we observe them, we
shall go forward. To the extent that we neglect them, we shall hinder our own progress and
bring embarrassment to the word of the Lord. These standards have come from him. Some of
them may appear a little out of date in our society, but this does not detract from their
validity nor diminish the virtue of their application. The subtle reasoning of men, no
matter how clever, no matter how plausible it may sound, cannot abridge the declared
wisdom of God" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1970, p. 21; or Improvement Era, June
1970, p. 40).
Quote 4
President Spencer W.
Kimball answered these questions: "But a warning is sounded for us. It behooves us to
be alert and to listen and flee from the evil for our eternal lives. Without help we
cannot stand against it. We must flee to high ground or cling fast to that which can keep
us from being swept away. That to which we must cling for safety is the gospel of Jesus
Christ. It is our protection from whatever force the evil one can muster" (in
Conference Report, Oct. 1978, p. 6; or Ensign, Nov. 1978, p. 6; italics added).
Quote 5
President Kimball
assured us that we can hold to the gospel in times of danger:
"The Lord holds forth a glorious promise to those who
love him and demonstrate this love by faithful, devoted service and the living of his
eternal principles. When the winds of change blow fiercely and the waves sweep over us, we
have a tree or rod of principle to which we can cling for safety. It is the gospel of
Jesus Christ which has been restored to the earth in its fulness" (in Conference
Report, Oct. 1978, p. 7; or Ensign, Nov. 1978, p. 6).
Case Studies
1. Maria is active in
the Church and has a strong testimony. A school activity brought her in contact with Carl,
who is not an active member, nor are his standards of behavior as high as Maria’s.
Carl enjoys her company and showers attention on her. What could Maria do to hold fast to
what she has been taught? To what trees could she cling to keep her from following Carl
into inactivity?
2. Lorraine is aware that she should not date before age
sixteen, but a popular boy at school has invited her to a party. He told her,
"Everyone is going to be there; will you go with me?" What should she reply?
What trees should she hold to?
3. Georgia’s teacher at school has often told her that
she has a fine scientific mind and that to be married and have a family would be wasting
her abilities. How does this advice conflict with the Lord’s standard? How can
Georgia use her abilities in fulfilling her divine role? Which trees should she cling to
in deciding about her future?
4. A schoolmate of Ruth’s has urged her to come to a
party, saying that Jack will be bringing something to really make her feel good. It will
be exciting to try it just once. How could the commitment Ruth has already made about
drugs and other Word of Wisdom temptations help her to respond to this invitation?
5. Barbara’s boyfriend tells her, "Of course I
love you. But we ought to find out if we are sexually compatible before we’re
married." What is the Lord’s standard on premarital sex? What would you do if
you were Barbara? To which trees can Barbara cling?
6. Susan found herself with a group of friends who wanted to
see an objectionable movie. Susan felt it would be wrong to go to the movie. What could
she suggest or say? What would you do in a similar situation?
7. Rachel went shopping with a friend who kept urging her to
purchase clothes that were either too tight or too short. The styles were very attractive,
and she needed something new for a special occasion. What should Rachel do? What is the
Lord’s standard on modesty and dress?
8. Patricia listened to the missionaries and was baptized.
She was the only member of her family to join the Church. Although at times keeping the
commandments was difficult, she remained faithful and increased her resolve to live the
Lord’s standards of righteousness. To what trees can Patricia cling to live the
gospel when other family members make it difficult for her?
M2L34
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