The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(8/6/98)
"Dwelling in the world is part of our mortal test. The
challenge is to
live in the world yet not partake of the world's temptations
which will
lead us
away from our spiritual goals. When one of us gives up and
succumbs to
the wiles
of the adversary, we may lose more than our own soul. Our
surrender
could cause
the loss of souls who respect us in this generation. Our
capitulation
to
temptation could affect children and families for generations
to come."
—
Elder Robert D. Hales, "Behold, We Count Them Happy Which
Endure," General Conference, April 1998
(8/7/98)
"How shall our people keep themselves unspotted from the world
unless
they develop within themselves the spiritual strength and
capacity to
resist temptation that is so rampant everywhere we go these
days? And
where
shall they develop such discipline? I think the meaning of
this
revelation
[D&C 59:9, 12] is clear: they shall develop such
discipline of self
and such
desire to live above the stains of the world in their
communion with
the Lord as
worshipers in sacrament meetings." — President Gordon B.
Hinckley,
"The Priesthood Of Aaron," General Conference, October 1982
(8/8/98)
"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." — Elder
Rulon G.
Craven, "Temptation, "General Conference, April 1996
(8/9/98)
"When you are tempted to do wrong, do not stop one moment to
argue, but
tell Mr. Devil to walk out of your barn." — Brigham Young,
Journal of
Discourses, 3:359
(6/12/04)
"We will not be tempted beyond our capacity to resist. (See 1 Cor. 10:13.)
This
principle
comes as a promise to those who are striving to resist and
are not
reckless in their response to temptations. (See Alma
13:28.)" - L.
Lionel Kendrick, "Our
Moral
Agency," Ensign, March 1996, p. 32
(10/27/04)
"Surely we live in troubled times, but we can seek and obtain
the good
despite Satan's temptations and snares. He cannot tempt us
beyond our
power to
resist. (See 1
Cor.
10:13.)
When we seek 'anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or
praiseworthy,' we
are seeking to emulate the Savior and follow his teachings.
Then we are
on the
path that can lead us to eternal life." - Joseph B. Wirthlin,
"Seeking
the Good," Ensign, May 1992, p. 88
(10/28/04)
"God can reveal to us our talents and our strengths so that we
will
know
what we can build upon. Be assured that in all our righteous
endeavors,
we can
say, as did Paul: 'I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.' (Philip.
4:13.) Also be assured, as Paul said further, that there
will be no
temptation befall us but what is common to man: but God will,
with each
temptation, provide a way to escape. (See 1
Cor. 10:13.)" - Ezra Taft Benson, "In His Steps,"
Ensign,
September 1988, p. 4
(10/29/04)
"As we see ourselves, and others, passing through fiery
trials, the
wisdom
of Peter, who had his own share of fiery trials, is very
useful:
'Beloved, think
it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as
though some
strange thing happened unto you.' (1
Peter 4:12.) We do know, however, that God will not
suffer us to be
tempted
above what we can bear. '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.' (1
Corinthians 10:13.) God carefully scales 'all these
things,' since
we cannot
bear all things now. He has told us: 'Behold, ye are little
children
and ye
cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the
knowledge
of the
truth.' (D&C
50:40.)"
- Neal A. Maxwell, "All These Things Shall Give Thee
Experience" [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], p. 44
(10/30/04)
"The Lord tests us and tries us. He tests all of His saints.
There is
no
question that the harder the test, the higher the reward for
passing
it. Abraham
laid all that he had on the altar, thus proving himself worthy
of
exaltation.
Our Father knows where we are on the path, and He knows when
it is
enough and
when to provide the ram. We never walk alone. Because He loves
us, He
will not
deprive us of the growth that comes from our tests, however
hard they
may be. It
is comforting to know that He will never test any of us beyond
our
ability to
withstand. We know that '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.' (1
Corinthians 10:13.)" - Ardeth Greene Kapp, "My Neighbor,
My
Sister, My Friend" [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1990],
p. 171
(10/31/04)
"Well might we ponder the source which could be ours if we
keep
ourselves
worthy. [The source of which I speak is] our Lord and Master
([He was]
my
consolation on a night over thirty years ago when I faced the
greatest
challenge
of my life). 'For we have not an high priest which cannot be
touched
with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like
as we
are, yet
without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of
grace,
that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help [us] in [our] time of
need.' (Hebrews
4:15-16.) Those timeless words should be written upon
the tablets
of our
hearts: to likewise give us courage to withstand in our time
of need."
-
Harold B. Lee, "The Teachings of Harold B. Lee," edited by
Clyde J.
Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], p. 190
(3/24/05)
"Enduring temptation is one of the greatest challenges. Jesus
endured
temptation but yielded not. (See Mosiah
15:5.) Christ withstood because He gave 'no heed' to
temptations. (D&C
20:22.) You and I tend to dally over and dabble in
temptations,
entertaining
them for a while, even if we later evict them. However, to
give
temptations any
heed can set the stage for later succumbing." - Neal A.
Maxwell, "Endure
It
Well," Ensign, May 1990, p. 34
(5/2/05)
"The Prophet Joseph Smith faced temptation. Can you imagine
the
ridicule,
the scorn, the mocking that must have been heaped upon him as
he
declared that
he had seen a vision? I suppose it became almost unbearable
for the
boy. He no
doubt knew that it would be easier to retract his statements
concerning
the
vision and just get on with a normal life. He did not,
however, give
in. These
are his words: 'I had actually seen a light, and in the midst
of that
light I
saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and
though I
was hated
and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was
true....
I had
seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I
could not
deny it.'
(Joseph
Smith-History
1:25.)
Joseph Smith taught courage by example. He faced temptation
and
withstood
it." - Thomas S. Monson, "Be
Thou
an Example," General Young Women's Meeting, March 2005
(8/4/05)
"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." - Rulon G. Craven, "Temptation,"
Ensign,
May 1996, 76
11/10/06
"Like Jesus, we
can
decide, daily or instantly, to give no heed to temptation
(see
D&C
20:22). We
can respond to irritation with a smile instead of scowl, or by
giving
warm praise instead of icy indifference. By our being
understanding
instead of abrupt, others, in turn, may decide to hold on a
little
longer rather than to give way. Love, patience, and meekness
can be
just as contagious as rudeness and crudeness." - Neal A.
Maxwell, "The
Tugs
and Pulls of the World," Ensign, November 2000
4/14/07
"If we pay close attention
to the
uses of the word remember in the holy scriptures, we will
recognize
that remembering in the way God intends is a fundamental and
saving
principle of the gospel. This is so because prophetic
admonitions to
remember are frequently calls to action: to listen, to see, to
do, to
obey, to repent. (See
2 Nephi 1:12;
Mosiah 6:3;
Helaman 5:14.)
When
we remember in God's way, we overcome our human tendency
simply to gird
for the battle of life and actually engage in the battle
itself, doing
all in our power to resist temptation and avoid sinning." - Marlin
K.
Jensen, "Remember
and
Perish Not," General Conference, April 2007
11/5/09
“To
enjoy the
sweet, mankind must know something about the bitter. They
must have the
opportunity of exercising their faculties and testing their
powers.
Unless they 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.” -
George Q. Cannon, “Gospel Truth: Discourses
and Writings
of President George Q. Cannon,” selected, arranged, and
edited by
Jerreld L. Newquist, p. 109
2/28/10
“I have learned by experience
that the
enemy of truth does
not slumber, nor cease his exertions to bias the minds of
communities
against the servants of the Lord, by stirring up the
indignation of men
upon all matters of importance or interest.” – “Teachings
of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith,” p. 78
8/4/10
"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." - Rulon G. Craven, Temptation,
Ensign (CR),
May 1996, p. 76
8/22/11
When temptation comes your
way, name that boastful, deceitful giant “Goliath!” and do with
him as David did to the Philistine of Gath. God bless each of
you, I humbly pray. - Gordon B. Hinckley, "Overpowering the
Goliaths in Our Lives," Ensign (CR) April 1983