“Chapter 13: Being Vigilant in Resisting Temptation,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Thomas S. Monson (2020)

“Chapter 13,” Teachings: Thomas S. Monson

Chapter 13

Being Vigilant in Resisting Temptation

“We have the power to resist any temptation and the ability to determine the path we will take, the direction we will travel.”

From the Life of Thomas S. Monson

President Thomas S. Monson often raised a warning voice about the temptations of the adversary. When teaching on this subject, he sometimes told a story from a visit to the islands of Tonga. While there, he went to a Church school where a teacher was showing his students a fishing lure called a maka-feke:

“I noticed the rapt attention the children gave their native instructor,” President Monson said. “His textbook and theirs lay closed upon the desks. In his hand he held a strange-appearing fishing lure fashioned from a round stone and large seashells. This, I learned, was a maka-feke, an octopus lure. In Tonga, octopus meat is a delicacy.

“The teacher explained that Tongan fishermen glide over a reef, paddling their outrigger canoes with one hand and dangling the maka-feke over the side with the other. An octopus dashes out from its rocky lair and seizes the lure, mistaking it for a much-desired meal. So tenacious is the grasp of the octopus and so firm is its instinct not to relinquish the precious prize that fishermen can flip it right into the canoe.

“It was an easy transition for the teacher to point out to the eager and wide-eyed youth that the evil one—even Satan—has fashioned so-called maka-fekes with which to ensnare unsuspecting persons and take possession of their destinies.”

Expanding on this teacher’s lesson for life, President Monson continued:

“Today we are surrounded by the maka-fekes which the evil one dangles before us and with which he attempts to entice us and then to ensnare us. Once grasped, such maka-fekes are ever so difficult—and sometimes nearly impossible—to relinquish. To be safe, we must recognize them for what they are and then be unwavering in our determination to avoid them.”¹

“Today we are surrounded by the maka-fekes [lures] which the evil one dangles before us. … We must recognize them for what they are and then be unwavering in our determination to avoid them.”

Teachings of Thomas S. Monson

God has given us the power to resist any temptation.

Temptation is a part of life and will be experienced in one way or another by every traveler through mortality. However, the Apostle Paul, acknowledging this truth, gave us this assurance: “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].²

There are … countless [traps] which the evil one dangles before us to lead us from the path of righteousness. However, our Heavenly Father has given us life and with it the capacity to think, to reason, and to love. We have the power to resist any temptation and the ability to determine the path we will take, the direction we will travel. Our goal is the celestial kingdom of God. Our purpose is to steer an undeviating course in that direction.

To all who walk the pathway of life, our Heavenly Father cautions: beware the detours, the pitfalls, the traps. … Do not be deceived. Pause to pray. Listen to that still, small voice which speaks to the depths of our souls the Master’s gentle invitation, “Come, follow me” [Luke 18:22]. By doing so, we turn from destruction, from death, and find happiness and life everlasting.³

Heavenly Father has provided ways to help us withstand temptation.

[When you face temptation,] help can come to you from many sources. One is your patriarchal blessing. Such a blessing contains chapters from your book of eternal possibilities. Read your blessing frequently. Study it carefully. Be guided by its cautions. Live to merit its promises.⁴

When you were confirmed a member of the Church, you received the right to the companionship of the Holy Ghost. He can help you make good choices. When challenged or tempted, you do not need to feel alone. Remember that prayer is the passport to spiritual power.⁵

As a means of being in the world but not being of the world, it is necessary that we communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer. He wants us to do so; He’ll answer our prayers. The Savior admonished us, as recorded in 3 Nephi 18, to “watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you. … Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name” [3 Nephi 18:18–19].⁶

Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.⁷

May we choose to build up within ourselves a great and powerful faith which will be our most effective defense against the designs of the adversary—a real faith, the kind of faith which will sustain us and will bolster our desire to choose the right.⁸

We are often surrounded by that which would drag us down. As you and I go to the holy houses of God, as we remember the covenants we make within, we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sacred sanctuary we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified.⁹

Fill your mind with truth. We do not find truth groveling through error. Truth is found by searching, studying, and living the revealed word of God. We adopt error when we mingle with error. We learn truth when we associate with truth.

The Savior of the world instructed, “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” [Doctrine and Covenants 88:118]. He added, “Search the scriptures; … they are they which testify of me” [John 5:39].

He invites each of us, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” [Doctrine and Covenants 19:23].¹⁰

The scriptures provide examples of those who withstood temptation.

Job was a “perfect and upright” man who “feared God, and eschewed evil” [Job 1:1]. Pious in his conduct, prosperous in his fortune, Job was to face a test which could have destroyed anyone. Shorn of his possessions, scorned by his friends, afflicted by his suffering, shattered by the loss of his family, he was urged to “curse God, and die” [Job 2:9]. He resisted this temptation and declared from the depths of his noble soul, “Behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high” [Job 16:19]. “I know that my redeemer liveth” [Job 19:25].¹¹

Job was “shorn of his possessions, scorned by his friends, afflicted by his suffering, [and] shattered by the loss of his family,” but he remained faithful.

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 … faced temptation and withstood it.¹²

When [Jesus] was led of the Spirit into the wilderness, He was weak from fasting. Satan was at his seductive best in the offerings he proffered. His first was to satisfy the Savior’s physical needs, including His hunger. To this the Savior replied, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” [Matthew 4:4; see also Deuteronomy 8:3].

Next Satan offered power. Responded the Savior, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” [Matthew 4:7; see also Deuteronomy 6:16].

Finally the Savior was offered wealth and earthly glory. His response: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” [Matthew 4:10; see also Deuteronomy 6:13].¹³

Choosing good friends will help us avoid temptation.

Essential to your success and happiness is the advice “Choose your friends with caution.” We tend to become like those whom we admire, and they are usually our friends. We should associate with those who, like us, are planning not for temporary convenience, shallow goals, or narrow ambition—but rather with those who value the things that matter most, even eternal objectives.¹⁴

Some years ago I spoke to a [Young Women] adviser who told me of an experience she had with one of the young women in her class. This young woman had been tempted time and time again to leave the pathway of truth and follow the detour of sin. Through the constant persuasion of some of her friends at school, she had finally agreed to follow such a detour. The plan was set: she would tell her parents she was going to her activity night for Young Women. She planned, however, to be there only long enough for her girlfriends and their dates to pick her up. They would then attend a party where alcoholic beverages would be consumed and where the behavior would be in complete violation of what this young woman knew was right.

The teacher had prayed for inspiration in helping all her girls but especially this particular young woman, who seemed so uncertain about her commitment to the gospel. The teacher had received inspiration that night to abandon what she had previously planned and to speak to the girls about remaining morally clean. As she began sharing her thoughts and feelings, the young woman in question checked her watch often to make sure she didn’t miss her rendezvous with her friends.

However, as the discussion progressed, her heart was touched, her conscience awakened, and her determination renewed. When it came, she ignored the repeated sound of the automobile horn summoning her. She remained throughout the evening with her teacher and the other girls in the class. The temptation to detour from God’s approved way had been averted. Satan had been frustrated. The young woman remained after the others had left in order to thank her teacher for the lesson and to let her know how it had helped her avoid what might have been a tragic outcome. A teacher’s prayer had been answered.

I subsequently learned that because she had made her decision not to go with her friends that night—some of the most popular girls and boys at school—the young woman was shunned by them and for many months had no friends at school. They couldn’t accept that she was unwilling to do the things they did. It was an extremely difficult and lonely period for her, but she remained steadfast and eventually gained friends who shared her standards. Now, several years later, she has a temple marriage and four beautiful children. How different her life could have been. Our decisions determine our destiny.¹⁵

Choose friends “who value the things that matter most, even eternal objectives.”

We must be vigilant in resisting temptation.

I am confident that each of us has as his ultimate goal life everlasting in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is imperative, therefore, for us to make choices throughout our lives that will lead us to this great goal. We know, however, that the adversary is committed to our failure. He and his hosts are relentless in their efforts to thwart our righteous desires. They represent a grave and constant threat to our eternal salvation unless we are also relentless in our determination and efforts to achieve our goal. The Apostle Peter warns us, “Be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” [1 Peter 5:8].

… You may be tempted to lower your standards and to follow the crowd in order to be accepted by those you desire to have as friends. Please be strong, and be alert to anything that would rob you of the blessings of eternity. The choices you make here and now are forever important. …

Disregard for the commandments has opened the way for what I consider to be the plagues of our day. They include the plague of permissiveness, the plague of pornography, the plague of drugs, the plague of immorality, and the plague of abortion, to name just a few. The scriptures tell us that the adversary is “the founder of all these things” [2 Nephi 26:22]. We know that he is “the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men” [Moses 4:4].

I plead with you to avoid anything that will deprive you of your happiness here in mortality and eternal life in the world to come. With his deceptions and lies, the adversary will lead you down a slippery slope to your destruction if you allow him to do so. You will likely be on that slippery slope before you even realize that there is no way to stop. You have heard the messages of the adversary. He cunningly calls: Just this once won’t matter; everyone is doing it; don’t be old-fashioned; times have changed; it can’t hurt anyone; your life is yours to live. The adversary knows us, and he knows the temptations which will be difficult for us to ignore. How vital it is that we exercise constant vigilance in order to avoid giving in to such lies and temptations.¹⁶

The tenor of our times is permissiveness. All around us we see the idols of the movie screen, the heroes of the athletic field—those whom many young people long to emulate—as disregarding the laws of God and rationalizing away sinful practices, seemingly with no ill effect. Don’t you believe it! There is a time of reckoning—even a balancing of the ledger. … Are you prepared? Are you pleased with your own performance?¹⁷

Our Heavenly Father has counseled us to seek after “anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” [Articles of Faith 1:13]. Whatever you read, listen to, or watch makes an impression on you.

Pornography is especially dangerous and addictive. Curious exploration of pornography can become a controlling habit, leading to coarser material and to sexual transgression.

Don’t be afraid to walk out of a movie, turn off a television set, or change a radio station if what’s being presented does not meet your Heavenly Father’s standards. In short, if you have any question about whether a particular movie, book, or other form of entertainment is appropriate, don’t see it, don’t read it, don’t participate.¹⁸

Be careful to go to places where there is a good environment, where you won’t be faced with temptation.¹⁹

As we … travel throughout the world, very often members of the Church … ask us, “What do you consider the greatest problem facing the Church?”

I usually answer, “Our major challenge for the membership of the Church is to live in the world without being of the world.”

I would like to emphasize that, in this day in which we live, the floodwaters of immorality, irresponsibility, and dishonesty lap at the very moorings of our lives. If we do not safeguard those moorings, if we do not have deeply entrenched foundations to withstand such eroding influences, we are going to be in difficulty.²⁰

We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God. The storms will still beat at our doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn from them, and to overcome them if we have the gospel at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts. The prophet Isaiah declared, “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” [Isaiah 32:17].²¹

I pray that our choice today will be that of serving the Lord in truth and in righteousness unto the end, that our Savior, our Mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom I testify … will be by our side and direct us throughout our lives and into eternity.²²

Suggestions for Study and Teaching

Questions

President Monson emphasized that “we have the power to resist any temptation” (section 1). How is this truth helpful to you?
Consider the many ways that Heavenly Father has provided to help us resist temptation, as outlined in section 2. How has the Holy Ghost helped you resist temptation? How has prayer strengthened you against temptation? How has filling your mind with truth, particularly from the scriptures, protected you against temptation?
Review President Monson’s teachings about the examples of Job, Joseph Smith, and Jesus Christ (see section 3). What can we learn from these accounts to help us resist temptation?
President Monson taught that choosing good friends will help us avoid temptation (see section 4). How have good friends helped you resist temptation?
President Monson warned that “the adversary is committed to our failure” (section 5). What are some of the adversary’s methods of tempting us? How can we be vigilant in recognizing and resisting them? How have you seen that giving in to small temptations can lead to bigger ones? How can we “live in the world without being of the world”?

Related Scriptures

Matthew 6:9–13; James 1:1–16; 1 Nephi 15:23–25; 2 Nephi 28:20–22; Alma 13:28; Helaman 5:12; Doctrine and Covenants 29:39–43; Moses 1:12–22

Teaching Help

“Revelation often comes ‘line upon line’ (2 Nephi 28:30), not all at once. So it is best to begin preparing to teach at least a week in advance. As you ponder how the gospel principles you are teaching will bless your [family or] class members, ideas and impressions will come throughout your daily life—as you travel to work, do household chores, or interact with family and friends” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way [2016], 12).