“Take upon You My Whole Armor”
Lesson 43
D&C 3:8 refers to temptations as “the fiery darts of the
adversary”. (Also see Ephesians 6:16; 1 Nephi 15:24; D&C
27:17). In this lesson, we will
focus on the adversary’s attempts to entice us to break the Lord’s commands
concerning chastity, honesty, and proper language.
D&C 76:25-28 and Moses 4:3. Leaders of two forces involved in the War in Heaven had
conflicting objectives. On earth, the
battle continues between Satan and the Savior.
In the battle against the forces of evil, the Lord has not left us
unprotected. D&C 27:15-18 describe the whole armor of God:
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Loins girt about with truth
§
Breastplate of righteousness
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Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
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Shield of faith
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Helmet of salvation
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Sword of God’s Spirit and His word through revelation
We put on this armor through sincerely and regularly praying, studying the word of God, keeping the Sabbath holy, attending the temple, and honoring the priesthood.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin warned us that Satan “seeks to find any chink in
the armor of each person. He knows our weaknesses and knows how to exploit them
if we allow him to do so. We can defend
ourselves against his attacks and deceptions only by understanding the commandments
and by fortifying ourselves each day through praying, studying the scriptures,
and following the counsel of the Lord’s anointed” (Ensign,
Nov. 1998, 35).
D&C 42:22-24; 59:6; 63:16. The Lord’s law of chastity prohibits lustful thoughts or actions
and adultery.
The First Presidency stated: “The Lord’s law of moral
conduct is abstinence outside of lawful marriage and fidelity within marriage.
Sexual relations are proper only between husband and wife appropriately expressed
within the bonds of marriage. Any other sexual contact, including fornication,
adultery, and homosexual and lesbian behavior, is sinful” (First
Presidency letter, 14 Nov. 1991).
Elder Richard G. Scott taught: “Any sexual intimacy outside
of the bonds of marriage—I mean any intentional contact with the sacred,
private parts of another’s body, with or without clothing—is a sin and is
forbidden by God. It is also a
transgression to intentionally stimulate these emotions within your own body” (Ensign, Nov.
1994, 38).
Consequences of violating the law of chastity are spiritual
and physical, immediate and long-term. It affects the individual and
others. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
taught: “One
of the most pervasive deceptions in recent years is the notion that immorality
is normal and acceptable and has no negative consequences. In truth, immorality is the underlying cause
of much suffering and many other problems that are prevalent toady, including
rampant disease, abortion, broken families, families without fathers, and
mothers who themselves are children” (Ensign, Nov. 1994,
76).
Blessings of being obedient to the law of chastity are
consistent with those enumerated in D&C 121:45-46. In addition, we feel increased peace and
joy, love for our spouse and other family members, self-respect and respect for
others, the opportunity for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, ability to
partake of the sacrament worthily, and opportunity to receive priesthood
ordinances.
President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke about ways to avoid
Satan’s temptations when he warned: “You must not fool around with the Internet to find
pornographic material. You must not
dial a long-distance phone number to listen to filth. You must not rent videos with pornography of any kind. This salacious stuff simply is not for
you. Stay away from pornography as you
would avoid a serious disease. It is
destructive. It can become habitual,
and those who indulge in it get so they cannot leave it alone. It is addictive” (Ensign,
May 1998, 49).
D&C 63:16. Keep in mind that the Lord expects and
requires purity of thought as well as purity of action. Impure thoughts cause
us to lose the Spirit and break our covenants with the Savior. Elder Boyd K. Packer counseled that avoiding
evil thoughts is achieved by putting “something edifying in their place” (Ensign,
Nov. 1977, 60). Something
edifying could be a favorite scripture, a sacred hymn, or thinking of our love
for our family.
Elder James E. Faust taught: “Honesty is more than not
lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving” (Ensign,
Nov. 1996, 41).
D&C 42:21, 51:9, 97:8 teach us to avoid lying, deal
honestly with everyone, and to be acceptable to the Lord through being honest.
To be honest with the Lord, we should keep our covenants and
other promises we have made to Him, fulfill our callings as received from Him,
renew our covenants of the sacrament worthily, and pay an honest tithing and
generous offerings.
D&C 63:60-62; 136:21 concern taking the name of the Lord
in vain by using it disrespectfully, using it in a common or casual way, or
using it in association with coarse thoughts or evil acts.
In addition to taking the Lord’s name in vain, we should avoid
vulgar, obscene, crude, or degrading speech.
President Hinckley said: “Don’t swear. Don’t profane. Avoid so-called
dirty jokes. Stay away from conversation that is sprinkled with foul and filthy
words. You will be happier if you do so, and your example will give strength to
others” (Ensign, Nov. 1997, 48).
If we fail to follow the Prophet’s counsel, we may offend
God, offend associates, degrade ourselves, and lose the companionship of the
Holy Ghost.
Learning to control our language and speech is essential to
our spiritual growth. As we develop the
habit of controlling our language, we will find that we can avoid other
temptations more easily. In addition to controlling our own language, we
should, whenever possible, leave situations in which foul or inappropriate
language is being used and we can raise objections to its use in our presence.
D&C 52:16; 136:24; Ephesians 4:29 counsel us about the
Lord’s expectations and desires for our language. He desires that we edify one another and be meek.
Elder Harold B. Lee explained: “[The] armoured man hold[s]
in his hand a shield and in his other hand a sword. …That shield was the shield
of faith and the sword was the sword of the spirit which is the Word of
God. I can’t think of any more powerful
weapons than faith and a knowledge of the scriptures in…which are contained the
Word of God. One so armoured and one so
prepared with those weapons is prepared to go out against the enemy” (“Feet Shod
with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace”, BYU
Speeches of the Year [9 Nov. 1954], 7).
When we follow our Heavenly Father’s counsel to put on his
whole armor, we gain protection from temptations. Our lives are truly better
when we obey the law of chastity, exemplify honesty in all things, and use
language that is edifying.
Lessons
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