Be Your Best Self - The Plan of Happiness vs Satan's Convention

 

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:

and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:20

Be Your Best Self

President Thomas S. Monson

This is not a time for fear, but rather a time for faith—

a time for each of us who holds the priesthood to be his best self.

Although our journey through mortality will at times place us in harm's way,

may I offer you three suggestions which, when observed and followed, will lead us to safety.

They are:

1. Study diligently.

2. Pray fervently.

3. Live righteously.

These suggestions are not new; they have been taught and repeated again and again.

If we incorporate them into our lives, however, we will have the strength to withstand the adversary.

Should we ignore them, we will be opening the door for Satan to have influence and power over us.

Are we prepared for our journey through life? The pathway can at times be difficult.

 Chart your course, be cautious, and determine to study diligently, pray fervently, and live righteously.

Let us never despair, for the work in which we are engaged is the work of the Lord.

It has been said, "The Lord shapes the back to bear the burden placed upon it."

The strength which we earnestly seek in order to meet

the challenges of a complex and changing world can be ours when,

 with fortitude and resolute courage, we stand and declare with Joshua,

 "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

To this divine truth I testify and do so in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.

Satan's Convention

Author Unknown

Satan called a worldwide convention.  In his opening address to his evil angels, he said,

"We can't keep the Christians from going to church."

"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."

"We can't even keep them from conservative values."

  

"But we can do something else. 

We can keep them from forming an intimate,

abiding experience in Christ. 

If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. 

So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles,

but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ.  

 This is what I want you to do, angels.

Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.

"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered shams to occupy their minds,"

he answered. 

 "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then, borrow, borrow, borrow. 

Convince the wives to go to work and the husbands to work six or seven days a week, 10-12 hours a day,

so they can afford their lifestyles.

  Keep them from spending time with their children.

As their family fragments, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work.

Over stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice.

Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive,

to keep the TV, the VCR, and their CD's going constantly in their homes.

And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world  plays music constantly. 

 This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. 

Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. 

Invade any other moments with order catalogues,

 every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services, and false hopes."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. 

 Have them return from their recreation exhausted,

disquieted and unprepared for the coming week.

Don't let them go out in nature. 

 Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, and concerts instead."

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship,

involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave

with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."

"Let them be involved in soul-winning. 

But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to

 seek power from Christ. 

Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and

family unity for the good of the cause."

It was quite a convention in the end.

And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments,

causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.

Has the devil been successful at his scheme?

You be the judge.

39  Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine,

and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell

shall not prevail against them.

3 Nephi 11:39