| Kevin,
Well,I first start with my basic beliefs,and,identify what kind
of temptations I could encounter.My foundation is the commandments.
I try to avoid putting myself in a position to be tempted(quite
effective for me).
If I find myself in a situation of temptation,i rely on my own strenght
to resist.I gain this strenght through tapping Gods light and goodness
which is within me.It must come from within me,as God has given
us the freedom to choose.I must be willing to freely accept his
essence.
Peace
Michael
|
| I believe that Satan and his angels who are unembodied have no power
over those who have bodies (us), unless we allow it, by our own
choices. Since we are free to choose, then we possess the key.
I think we give Satan power over us when we knowingly choose evil over
good. Our power to resist evil the next time is diminished, because we
have become, to a degree, under Satan's power. I think this becomes
even more magnified when we break sacred covenants that we have made
with the Lord in the waters of baptism, at the sacrament altar and in
the temple.
The only way to overcome the power that Satan may have gained over us,
by our own choices, is to repent. We must recognize that we have
sinned, feel genuine sorrow, confess the sin, forsake the sin, and
attempt to restore that which has been lost or damaged through our
sins.
If a person has not been baptized, then the first fruits of their
repentence will be baptism for the remission of sins. Then they will
receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands. As they
keep the covenants they have made, the Holy Ghost will strengthen them
against temptation, and it will guide them. Satan's power will be
broken.
After baptism, a person must continue in repentance, in order to retain
a remission of their sins. Interestingly enough, the scriptures also
teach that we must have charity and care for the needy to retain a
remission of our sins. We must partake of the sacrament and renew our
covenants with the Lord that we will keep His commandments, and He
promises that He will send His Spirit to be with us.
To summarize:
To resist temptation, a person should repent, be baptized, receive
the Gift of the Holy Ghost, continue in repentance, keep sacred
covenants, and care for the needy.
No doubt there's lot's of other things that would be good to say
about this, as well, and I look forward to the comments of others.
Rich
|
|
As one grows in spirituality, one finds the various things that
defile a person less tempting. Inevitably, however, situations
arise in which the line between "good" and "evil" is obscure,
or one's judgement is weakened by the onslaught of powerful
emotion. At these times, I find it helpful to envision Jesus,
standing or sitting right next to me. He looks upon me not
with judgement but with boundless Love, and my desire is to
to be worthy of that Love. I try to envision myself asking
Him, Lord what would You do? And in just about every case,
the answer is immediately evident, obvious beyond question.
It is a lot harder to sin when you know for a Fact what the
right thing to do is.
Neal/B
|
| We live in such a wicked world. Keeping yourself unspotted
is a never-ending struggle. In the 59th section of the Doctrine &
Covenants we are commanded "And that thou mayest keep thyself unspotted
from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer, and offer
up thy sacrements upon my holy day."
Attending church every week, and partaking of the sacrement is one
of the keys to keeping ourselves "unspotted" with sin. If we repent
of our sins each week, and partake of the sacrement worthily, it
becomes an opportunity for remission of sins and rededication to
the covenants made at baptism. Only when we have purified ourselves
are we ready to recieve the Holy Ghost in full measure.
It also takes daily scrutiny of our actions and thoughts to determine
if we have done anything that would grieve the spirit. This can
only be done through frequent prayer, and careful self-inspection.
When we become sanctified (it is a long process), then we are worthy
of the *continual* companionship of the Holy Ghost, who will act as a
spiritual armor of God to keep us out of the way of evil.
Studying the scriptures daily is a powerful help too, but I've rambled
enough.
It really is a full-time job!
Jim
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