The constant onslaught of news concerning tragedies, terror threats, political unrest, and wicked judges who ignore the voice and will of the people are not unique to our generation. Book of Mormon prophets described many of the same concerns in their day. But we don't have to turn the clock back 2,000 years to find examples of turmoil, trials and tribulation. It is humbling to remember the more proximate persecutions of our pioneer ancestors, many of whom gave up all that they had, including their lives, as a testament of their unwavering faith.
At times dark clouds may hang over us and threaten our peace to destroy. But Satan and his followers cannot destroy, halt or hinder God’s plan. Neither do they have the power to overcome us if we are faithful and obedient.
To ancient Israel the great Jehovah said,
“Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee . . . ”
Our faith coupled with this knowledge can give us the confidence to approach life without fear of what Satan and his followers can do. Confidence and security, both essential elements of happiness, should rule the day. It is within the walls of loving homes, where sacred family relationships are cultivated and where covenants are made and kept, that our children will find safety and security; where we can nurture faith in gospel principles, while the outside world clamors for truth and becomes increasingly unsure where to find it.
The Apostle Paul, in speaking of perils of the last days, observed that men would be,
“. . . Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Satan and his followers can have no power over us when we live righteously, but still they can and do have an impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. As more and more people choose wickedness, our general environment will become polluted with all manner of sin and sadness.
“As we test the moral environment, we find the pollution index is spiraling upward.”
And as the moral pollution index spirals upward, the moral decay of our society will in direct proportion spiral downward towards spiritual calamities. The rate of society’s decline will continue to gather momentum, accelerating until the great and dreadful day of the Lord is at hand. Interestingly, the things adding mass to this downward acceleration are not a mystery to the careful, honest observers of human conditions. Many of the negative trends that are spin-offs from society’s downward spiral are readily identified, and yet as individuals, communities and nations we seem to lack the will to put our foot on the brakes. Instead, we are either content to tighten our seat belts and rely on spiritual airbags to cushion the inevitable crash at the bottom, or we loudly protest while vainly waving our hands out of the windows.
An abbreviated list of the negative societal trends afflicting the rising generation includes body piercing, tattooing, immodest or disheveled dress, casual or careless abandonment of moral values and disregard for the law of chastity. Remembering that to gain a physical body was one of our principal reasons for coming to earth, it is noteworthy that each of these destructive trends involves devaluing or disrespecting your physical body. Merely a coincidence? I don’t think so.
Elder Bednar taught, “Because a physical body is so central to the Father’s plan of happiness and our spiritual development, we should not be surprised that Lucifer seeks to frustrate our progression by tempting us to use our bodies improperly. One of the ultimate ironies of eternity is that the adversary, who is miserable precisely because he has no physical body, invites and entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies. The very tool he does not have and cannot use is thus the primary target of his attempts to lure us to physical and spiritual destruction.” (Things As They Really Are, Ensign, June 2010, p. 18).
Much of society’s indulgence into such self-degrading behaviors and lack of self-control are directly attributable to today’s so-called entertainment industries.
Senator Robert D. Byrd said: “If we in this nation continue to sow the images of murder, violence, drug abuse, . . . perversion, [and] pornography . . . before the eyes of millions of children, year after year and day after day, we should not be surprised if the foundations of our society rot away as if from leprosy” (Michael Medved, Hollywood vs. America [1992], p. 194).
Today we are witnesses to the effects of the unbridled entertainment trends of years past and the destructive byproduct of their wicked seeds so recklessly sown before the eyes of young and old alike. With the ever increasing wickedness comes the requisite sadness and heartache.
As a child my mother would console me when I fell and skinned my knee or when a friend behaved in an unkind way. Tempering my sadness were her tender words: “Everything’s going to be okay; everything will work out for the best.” As an adult, when I find myself in the midst of a disheartening or sad experience, perhaps as a result of my carelessness or the carelessness of someone close to me, I remember the words of comfort spoken to me as a young adult, “Everything will be all right in the end. If everything’s not alright, then it is not the end.” In other words, when all else fails, hang in there (be patient) and things will improve.
Elder Howard W. Hunter, while serving as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, reassured, "things have been worse and they will always get better. They always do—especially when we live and love the gospel of Jesus Christ and give it a chance to flourish in our lives."
A favorite saying of mine is, “When fear knocks at the door, send faith to answer it.” Faith in Jesus Christ and in His omniscience (infinite knowledge) gives me comfort. I know Heavenly Father knows what we’re going through, and I know He has faith in us and in our ability to overcome whatever challenges we will be faced with. None of us was sent here to fail. Each of us will be given the necessary tools to escape the adversaries clutches and be free from the snares of sin and temptation.
I’m reminded of my son Dean Jr., who as a child was involved in karate and who, like Cato of the Pink Panther movies, pounced on me at every opportunity. You might recall in the Pink Panther movies, Cato served two valuable purposes for Inspector Clouseau—(1) to keep his senses alert, and (2) to keep him practiced in his self-defense.
In a way, this life’s temptations and those who follow Satan serve the same two purposes: they either keep us alert and well practiced in our faith, or they trip us up and spiritually injure us if our self-defense is inadequate.
It all boils down to choosing good over evil. In so doing our righteousness will increase along with our ability to withstand Satan’s assaults. In this battle we are not alone. We are guided by a living prophet. So, “when dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us and threaten our peace to destroy, there is hope smiling brightly before us, and we know that deliv’rance is nigh. We doubt not the Lord nor his goodness” (“We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,” Hymns [1985], no. 19).
We will not be exempt from heartache, but the Lord will provide comfort and consolation for our trials. When the hearts of those around us are failing, we will be strengthened and sustained to bear the burdens that will be placed upon us.
Our Heavenly Father continues to lead us through his living prophets and apostles, who provide us with the tools, counsel, guidance and help necessary to overcome Satan.