I was asked to speak on “being in the world but not of the world.” We hear this phrase a lot in the gospel but how many of us actively apply it in our lives? We are here to do more than simply lead a happy life. We have a work to do. Sister Marriott reminds us that “we know the truth of the restored gospel. We need to live it; we need to share it. We must stand firm in our faith and lift our voices to proclaim true doctrine.” And then she asks, “Are we ready to defend that truth?”
You probably noticed, but the standards of the church and society, while once were compatible, have a growing chasm between them. Our high standards are tested and challenged each day and we have to decide what is more important to us-popularity or righteousness. Thomas S Monson stated, “As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by doing so we must stand alone?”
In the words of Sheri Dew, “We are here to influence the world rather than to be influenced by the world.” And Elaine S Dalton reminds us that “if we wish to make a difference in the world, we must be different from the world.” Heavenly Father wants us to keep our high standards and obey his commandments, but that’s not enough. He also asks that we are a good example and an influence to those around us.
In the For the Strength of Youth, it explains that we are responsible for the choices we make. God is mindful of us and will help us make good choices even when friends or family use their agency in ways that aren’t right.”
John 15:19 reads “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” Though originally directed towards the apostles, I believe this scripture can very much apply to our lives. We stand out as disciples of Christ and sometimes the world doesn’t like that. But that’s ok because what is most important are the things of heaven not the things of the world. Jacob 2:18-19 says “Before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches if ye seek them; and ye seek them with the intent to do good.”
The protagonist in the movie God’s Not Dead 2 was being persecuted by the world for sharing her beliefs and she proclaimed “I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God.” Jesus reminded us in Matthew 13 that the gospel is worth everything and we must be willing to give up the things of the world for what is truly important. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.” -Matthew 5:16
As explained in 1 Nephi 12:17, the devil’s game plan is to blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men, to lead them away into broad roads where they perish and are lost. That sounds pretty frightening but Elder M Russell Ballard encourages us to remember who we need rely on. “God’s plan is in place. He is at the helm, and His great and powerful ship flows toward salvation and exaltation. Remember that we cannot get there by jumping out of the boat and trying to swim there by ourselves.”
We live in a noisy and busy world where, if we aren’t careful, the things of the world can drown out the things of the spirit. Elder Ulisses Soares gave the following warning. “We cannot allow ourselves to be confused by popular messages that are easily accepted by the world and that contradict the doctrine and true principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of these worldly messages represent nothing more than an attempt of our society to justify sin. We need to remember that, at the end, all will stand before Christ to be judged of our works, whether they are good or whether they are evil. As we encounter these worldly messages, great courage and a solid knowledge of the plan of our Heavenly Father will be required to choose the right.”
One common theme that seems to keep coming up during this talk is having courage. Because it is hard to go against the world and stand up for truth and righteousness. Our testimonies are our shields that protect us from satan’s fiery darts (ephesians 6:16).
A good example of someone in the scriptures who had great courage was Captain Moroni. Just a young man, he had the courage to defend the truth during war that put his whole nation at risk. Though brilliant at his role and exercising his responsibilities, he remained humble. He was an “instrument in the Lord’s hands.” The book of Alma explains that if all men had been like Moroni, “the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; and the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” All of Moroni’s attributes stemmed from his great faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ and his firm determination to follow the voice of God and His prophets. Put on the armor of God and strive to be a modern day Captain Moroni!
Heleman 5:12 advises us to build our foundation upon Christ so that when the devil and his storm of temptations can have no power of you. Jesus Christ and his teachings are the only foundation we can build upon that “if men build they cannot fail.” Sometimes we need to take a step back from the world and remember what is most important; look at things with an eternal perspective.
In Matthew 14, Christ walks on water and Peter desires to go out to him. Peter goes out into the storm and focuses on the raging storm instead of Christ. And he starts to sink just as he feared. Christ says, “Oh thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” If we have faith and focus on Christ and the gospel instead of the world and the storms surging around us, Christ will help us to “walk on water.” We start to sink into the world when we doubt, focus too much on the things of the world, and lose faith. Keep Jesus Christ at the center at the center of your life and and he will help you as you go through trials.
This next quote was originally directed toward women but I think it rings true for all of us. Margaret D Naudald said “Women of God can never be like the women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.”
And to the men Thomas S Monson exclaimed, “We who have been ordained to the priesthood of God can make a difference. When we maintain our personal purity and honor our priesthood, we become righteous examples for others to follow and we help to illuminate an increasingly dark world.”
As stated by L Tom Perry, “our homes must be holy places in order to stand against the pressures of the world.” We are told that through simple, consistent acts of family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening, great things can be brought to pass. “Look upward not outward for approval” and strive to keep the commandments of the Lord and you will find that he is there to help us always.
In Young Womens, one of my leaders gave a great analogy about being in the world but not of the world. Imagine the world as a chocolate chip cookie. We are the chocolate chips!! We stand out from the world and don’t form to the rest of the world. And of course we are the sweetest part of the cookie!! In the words of Dr.Seuss, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?!”
I am going to leave you with a quote from Thomas S Monson. “You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness-and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so.”
I know that the only way to truly be happy is through the gospel. It can be hard to give up things of the world but I know that when we work hard to change and be obedient, the Lord adds His strength to our efforts. He is always there and we can always choose to turn to Him. We will be blessed as we gain an eternal perspective and focus on what is truly important. Nothing is worth giving up your eternal salvation. 
No comments:
Post a Comment