Feed the Good Wolf

To my son, 

There is a story that goes like this: “One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’ The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’ The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’” Each of us will have to decide whether we feed the negative feelings and thoughts that we have, whether we act on our anger and jealousy and pride and let them grow, or whether we let those things go when we feel them and focus instead on trying to live as the Savior did. It can be really hard at times when we are upset or frustrated or offended to not act on those feelings, but when we do, we are feeding the wrong wolf. I encourage you to always try to feed the right wolf, to focus on the good you see in others, to lay aside negative feelings that come and concentrate on that which brings peace instead of contention, that which helps you feel love instead of hatred. Everyday, you and I have to decide which of these wolves we want to feed. The prophet Jacob encouraged us with these words: “Cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life” (2 Nephi 10:23). Ultimately we can each choose if we want good or evil to dominate our lives.   

As always, the Savior was our perfect example of feeding the right wolf, of always responding to evil with good. When He was unjustly judged and being mocked by the leaders of the people, He answered their questions calmly and without malice. At one point, “one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?” The Savior’s reply showed His infinite patience and total goodness in the face of this mocking and evil: “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?” (John 18:23). His ability to reject evil and always respond was goodness was evident when He was on the cross being mocked by l around Him. As He hung there in agony, with nails through His hands and feet and after having been whipped and had a crown of thorns placed on His head, He was still able to respond with love, praying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Can you believe it? He was able to forgive those causing Him great harm even while in the midst of it, while in more pain than you or I could ever imagine. Although we will certainly fall short of having that kind of patience and love, we can strive each day to respond to evil with goodness, to answer hatred with love, to always choose the feed the good wolf.