Lay Hold Upon Every Good Thing

As my children get older and become more exposed to all the things of the world through their friends and school and other activities, they question more frequently the judgment of their parents concerning that which is right and wrong. The Prophet Joseph taught us, “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Article of Faith 1:13). So much of the media and entertainment and enticements of the world around us does not fit that description, and it is difficult to cultivate in them a desire to seek after that which is virtuous and uplifting and edifying when the world tells them that is boring or childish or prudish. As Latter-day Saints we might think that we are much better than the ways of the world and pride ourselves in being more holy because we don’t participate in the worst of what the world has to offer, but as one scholar observed, “Latter-day Saints tend to follow the trends of the world around them, lagging just a little behind. The rates of successful marriages, family sizes, the immodesty of our clothing, and the crudeness of our entertainment usually follow the trends of the world—we just stay slightly better. We kid ourselves that we are being holy because our shorts or skirts are not as short as everyone else’s and our topics of conversation are not as crude as those of the world around us. But the reality is that if our standards are so constantly affected by the world’s, it does not matter if we are doing better than everyone else; the world is still setting our standards instead of God.” I believe he is absolutely correct; though as Latter-day Saints we love the Lord, far too often like the children of Adam and Eve we “love Satan more than God” (Moses 5:13). And so, I struggle to know how to help my children seek after that which is good and love the Lord more that the ideas and popular things of the world.

                Mormon helped us understand how we should judge, and his words to the Nephites amidst a time of terrible wickedness were very clear on how to choose between right and wrong. He said, “Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.” That is how we can judge any entertainment we are asked to participate in: does it entice to do good and love God and serve Him? He continued, “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.” That should be our litmus test as we judge the books and movies and music and other media that we participate in. Mormon urged us, “And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged. Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.” He then gave us a key to how we can learn to judge in the light of Christ and lay hold on good things and help others do the same: “Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing” (Moroni 7:12-13, 16, 18-19, 25). It is by hearing and reading and pondering the word of God that we can find faith in Christ, and it is only with faith that we can lay hold on every good thing. And so, as usual, the answer is found in the scriptures and words of the prophets—to learn to judge righteously and to shun the evil of the world, we must feast upon the word of God. For my children and for myself, we need daily to read the word of God which was sent forth “for the purpose of subduing the hearts of the children” (Doctrine and Covenants 96:5). As His word is in us, our hearts will be subdued and turned from the things of the world to instead be set upon Him.