Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in October 2020 general conference:
“. . . .When Moroni called upon the people to believe in Christ and to repent, he urged them to come unto the Savior with all their hearts, stripping themselves from all uncleanness. Furthermore, Moroni invited them to ask God, with unbreakable determination, that they would not fall into temptation.12 Applying these principles in our lives requires more than a mere belief; it requires adjusting our minds and hearts to these divine principles. Such adjustment requires a daily and constant personal effort, in addition to reliance on the Savior, because our mortal inclinations will not disappear on their own. Fighting against temptation takes a lifetime of diligence and faithfulness. But please know that the Lord is ready to assist us in our personal efforts and promises remarkable blessings if we endure to the end.
. . . . My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify that as we rely upon the rock of salvation, the Savior of our souls, and follow Moroni’s counsel, our ability to control our thoughts will increase significantly. I can assure you that our spiritual maturity will grow at an increasing pace, changing our heart, making us more like Jesus Christ. Additionally, the influence of the Holy Ghost will be more intense and continuous in our life. Then the enemy’s temptations, little by little, will lose their power over us, resulting in a happier and more pure and consecrated life.
. . . . My dear friends, when we resist the little temptations, which often come unexpectedly in our life, we are better equipped to avoid serious transgressions. As President Spencer W. Kimball said: “Seldom does one enter into deeper transgression without first yielding to lesser ones, which open the door to the greater. … ‘A clean field [does not] suddenly [become] weedy.’”18
While preparing to accomplish His divine mission on earth, the Savior Jesus Christ exemplified the importance of constantly resisting everything that might dissuade us from realizing our eternal purpose. After several unsuccessful attacks by the enemy, who attempted to divert Him from His mission, the Savior categorically dismissed the devil by saying: “Get thee hence, Satan. … Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”19
Can you imagine, my brothers and sisters, what would happen if we were to derive strength and courage from the Savior and say, “No” and “Get thee hence” to unvirtuous thoughts that very first moment they come into our minds? What would be the impact on the desires of our hearts? How would our resulting actions keep us close to the Savior and allow the continued influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives? I know that by following Jesus’s example, we will avoid many tragedies and undesirable behaviors that might cause family problems and disagreements, negative emotions and inclinations, perpetrating injustices and abuses, enslavement by evil addictions, and anything else that would be against the Lord’s commandments.
In his historic and touching message from April this year, our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, made a promise that all those who are willing to “hear Him”—hear Jesus Christ—and obey His commandments “will be blessed with additional power to deal with temptation, struggles, and weakness” and that our capacity to feel joy will increase, even during the increasing current turbulence.”20 (For Elder Soares’ complete talk with working links, click . . . . ‘Seek Christ in Every Thought’
