Continuing from a previous post.. . Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught words of encouragement: For our safety we must build a fortress of spirituality and protection for our very souls, a fortress that will not be penetrated by the evil one. Continuing . . . .
Satan is a subtle snake, sneaking into our minds and hearts when our guard is down, faced a disappointment, or lost hope. He entices us with flattery, a promise of ease, comfort or temporary high when we are low. He justifies pride, unkindness, dishonesty, discontent, and immorality, and in time we can be “past feeling” (1 Nephi 17:45). The Spirit can leave us. “And thus the devil cheateth their souls and leadeth them carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21).
In contrast, we often feel the Spirit so powerful as we sing praises to God with words like these:
- A mighty fortress is our God,
A tower of strength ne’er failing.
A helper mighty is our God,
O’er ills of life prevailing.
~A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” Hymns, no, 68
When we build a fortress of spiritual strength, we can shun the advances of the adversary, turn our backs on him, and feel the peace of the Spirit. We can follow the example of our Lord and Savior, who, when tempted in the wilderness, said, “Get thee behind me, Satan” (Luke 4:8). We each have to learn by the experiences of life how to do that.
Such a righteous purpose is well described in the Book of Mormon when Captain Moroni prepared the Nephites to face attacks from a deceitful, bloodthirsty, power-hungry Amalickiah. Moroni constructed fortresses to protect the Nephites “that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of the Christians” (Alma 48:10). Moroni “was firm in the faith of Christ” (v.13) and was faithful in keeping the commandments of God. . . . and resisting iniquity” (v, 16).
When the Lamanites came to battle, they were astonished by the Nephites preparation, and they were defeated. The Nephites thanked “the Lord their God, because of his matchless power in delivering them form their enemies” (Alma 49:28). They had built fortresses for protection on the outside, and they had built faith in the Lord Jesus Christ on the inside—deep in their souls.
~Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Be Not Troubled (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2020), 41-44 (continued)
