This month’s visiting teaching lesson is on how to become the Lord’s instrument by standing strong and immovable. As we stand against the tides of the evil one, we are able to stand in holy places. As always, you should prayerfully select from the quotes given in order to teach the things the sister you are responsible for needs to hear.
It is interesting to me how this relates to one of the blessings promised to the elect, as we discussed in the Gospel Doctrine lesson for the week. In JS-M 1:11, we learn that “he that remaineth steadfast and is not overcome, the same shall be saved.” As we stand for the things of righteousness that the Lord teaches, we shall be saved in His kingdom.
We usually think of following the gospel as an active process. In fact, we are told many times that we can only go forward or backwards in gospel progression; there is no standing still. It is somewhat ironic, then, to think of standing as doing something. And yet it is. President Joseph F. Smith states that those who “stand firm in the face of overwhelming opposition” are “instrumentalities of a higher law and a divine purpose.” Wow.
President Hinckley tells us that it is “so tremendously important” for the women of the church to remain steadfast? Why? I think part of that comes from our divine calling as nurturers. For most of us, this is manifest in motherhood, but even those who never become mothers are able to nurture and guide the lives of those around them. As mothers, we bear a solemn responsibility to our children. We are their primary source of influence for many years. As they go off to school and into the world, we counter the evil influences they come in contact with each day. While we need to be making the right choices spiritually for ourselves, we also need to make them for our children.
So how do we stand strong? We must stand against the negative influences of the world. We must not equivocate when the evil one seeks to destroy things. We have only to look in the world today to see that he is fighting strongly against the things of the gospel. He seeks to destroy the principles of the gospel in so many different ways, from the political facets of abortion to the social angles of premaritial relations to the day-to-day television programs we watch. We must stand strong and unwaveringly against these things. We must choose the path we will follow, and stay upon it. We must remember that standing strong means not giving an inch.
Related Articles:
Gospel Doctrine: Blessings of the Elect