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Aaronic Priesthood Manual 2

Avoiding and Overcoming Temptation

"Lesson 40: Avoiding and Overcoming Temptation," Aaronic Priesthood Manual 2, 151

OBJECTIVE

Each young man will understand how he can avoid and overcome temptation.

PREPARATION

NOTE

A young man faced with strong temptations may feel powerless to resist. But with the Lord's help he can choose the right. He can defeat Satan. He can overcome temptation. Of course, the best time to make decisions is now, before he is faced with temptation. Help the young men learn to avoid and resist temptation.

SUGGESTED LESSON DEVELOPMENT

Introduction

Story and discussion

Elder Boyd K. Packer recalls an experience he had at a game reserve in Africa:

"We stopped at a water hole to watch the animals come to drink. It was very dry that season and there was not much water, really just muddy spots. When the elephants stepped into the soft mud the water would seep into the depression and the animals would drink from the elephant tracks.

"The antelope, particularly, were very nervous. They would approach the mud hole, only to turn and run away in great fright. I could see there were no lions about and asked the guide why they didn't drink. His answer ... was 'Crocodiles.'

"I knew he must be joking and asked him seriously, 'What is the problem?' The answer again: 'Crocodiles.'

" 'Nonsense,' I said. 'There are no crocodiles out there. Anyone can see that.' ...

"Anyone would know that you can't hide a crocodile in an elephant track.

"He could tell I did not believe him and determined, I suppose, to teach me a lesson. We drove to another location where the car was on an embankment above the muddy hole where we could look down. 'There,' he said. 'See for yourself.'

"I couldn't see anything except the mud, a little water, and the nervous animals in the distance. Then all at once I saw it!-a large crocodile, settled in the mud, waiting for some unsuspecting animal to get thirsty enough to come for a drink.

"Suddenly I became a believer! When he could see I was willing to listen, he continued with the lesson. 'There are crocodiles all over the park,' he said, 'not just in the rivers. We don't have any water without a crocodile somewhere near it, and you'd better count on it' " (in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, p. 45; or Ensign, May 1976, pp. 30-31).

The Best Way to Resist Temptation Is to Avoid It

Quotations and discussion

Explain that with all of Satan's tools and skill, we may wonder how we can resist Satan's temptations. We are not powerless. Share the following statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith: "All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], p. 181; italics added).

Elder Hartman Rector, Jr., of the Seventy, taught an important principle for overcoming temptation:

"In my experience, I have found that it is very, very dangerous to fly just high enough to miss the treetops. I spent twenty-six years flying the navy's airplanes. It was very exciting to see how close I could fly to the trees ... , and it is extremely dangerous. When you are flying just high enough to miss the trees and your engine coughs once, you are in the trees.

"Now let's pretend that the navy had a commandment-'Thou shalt not fly thy airplane in the trees.' As a matter of fact, they did have such a commandment. In order to really be free of the commandment, it becomes necessary for me to add a commandment of my own to the navy's commandment, such as 'Thou shalt not fly thy airplane closer than 5,000 feet to the trees.' When you do this, you make the navy's commandment of not flying in the trees easy to live, and the safety factor is tremendously increased" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1972, p. 172; or Ensign, Jan. 1973, p. 131).

Making Important Decisions in Advance Helps Us Resist Temptation

Adviser presentation

Explain that we should not only avoid tempting situations, but we should decide ahead of time how we will resist temptations if we ever find ourselves in difficult situations. We should make the decision in advance while we are free to decide and not wait until we are faced with the temptation.

Quotation and discussion

Share the following quotation from President Spencer W. Kimball:

"When I was a little boy ... I heard my teachers tell me over and over: 'We do not drink; we do not smoke; we do not drink tea or coffee; the Lord has proscribed that.' ...

"Then as I was out alone, milking the cows, or putting up the hay, I had time to think. I mulled it over in my mind and made this decision: 'I, Spencer Kimball, will never taste any form of liquor. I, Spencer Kimball, will never touch tobacco. I will never drink coffee, nor will I ever touch tea-not because I can explain why I shouldn't, except that the Lord said not to.' ... I made up my mind.

"That's the point I am trying to make. I made up my mind then, as a little boy: 'I will never touch those things.' And so, having made up my mind, it was easy to follow it, and I did not yield. There were many temptations that came along, but I did not even analyze it; I did not stop and measure it and say, 'Well, shall I or shall I not?' I always said to myself: 'But I made up my mind I would not. Therefore, I do not' " (in Conference Report, Stockholm Sweden Area Conference 1974, p. 86).

God Can Deliver Us from Temptation

Scriptures, chalkboard, and discussion

Explain that despite our best efforts to avoid temptation, we will still be tempted at times.

Have the young men read and underline 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Emphasize that the Lord will always provide a way for us to escape temptation, but it is up to us to take the way he provides. We must choose to escape.

Read and underline Doctrine and Covenants 31:12.

Write the young men's responses on the chalkboard.

Case study

Relate the following case study in your own words.

Robert's friends invited him to go to a new movie. Robert knew that it had some bad scenes in it and felt that he should not go. But when he told his friends no, they teased him and called him names. "Everyone's seen that movie," they said. "It can't hurt you."

Finally, Robert gave in to their pressure and decided to go. The following week in church and many times afterwards, bad words and images from the movie would pop into Robert's head when he least expected them. He didn't try to think of them-he didn't even want to think of them-but he had a hard time removing them from his mind.

Conclusion

Quotation

We do not have to give in to temptation. President David O. McKay said:

"To the men of the priesthood I give this caution. Your weakest point will be the point at which Satan tries to tempt you, and will try to win you, and if you have made it weak yourself before you have undertaken to serve the Lord, he will add to that weakness. Resist him and you will gain in strength. He will tempt you in another point. Resist him and he becomes weaker and you become stronger, until you can say, no matter what your surroundings may be, 'Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve' (Luke 4:8)" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1969, p. 94; or Improvement Era, June 1969, p. 28).

Challenge

Challenge the young men to avoid temptation, to make important decisions ahead of time, and to pray constantly so that they can overcome Satan and his temptations and gain eternal life.

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Next Chapter: Lesson 41: The Sacrament: In Remembrance of Him »

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