To Draw Closer to God

by Henry B. Eyring

"'Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit--and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink.' (D&C 19:18).

"It was about there that I wrote these words: 'Teach the people repentance hurts.' You must never believe the lie that there is no pain from sin. You can be forgiven; the Atonement is real. But President Kimball taught that 'if a person hasn't suffered, he hasn't repented.' So true faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ, rather than leading you to try a little sin, will lead you to stay away from it as you can.

"That brings me to a second falsehood. It is this: as the world grows more wicked, it is only reasonable to expect to be overcome by temptation. That is not true either. We do not face so bleak a prospect. President George Albert Smith taught:

"'There are two influences ever present in the world. One is constructive and elevating and comes from our Heavenly Father; the other is destructive and debasing and comes from Lucifer. We have our agency and make our own choice in life subject to these unseen powers. There is a division line well defined that separates the Lord's territory from Lucifer's. If we live on the Lord's side of the line Lucifer cannot come there to influence us, but if we cross the line into his territory we are in his power. By keeping the commandments of the Lord we are safe on His side of the line, but if we disobey His teachings we voluntarily cross into the zone of temptation and invite the destruction that is ever present there. Knowing this, how anxious we should always be to live on the Lord's side of the line.'

"The increasing wickedness in the world should not make you more inclined to take chances but less. By your choice of what you will do and what you won't do, you can place yourself in that territory where the Holy Ghost can be your companion."