[Teachldsseminary] TEACH: prophet

[Marji]

  Some Thoughts on Temples, Retention of Converts, and Missionary Service

  President Gordon B. Hinckley

  You live in a world of terrible temptations. Pornography, with its sleazy
  filth, sweeps over the earth like a horrible, engulfing tide. It is
poison.
  Do not watch it or read it. It will destroy you if you do. It will take
from
  you your self-respect. It will rob you of a sense of the beauties of life.
  It will tear you down and pull you into a slough of evil thoughts and
  possibly of evil actions. Stay away from it. Shun it as you would a foul
  disease, for it is just as deadly. Be virtuous in thought and in deed. God
  has planted in you, for a purpose, a divine urge which may be easily
  subverted to evil and destructive ends. When you are young, do not get
  involved in steady dating. When you reach an age where you think of
  marriage, then is the time to become so involved. But you boys who are in
  high school don't need this, and neither do the girls.

  We receive letters, we constantly deal with people who, under the
pressures
  of life, marry while very young. There is an old saying, "Marry in haste,
  repent at leisure." How true that is.

  Have a wonderful time with the young women. Do things together, but do not
  get too serious too soon. You have missions ahead of you, and you cannot
  afford to compromise this great opportunity and responsibility.

  The Lord has said, "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly" (D&C
 
121:45<http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/121/45#45<http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/1
21/45#45>>
  ).

  Stay away from alcohol. Graduation from high school is no reason for a
beer
  bust. Better stay away and be thought a prude than go through life
  regretting it ever afterwards. Stay away from drugs. You cannot afford to
  touch them. They will utterly destroy you. The euphoria will quickly pass,
  and the deadly, strangling clutches of this evil thing will embrace you in
  its power. You will become a slave, a debauched slave. You will lose
control
  of your life and your actions. Do not experiment with them. Stay free of
  them!

  Walk in the sunlight, strength, and virtue of self-control and of absolute
  integrity.

  Get all the schooling you can. Education is the key that unlocks the door
of
  opportunity. God has placed upon this people a mandate to acquire
knowledge
  "even by study and also by faith" (D&C
 
88:118<http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/88/118#118<http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/
88/118#118>>;
  see also D&C 109:7, 14
<http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/109/7,14#7<http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/109/7,
14#7>>).

  You are a peculiar people. Of course you are. You have bypassed the things
  of the world. You are on your way to something higher and better. You have
  education to be obtained. You have marriage before you as a great and
sacred
  opportunity in the house of the Lord.

  You have missions to perform. Each of you should plan for missionary
  service. You may have some doubts. You may have some fears. Face your
doubts
  and your fears with faith. Prepare yourselves to go. You have not only the
  opportunity; you have the responsibility. The Lord has blessed and favored
  you in a remarkable and wonderful way. Is it too much to ask that you give
  two years totally immersed in His service?

  My young brethren, you are something special. You must rise above the
  ordinary. You must put on the whole armor of God and walk with virtue. You
  know what is right. You know what is wrong. You know when and how to make
  the choice. You know that there is a power in heaven on which you can call
  in your time of extremity and need. Pray with fervency and with faith.
Pray
  to the God of heaven whom you love and who loves you. Pray in the name of
  the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His very life for you. Stand up and walk
as
  becomes the sons of God.