Elder Neal A. Maxwell
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"The tugs and pulls of the world are powerful . . . . There are so many personalized prisons!"
God's plan is not a plan of pleasure, it is a plan of happiness. Still, scoffers display the attitude foretold in 2 Peter 3:4: "Where is the promise of (Christ's) coming?" Such cynics see "actors" on the stage of the world but still think there's no director.
"Like a goldfish in a bowl, some are mindless of who changes the water and puts in the pellets."
Some sincerely wish for "more power in order to do good," but only a few individuals are "good enough to be powerful." And craving power and fame often "sucks out the spiritual oxygen."
"Like the prodigal son, we, too, can go to 'a far country,' which may be no further away than a vile rock concert. The distance to 'a far country' is not to be measured by miles but by how far our hearts and minds are from Jesus."
The most powerful remedy for the "transitory things of the world" lies in seeking the gifts of the Holy Ghost. We should also honor the special role of the family. Personal worship, prayer and scripture study are crucial. Picking the Lord first, we then should carefully pick our friends.
God, who knows everything, still takes time to listen to our prayers. The world can offer nothing better by comparison.
