'We will not yield, we cannot yield'
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Speaking on the importance of not yielding to the pressures of the world, Elder W. Craig Zwick of the Seventy related an account from the life of a young friend named Ethan.
"Like all young people, Ethan faces tremendous temptations. It comes in the halls of his school, on the Internet, in the movies and music," said Elder Zwick. "Peer pressure is often overpowering."
One day Ethan asked his mother, "Mom, do I need to lower my standards to keep my friends?"
"It is a profound question for each of us to consider at all stages of life," said Elder Zwick. "Are we lowering our standards to fit into our neighborhoods? Are we altering our values to suit the situation in the workplace or to be popular at school?"
Elder Zwick said a powerful principle and answer to unwanted peer pressure can be found in the story of the Tree of Life when Nephi describes the actions of those in the great and spacious building and says, "They did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also. But we heeded them not" (1 Nephi 8:33).
Elder Zwick then quoted President Packer: "However out of step we may seem, however much the standards are belittled, however much others yield ... we will not yield, we cannot yield" ("The Standard of Truth Has Been Erected," Ensign November 2003, p. 24).
"Do we recognize temptation when it is so well camouflaged? Are we willing to fight the unpopular battle?" asked Elder Zwick.
"As we make righteous choices day by day in little things, the Lord will strengthen us and help us choose the right during more difficult times.
"The teachings and values we cherish the most are not embraced by a secular world. To maintain a firm stance for ourselves and our children, the message of the restored gospel must be firmly planted in our hearts and, more important, taught in our homes."
