A public safety chaplain working in a burgeoning Utah community has witnessed staggering heartbreak and grief. The chaplain is called on scene when a family is impacted by the death of a loved one. He offers gentle counsel and a listening ear to folks dealing with the aftermath of a violent crime or tragic accident.

Sometimes the deceased was involved in some sort of criminal or risky activity that ended in violence. Others have overdosed on drugs or been killed while driving drunk. Through their tears, the surviving relatives often tell the chaplain that their lost son, daughter, sibling or spouse was a "good kid" who, at some point, "fell in with the wrong crowd." Their bad decisions in life have yielded tragic, final consequences that will forever change the lives of many others.

One might ask what is a "wrong crowd"? Daily, people gather in crowds and no tragedy occurs. Youth are often seen in "crowds" doing good, participating in uplifting activities. Perhaps a crowd goes wrong because of the poor decisions of just one or two people that influence and endanger the others.

As the chaplain reflects on such accounts, he's left to wonder if such sad outcomes might have been altered if just one person, a single peer, even in that "wrong crowd," had simply said, "Let's not do this. Let's find something different to do. Let's not take this chance. Let's change." What if one brave friend or associate had turned heel, faced the headwind of peer pressure and offered a safer alternative and a better choice? Might that fallen friend, now gone, still be alive today?

Choosing to be a good example in a world poisoned by the dangerous, caustic influences of the world demands courage and fortitude, especially among youth.

Being the sort of example that can bless and change the lives of those in jeopardy is made easier if one has already placed the Savior at the center of his or her own life.

Centuries ago, the apostle Paul challenged the Lord's disciples to "be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).

One of Paul's modern-day apostolic colleagues, Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve, knows well the power a righteous friend — an "example of the believers" — can have on others who may be stumbling down treacherous paths.

"As you live high standards publicly and privately, and even under great pressure adhere to them, you raise the vision of others, helping them realize more of their divine capacity. Like a worthy magnet, you will draw others to a higher standard of life.

"The power of your worthy example is increased as you help others caught in the web of transgression and guide them into a harbor of safety where there is parental strength and priesthood inspiration, where they can repair through repentance the strained and damaged parts of their character. Many yearn to overcome transgressions that bind them to a path they really don't want. While public actions denounce any desire to change, privately they want to change but don't know where to begin. Be that saving influence in their lives. Help them" (General conference, April 1991).

When one discovers "a more excellent way," he has a duty to alert others. In his 2009 general conference address, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, acknowledged that "all is not perfect in Zion." Many choose not to prepare for life's challenges.

"That choice must be their own," said President Eyring. "They are responsible for themselves. That is the Lord's way in His loving plan. But many [people] have little or no support from those who could help as they prepare. Those of us who can help will be held accountable by the Lord. …

"Now, the second thing they will need is confidence that they can live up to the blessings and the trust which God has offered them. Most of the influences around them drag them down to doubt the existence of God, of His love for them, and of the reality of the sometimes quiet messages they receive through the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of Christ. Their peers may urge them to choose sin. If [people] choose sin, those messages from God will become more faint.

"We can help them choose to prepare by loving them, warning them, and by showing confidence."

As President Thomas S. Monson has counseled: "Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow."