A Virtuous Life - Step by Step ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take three to five minutes to read from start to finish.

This post focuses on a April 2009 General Conference talk, and it is called "A Virtuous Life - Step by Step" by Sister Mary N Cook. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights whilst I was reading the talk and I hope that you would be able to learn something new while reading through this post. 

Sister Cook has mentioned; "... Now you must establish patterns of virtue that will keep you on this path throughout your life. Seek out “example[s] of the believers” (1 Timothy 4:12) who can be at your side to support and help you live a life of virtue. ... Virtue brings peace, strength of character, and happiness in this life. 

Our Heavenly Father knew that we would be faced with many choices and challenges, and virtuous living would prepare us to succeed. For many of you, the day you were blessed was a first step on your journey of a virtuous life. Your choice to be baptized, confirmed, and given the gift of the Holy Ghost and your efforts to worthily partake of the sacrament and renew your baptismal covenant each week are critical forward steps in living a life of virtue. 

Your next step on this journey is to prepare yourself to be worthy to enter the temple, where you will make additional sacred covenants and receive sacred temple ordinances, including that of celestial marriage. This will require you to be virtuous. ... we are reminded of the difficulty of staying on the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life. Father Lehi described to his sons the challenges facing different groups of people seeking the tree of life, “whose fruit was desirable to make one happy” (v. 10). This tree represented the love of God (see 1 Nephi 11:21–22).

The first group started along the strait and narrow path, but they did not take hold of the iron rod that would keep them on the path, and they got lost in the mists of darkness (see 1 Nephi 8:21–23). Some of these mists of darkness, or temptations that Satan uses to obscure the path to eternal life, are specifically directed at women. 

He makes chastity and moral purity appear old-fashioned. He has made motherhood seem less important. He has been successful in confusing women about their roles in the Lord’s divine plan. To navigate through these mists of darkness we need the iron rod, which represents the word of God (see 1 Nephi 15:23–24). We must study and understand the truths and commandments found in the scriptures. 

"Try the virtue of the word of God." - Alma 31:5

We must listen carefully to the words of our latter-day prophets, whose teachings will give us guidance, direction, and protection. And we must hold to the standards found in For the Strength of Youth. Those in the second group of people Lehi saw were clinging to the iron rod. 

They continued in the right direction, and they were able to partake of the fruit of the tree. They tasted true happiness, but unfortunately their happiness did not last long because as they looked around, they saw those who were making fun of them. (See 1 Nephi 8:24–27.) 

Stay Tuned until next time.