“I believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is our Heavenly Father’s practical guide for happy living,” said Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary general president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Sister Jones spoke at a devotional on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, during BYU Education Week Tuesday, August 21, 2018.
The address was streamed live on her Facebook page.
“The world is filled with enticements for the very purpose of encouraging us to act on our God-given agency,” Sister Jones told thousands of attendees gathered at the Marriott Center for the annual event.
“An enticement can come in the form of temptation, which can lead us to doubt, fear, anger, and ultimately loss of the Spirit, or an enticement can come through happiness and blessings as encouragement to do good,” she explained.
“Enticements, both positive and negative, are real, and it is what we choose to do with them when they occur that will make all the difference in our daily lives,” said Sister Jones, who oversees the Church’s organization for more than 1 million children around the globe. "Enticements are the practice round for when the great adversities come."
She continued, “In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded. Companies pay billions of dollars every year to entice us. Enticements come in the form of billboards, TV ads, and ads on our internet devices. We also experience many personal enticements.”
Sister Jones shared a story of getting pulled over by a police officer for speeding on her way to the temple. “I was caught in a speed trap, and I was guilty,” she said. “My heart sank; my pride was dashed.”
She initially wanted to turn around and go home, but she changed her mind after praying for forgiveness.
“I have learned through this experience and many others that this life is perfectly designed to give us all the opportunities we need to grow ‘spiritual muscles’ and, through patience and dependence upon our Savior, to become like our Father in Heaven,” taught Sister Jones.
“The Holy Ghost is our best protection,” she said. “When we follow His teachings, we are happy; when we do not, we reap sadness.”
Visit byutv.org or Facebook to watch Sister Jones’s address.
