A Bold Statement

This week I attended the YSA Summit in West Jordan. One of the keynote speakers was Bishop John Bytheway. He quoted a talk by Elder Carlos E. Asay of the presidency of the Seventy. This statement hit me hard and pinpointed something I've been struggling with for a long time. He said:


There is a lie—a vicious lie—circulating among the Latter-day Saints and taking its toll among the young. 
And it is that a “balanced man” is one who deliberately 
guards against becoming too righteous.  
This lie wouldhave you believe that it is possible to live successfully and happily as a “double-minded man” with one foot in Babylon and one foot in Zion. (SeeJames 1:8.)


I don't know why I never thought about it this way before. Of course we should get our foot out of Babylon. Yet so often I find myself doing this very thing, trying to "fit in" with the world while still setting myself apart. If you'd like to read the whole talk, click here. 


I am determined to break away from this cycle. I must come to accept that the ways of the world are distancing themselves farther and father from God. In order to stay on the Lord's side, I must plant both feet firmly in zion and hold fast to the iron rod. I must diligently study the scriptures, keep the commandments, and pray. That is the only way to safeguard from the fiery darts of Satan. I will not stand down.