Elder L. Tom Perry on fighting a latter-day war

Elder L. Tom Perry (1922-2015) was called as an Assistant to the Twelve in 1972, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1974. At the time of his passing at age 92, he was the oldest living general authority and the third in seniority among the leading quorum.

"Today we find ourselves in another war. This is not a war of armaments. It is a war of thoughts, words, and deeds. It is a war with sin, and more than ever we need to be reminded of the commandments. Secularism is becoming the norm, and many of its beliefs and practices are in direct conflict with those that were instituted by the Lord Himself for the benefit of His children....

"In a world where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ never wavers, nor should its stakes and wards, its families, or its individual members. We must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but acknowledge all of God's commandments. We must stand firm and steadfast, having perfect confidence in the Lord's consistency and perfect trust in His promises.

"May we ever be a light on the hill, an example in keeping the commandments, which have never changed and will never change.... May we, in this latter-day war, be a beacon to all the earth and particularly to God's children who are seeking the Lord's blessings."

- L. Tom Perry, "Obedience to Law Is Liberty," General Conference, April 2013
Click here to read the full talk

It doesn't take much effort to see evidence of the conflict Elder Perry describes in the world in which we live.

In recent years, there have been abundant examples of the conflict he refers to with "secularism" in our time. We must heed the warning, though, and be alert to this growing dichotomy. As "the moral compass of society is faltering," it's the responsibility of each individual and family to find direction in "the restored gospel of Jesus Christ" that "never wavers." The way to do this is through complete devotion to the gospel:

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
May 26, 2015