Elder M. Russell Ballard on the protective power of prayer

Elder M. Russell Ballard (born October 8, 1928) was called as a Seventy in 1976, and has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1985.

"There are numerous teachings about the importance of prayer found throughout the scriptures, but one specifically ties prayer to power, especially the power to resist temptation. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches: 'Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work' (D&C 10:5).

"What a wonderful promise! In this spiritual warfare that rages over individual souls, that is what we want more than anything else—to conquer Satan and to escape the hands of evil men and women who carry out his work. I cannot stress too highly the protective power that comes into our lives through earnest, humble, consistent, yearning prayer....

"One of the most important ways to clothe yourselves in the armor of God is to make sure that prayer—earnest, sincere, consistent prayer—is part of our daily lives."

- M. Russell Ballard, "Be Strong in the Lord, and in the Power of His Might," CES fireside, March 3, 2002
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

Elder Ballard teaches us how prayer becomes a critical tool in establishing our armor against the attacks of the Adversary. The Lord has instructed that we should "pray always" in order to "come off conqueror." The more we come to realize to profound and active this battle for our very souls is, the more we realize how very much we need this divine assistance!

I appreciate Elder Ballard's instruction that it's not just casual prayer that brings the needed power and protection. It's not going through the motions or striving to fill the minimum requirement. It's "earnest, humble, consistent, yearning prayer" that makes the difference! That's the kind of prayer we should be striving for as we "pray always" for God's help in our lives.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on safety through careful obedience

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1986, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1986 until his passing in 2008 at age 91.

"With all my heart I echo the Savior's admonition that you choose to hear and heed the word of God. 'Keep the commandments. In this there is safety and peace' (Hymns, 1985, no. 303). In our world today the only protection from 'all the fiery darts of the adversary' (D&C 3:8) is to choose to 'Put on the whole armour of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil' (Ephesians 6:11).

"And Satan is certainly wily. He is cunning—the master of deception and the father of all lies. Only by keeping all the commandments are you protected by 'the whole armour of God' from Satan's incessant, insidious efforts to lead you carefully into his power....

"And so we must keep all the commandments. You cannot approach the gospel as you would a buffet or smorgasbord, choosing here a little and there a little. You must sit down to the whole feast and live the Lord's loving commandments in their fullness.

"You have been taught the commandments. You know what to do:

"Pray.
"Study the scriptures.
"Fast.
"Pay your tithes and offerings.
"Attend your meetings.
"Partake of the sacrament.
"Magnify your callings and serve others.
"Sustain your Church leaders.
"Do your home teaching and visiting teaching.
"Make and keep sacred covenants.
"Share the gospel.
"Be honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and virtuous.

"The righteous King Benjamin, who loved his people dearly, gathered his people together near the end of his righteous life to share with them the deepest feelings of his heart. After reviewing the basic beliefs and commandments of the gospel of Christ with his beloved people, he offered this simple but powerful exhortation near the conclusion of his great sermon: 'And now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them' (Mosiah 4:10; emphasis added)."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Choose the Right," BYU Fireside, September 4, 1994
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

There is safety in obedience; what an important message. The world is becoming ever more dangerous as the adversary increases "fiery darts" of opposition and temptation. But through God's armor we can resist and be safe.

But partial armor is not much better than no armor. We seek "the whole armor of God" that comes from "keeping all the commandments" in their fulness.

Elder Wirthlin reminds us what some of those key aspects of the Lord's feast are, and then reminds us, along with King Benjamin: "And now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them." We all need that reminder regularly!

Elder M. Russell Ballard on the protection of spiritual armor

Elder M. Russell Ballard (born October 8, 1928) was called as a Seventy in 1976, and has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1985.

"Long before the world was formed, Satan and those who followed after him raged against the forces of good and tried to overthrow the work of God. That struggle has not ended, only shifted battlegrounds. It is ruthless, and relentless; the objective of the battle is your eternal soul and mine.

"The Apostle Paul spoke of how to arm ourselves for this conflict in these very graphic terms:

"'Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

"'Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil....' (Ephesians 6:10-13)

"How do we put on the whole armor of God so that we may, as Paul promises, 'be able to withstand in the evil day'?

"I like to think of this spiritual armor not as a solid piece of metal molded to fit the body, but more like chain mail. Chain mail consists of dozens of tiny pieces of steel fastened together to allow the user greater flexibility without losing protection. I say that because it has been my experience, covering many more years than you have yet been privileged to live, that there is not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. True spiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil.

"It is a common expression to talk about the 'chinks' in a person’s armor. The definition of the word chink is 'a crack, cleft, ... a narrow opening' (Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary [1996], s.v. 'chink,' 361). Should an arrow strike exactly one of the chinks in one’s armor, a fatal wound can result.

"I would like to suggest to you six ways we may protect ourselves by eliminating any chinks or gaps in our personal spiritual armor.

"1. Rely on the Protective Power of Prayer....
"2. Rely on the Protective Power of the Scriptures....
"3. Draw on the Merciful Grace of God....
"4. Watch Yourselves....
"5. Don’t Waste the Days of Your Probation....
"6. Remember That Reverence Invites Revelation."

- M. Russell Ballard, "Be Strong in the Lord, and in the Power of His Might," BYU Fireside, March 3, 2002
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

The great battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil continues to rage; the battlefield is all around us. Paul's original imagery of the "armor of God" still resonates, but Elder Ballard gives a new insight by describing that armor not just as solid metal plates (our usual imagery) but as chain mail made of small, strong rings of metal tightly woven together:

We must actively weave our own mail through "numerous smaller acts" of righteousness and faithfulness. A well-woven mail will continue to provide great flexibility in life, while also providing great protection. Sadly, it doesn't take much of a "chink" in the armor to make it less than secure; and Satan is expert at exploiting chinks.

Elder Ballard gives wonderful advice in this talk about the habits and practices that will provide a secure and strong spiritual armor for us.