Dinner Talk Theme:MORAL COMPASS

Teaching Youth Better Moral Standards
Modesty Matters
5 steps for Resisting Evil
Good vs. Evil: Fortifying ourselves

REVERENCE IS LOVE


Reverence is more than just quietly sitting;
It's thinking of Father above,
A feeling I get when I think of his blessings.
I'm reverent, for reverence is love.
When I'm reverent it shows in my words and my deeds.
The pathway to follow is clear.
And when I'm reverent, I know in my heart
Heavenly Father and Jesus are near.

Revere the Sacred

From an Article by D. Todd Christofferson

1. The Holy Scriptures
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalms 119:105)

Guard against treating lightly or even ignoring the sacred word.

2. The Body is the Temple of God
The mortal body is a temple. Tattoos and body piercings are to be avoided as inappropriate for our bodies, which we need to hold sacred and inviolate, created in God's image.

Immodest fashions do not show reverence for the sacred.
Examples: Short skirts distant from the knee; tight tops that barely meet the waist (some more "bare" than barely).

3. Sacred Places and Occasions

Modest, best dress shows respect for sacred places, such as church, and occasions, such as weddings and funerals.

4. Speech
"The world is growing more profane, more coarse in speech, but we cannot suffer ourselves to fall into that pattern. Cursing and coarse language mock God and Christ and their creations."
~D. Todd Christofferson


Good & Evil


Your journey on earth is an epic quest— A search in life for the very best. Along the way your heart will learn how good from evil to discern.

“We will make an earth whereon these may dwell; and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”
~God, as told to Abraham (Book of Abraham 3:24,25)
Thus, the conflict between good and evil is not an imaginary concept found only in fantasy and story books. It is real, and it is a battle we are engaged in every day of our lives.

Evil, Tolkien reveals, is never freeing, always enslaving. To sin is not to set the will at liberty but to put it into captivity. To do the Good, by contrast, is to enable the will, to enlarge its freedom.
~Ralph C. Wood

Loyalty

[W]e live in a world of evil. There is a constant power, pulling us down. It is interesting to observe ow the father of lies, that wily son of the morning who was cast out of heaven, always has the means and capacity to entice , to invite, to gather to his ways those who are not strong and alert. Pornography is one of the hallmarks of our time.

You know of the profanity of the school grounds and the street. Avoid it. Never let it cross your lips. Show your loyalty to the God of Heaven and to the Redeemer of the world by holding Their names sacred.

Flee the evils of the world. You cannot wallow about in lasciviousness, you cannot lie, you cannot cheat, you cannot take advantage of others in unrighteousness without denying that touch of divinity with which each of us came into this life.

This is His work and His kingdom, and He has said, “They who are not for me are against me.” There is no middle ground.

We must be true to the very best that is in us. Be loyal to your better self. Be loyal to the best that is in you.
~Gordon B. Hinckley

Moral Courage

If you cross to the devil’s side of the line one inch, you are in the tempter’s power, and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly, because you will have lost the spirit of the Lord.
~George Albert Smith

If there is any question in your minds or hearts about whether your personal conduct is right or wrong, don’t do it. Each of us has moral agency. If we are conscientiously trying to avoid not only evil but the very appearance of evil, we will act for our selves and not be acted upon.

Much of what comes from the devil is alluring and enticing. It glitters and is appealing to the sensual parts of our nature. His message sounds so reasonable and easy to justify. His voice is usually smooth and intriguing. If it were harsh or discordant, nobody would listen. Some of Satan’s most appealing messages are: Everyone does it; if it doesn’t hurt anybody else, it’s all right; if you feel there is no harm in it, it’s okay; it’s the “cool” thing to do. Satan is the greatest imitator, the master deceiver, the arch counterfeiter, and the greatest forger ever in the history of the world.

I believe that in the future the opposition from Satan will be both more subtle and more open. While in some ways it may be more blatant, it will be masked with greater sophistication and cunning. We will need greater spirituality to perceive all the forms of evil and greater strength to resist it.

With all my heart I urge you to please help us push back the world. We must stand against the wind. Sometimes we must be unpopular and simply say, “This is not right.” It takes moral courage to do this!
~James E. Faust


Lesson 1 Making Fun Family Traditions
 Lesson 2 Building Character thru the Bible
Lesson 3 Teaching Youth Better Morals; Cooperation and Character Education
Lesson 4 Adolescent Morality and Peer Influence; Causes of Peer Pressure in Teenagers

See Also:
Building on the Rock
Internal Government
Right and Wrong