THE PURPOSE OF ENTICEMENTS

Lehi teaches that this world has been set up with enticements for the purpose of forcing us to act.

"Wherefore, the Lord gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other." (2 Nephi 2:16)

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR ENTICEMENTS?
1. Food
2. Drivers in traffic
3. Fighting children
4. Swearing at work
5. Telephone
6. Neighbors
7. TV
8. Internet
9. World news
10. Bills
11. Health problems
12. Politics
13. Chocolate

Each of us have the choice to either focus on the enticement and let it consume our thoughts & feelings. Or we can use the enticement to remind us to seek spiritual help. What would happen if we decided to use all our enticements to remind ourselves to focus spiritually? We would find it easier to pray always.

Why are we upon this earth?
-To overcome this world. To master our body, to become steadfast in Christ. To grow spiritually until we overcome all things. To prove to God that we will "submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon us." (Mosiah 3:19)

How can we master the body, overcome the world, and become one with Christ without focusing our minds & hearts spiritually? Enticements are provided in this world to help us choose between focusing spiritually or temporally. A temporal focus is easy. It takes no effort to let the enticements of this world take control of your thoughts & feelings, and the results are not good. A temporal focus puts us in a position of being tossed to & fro in this world.

It does take effort to focus our thoughts & feelings unto the spiritual world. As we change our paradigm, which matches the Saviors, we are able to use the enticements of this world as stepping stones for our spiritual growth. Let us assume that we now believe, and the Spirit has now confirmed that the purpose of the day is for us to:
1. Increase our hope to be raised unto eternal life
2. practice exercising our faith in Jesus Christ, and
3. Seeking to love God and all men.

Therefore, the first thing in the morning, before getting into the days activities, I pray, read from the Book of Mormon, and seek a confirmation that I am in the straight & narrow path. Next, I ask Heavenly Father to help me use the enticements of the day to draw closer to Him. Then I prepare my mind & heart to handle at least 20 enticements throughout the day for Him.

While driving to work, someone pulls out in front of me causing me to slow down very quickly (an enticement). I immediately thank Heavenly Father for protecting me, and for the opportunity to practice transcending the temporal enticements and come unto Him. I feel the Spirit come upon me and then I rejoice that I was counted worthy to receive. Throughout the day, I had 15 to 16 enticements, all of which helped me to draw closer to my Father in Heaven. I now understand how to use the enticements of this world to help me ENJOY THE DAY, and make it worthwhile.

EVEN WEAKNESSES ARE ENTICEMENTS!
The Prophet Ether received instructions from the Lord on how to overcome weaknesses.

" And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then I will make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27)
Weaknesses are developed from a temporal focus. They become strength as we use them to refocus unto the spiritual world for help. For example, food can be a weakness. It can entice me several times a day. The world is set up perfectly to entice me to eat. The TV is constantly encouraging me to eat or drink something. There is a restaurant every where I look, telling me about their specials. People are inviting me out to eat. And my body loves to eat, even if I am not hungry.

I have two choices when it comes to this food weakness.

Choice #1 I can do whatever my body urges me to do, as it is enticed by food.
Choice #2 Or I can use the enticing of food to remind me to pray for help, as I learn to master this body.

The Savior recommends that I bring the weakness unto Him and He will make weak things become strong unto me. Therefore, I decided to get rooted the second thought pattern of Christ, which is developing high feelings of self worth the Saviors way. I now use the emotional enticements of food to remind me to pray & review with Heavenly Father how He feels about me, who I am and how He wants me to treat myself. Every time I am enticed, rather than struggling with food, I am now using the enticement to help me feel who I am, and how much Heavenly Father loves me. The Holy Ghost is confirming this truth and I am growing spiritually stronger. This weakness is helping me to become a stronger person.

The weakness is getting weaker, because I am no longer feeding the weakness. I am no longer letting the urges of my body tell me what to do, and I just obey. I am in charge of what I think, feel & do, not my body. The physical world has a lesser hold on me, because I am using the enticements of the physical world to become spiritually centered. My love for Heavenly Father and the Savior is increasing which gives me stronger emotions to overcome the emotional pull of the temporal world.

I am enjoying my days more because even my weaknesses are helping me to become spiritually stronger. I am able to use everything that happens to me each day for spiritual growth. And now that I am in charge of me, not my body, my body is getting the kind of foods that are healthy, which also reduces the addictions for certain foods.