The Desires of our Hearts determine the Attractiveness of Various Temptations

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts”

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/according-to-the-desire-of-our-hearts?lang=eng

“When people are described as ‘having lost their desire for sin,’ it is they, and they only, who deliberately decided to lose those wrong desires by being willing to ‘give away all [their] sins’ in order to know God.”

Therefore, what we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity.

Righteous desires need to be relentless, therefore, because, said President Brigham Young, “the men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial kingdom, will find that they must battle every day” (in Journal of Discourses, 11:14). Therefore, true Christian soldiers are more than weekend warriors...

What we are speaking about is so much more than merely deflecting temptations for which we somehow do not feel responsible. Remember, brothers and sisters, it is our own desires which determine the sizing and the attractiveness of various temptations. We set our thermostats as to temptations.

“Do you,” President Young asked, “think that people will obey the truth because it is true, unless they love it? No, they will not” (in Journal of Discourses, 7:55). Thus knowing gospel truths and doctrines is profoundly important, but we must also come to love them. When we love them, they will move us and help our desires and outward works to become more holy.

President Joseph F. Smith, “the education then of our desires is one of far-reaching importance to our happiness in life” (Gospel Doctrine,5th ed. [1939], 297).

Such education can lead to sanctification until, said President Brigham Young, “holy desires produce corresponding outward works” (in Journal of Discourses, 6:170).

Only by educating and training our desires can they become our allies instead of our enemies!


Elder Oaks, “Desire”

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/2011/04/desire?lang=eng&clang=eng

As important as it is to lose every desire for sin, eternal life requires more. To achieve our eternal destiny, we will desire and work for the qualities required to become an eternal being. 

For example, eternal beings forgive all who have wronged them. They put the welfare of others ahead of themselves. And they love all of God’s children.

If this seems too difficult—and surely it is not easy for any of us—then we should begin with a desire for such qualities and call upon our loving Heavenly Father for help with our feelings.

The Book of Mormon teaches us that we should “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ” (Moroni 7:48).

Scriptures Elder Maxwell included in his talk:

·         “For I [said the Lord] will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” (D&C 137:9; see also Jer. 17:10).

·         Alma said, “I know that [God] granteth unto men according to their desire, … I know that he allotteth unto men … according to their wills” (Alma 29:4).

·         “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” (D&C 137:8–9).

·         God delights in blessing us, especially when we realize “joy in that which [we] have desired” (D&C 7:8).

·         Satan “[desires] that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Ne. 2:27).

·         With their baptismal commitments spelled out specifically, “they … exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts” (Mosiah 18:11).

·         The Nephite multitude, enraptured by the presence of the resurrected Jesus, knelt in humble and intensive prayer, yet “they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire” (3 Ne. 19:24).

·         The absence of any keen desire—merely being lukewarm—causes a terrible flattening (see Rev. 3:15). 

·         Fortunately for us, our loving Lord will work with us, “even if [we] can [do] no more than desire to believe,” providing we will “let this desire work in [us]” (Alma 32:27). 

·         “let not thine heart envy sinners” is directed squarely at those with a sad unsettlement of soul (Prov. 23:17). 

·         It is they, and they only, who deliberately decided to lose those wrong desires by being willing to “give away all [their] sins” in order to know God (Alma 22:18).