The Battle is Real
By C.S. Bezas

Elder Henry B. Eyring has stated: “Too many of our students become spiritual casualties… One such tragedy is one too many. And yet the troubles and the temptations our students faced just five years ago pale in comparison with what we see now, and even more difficult times are ahead… We need greater power to get the gospel down into the hearts and lives of our students.”¹

“One such tragedy is one too many.” As seminary teachers those clarion words ring in our ears. They haunt us. Literally, we cannot stand the thought that a student under our watch gets lost. This fuels the choices we make in preparation for being in front of our students; it fuels the activities we engage in when we are not with them at all.

The prophets have foretold our day for eons. These same prophets who reveled in the glory and majesty of the kingdom set up in our day, also bemoaned the filthy reality that would saturate the world. We live during prophetic times, and as Elder Eyring stated, we are losing our youth to them.

Thus, as teachers we arm ourselves in the full armor of God so that we “may be able to withstand in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13). In fact, we stand ready at the front lines of the Lord’s army by virtue of our callings as gospel teachers. We, as the Lord’s teachers of truth, seek the constant companionship of the Spirit. And we do not let a single day of teaching pass by without bearing witness to our students as to the need for our Redeemer and the need for living pure lives.

We understand how crucial it is that these youth choose to clothe themselves with spiritual armor in recognition of the adversary’s fury. How important it is that they recognize the adversary is playing for keeps. The adversary is roaming as an angry beast, eager for his prey. He celebrates when one falls, as do his angels.

We read: “Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth and his angels rejoice…” (3 Ne. 9:2). While Lucifer laughs, he also lengthens his stride. He is ever seeking the destruction of all goodness and especially the destruction of God’s priceless children.

Deadly Serious

As the Lord’s teachers, we understand that Lucifer is deadly serious. He never sleeps. He is trying everything possible to pull down the elect of God. Lucifer is powerful, and he is angry. Whereas some might downplay the overall part that Lucifer plays here on earth, Elder Eyring does not and neither do we. As gospel teachers, we are far too familiar with 2 Nephi 28:21-25 to do so. We read therein as to Lucifer’s potent reality:

Life is not a game, where after the scoreboard lights go out and the crowd goes home, one drives to a convenience store to buy ice cream sandwiches. Not at all. This “game of life,” as some call it, has been described in the scriptures as an actual war.

We read in D&C 76:28-29:

We understand, and on some level our students need to understand, that Lucifer is working to destroy all that is valuable to the Father. Our students have one life to prove their faithfulness to the Lord. This is why choice matters. This is why we teach with such clarion voices. This is why we serve our youth the way we do. Because when they listen and refuse to be ensnared by the adversary, they will avoid unnecessary heartache, thus bringing greater peace to both themselves, their families, and to their Father in Heaven.

Elder Eyring has sounded the alert; Satan is winning over our youth. As Elder Eyring states, we must get the power and potency of the gospel into our students’ hearts and lives so that more do not experience that which is described in D&C 76:30:

Again, we have been told by Elder Eyring that we’re losing some of our youth. Let us do all we can to put a stop to that today! Let us determine that this will never be said of our youth again. Let us lengthen our stride and make our plans to win this war. Obviously, our students will exercise their own agency; it always has been such and always will. Agency is the gift over which the war in heaven was partially fought.

BUT there is more we can be doing as teachers to stop the hemorrhaging and loss of the Lord’s most choice of souls. The new school year will be upon us shortly. Here are a few suggestions to help ensure you and your students are well-armed with solid gospel armament:

1. Begin now to write your goals for the year. Select two or three things you want all your students to have gained by year-end. Write them on a note card and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Review those goals daily while getting dressed. Make mention of those goals during your personal prayers.
   
   
2. Analyze your goals and pray for the Lord to inspire you to implement them in practical, measurable ways in the classroom. For example, one overall goal might be: Each of my students will have read the entire Doctrine & Covenants by the end of this school year. Now dissect that goal and, utilizing guidance from the Lord, break it up into nine approaches — one per each month of the school year. Write these in your lesson planner — a monthly sub-goal associated with each overall goal. Your purpose in the classroom will be to determine how you can make these monthly goals measurable, attainable, and desirable for your students.
   
   
3. Now take time to pray and ask for guidance to carry out your plan. How will you inspire your students to actually want the fruits that attend each of these efforts? Your purpose as their teacher is to aid your students in these things, thereby helping them not to become casualties in this war being mounted by Satan.

A student who is not armed with daily scripture study, prayer, and service is a student who stands at risk in today’s world. We want our students to take part in these activities. You may also feel prompted to incorporate other goals in your service with your students, utilizing the inspiration that will come from the Lord.

Once you have seen what your students can do, your job as a teacher is to figure out how to inspire them to follow through. The battle is real. The sides are drawn. Our students stand in the middle. Let’s make sure the Lord’s army wins…and that none of his soldiers are ever lost again.

Portions taken from C.S. Bezas’ new book, Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers, available in LDS Bookstores September 1, 2006.

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1. “The Spirit Must Be Our Constant Companion” [in An Evening with President Gordon B. Hinckley, 7 Feb 2003], p. 1.