The prophets of the Old Testament spent a lot of time warning people not to worship idols (see Psalm 115, for example). That was a major problem in those days.
You might not be tempted to pray to objects of stone, wood, or metal. But there still might be modern “idols” that are pulling you away from God.
As President Spencer W. Kimball once explained, “Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn’t also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry.”1
So, what modern “idols” can you think of? This picture can be a clue:
Some people set their hearts on money and whatever money can buy. They forget that while money can be a great tool for helping others, it shouldn’t be the focus of our lives.2
Some people care most about popular culture. They’re more concerned with what society thinks than what God thinks.
Some people only seem to trust themselves, relying on their own wisdom and experience instead of taking advice from the Lord.
What other idols do you notice in the world around you? Decide today to ditch the idols and put God first!
Idol Check
Notes
1. President Kimball served as President of the Church from 1973–1985. This is from his article “The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, June 1976.
2. For more on this topic, see Elder Michael John U. Teh’s article “Where Your Treasure Is” from the April 2014 general conference.
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