“What should I do when an evil thought enters my mind?” New Era, Aug. 1984, 44–45
“What should I do when an evil thought enters my mind?”
Answer/Ronald A. Dalley
All conscious acts—creative ones, righteous ones, or evil ones—are born from our thoughts. There never has and never will be a willful act that did not first begin as a thought.
Thoughts originate from three sources—from within us, from the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and from the evil sources around us provided by Satan and his hosts as they “whispereth in our ears.” “And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance” (2 Ne. 28:22).
The importance of our thoughts, then, cannot be emphasized enough. As Proverbs tells us: “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). During his earthly ministry, the Lord taught that for us to lust in our hearts is a serious sin. We must, therefore, learn to recognize the source of our thoughts and control them accordingly.
Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve explains that our minds can be compared to a stage that is forever being played upon by our thoughts, which are the actors. Always lurking in the wings are those thoughts whose intent is to attract our attention, upstaging our good thoughts, telling us that they are not bad, that there is “no devil,” until, if we let them, they take complete control of our minds, thus driving out the gentle, uplifting Spirit of our Heavenly Father, making us dull and insensitive to the things of the Spirit. Thus does he bind us “with his awful chains” (see “Inspiring Music—Worthy Thoughts,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, p. 28).
However, if we truly love the Lord, we will want to control our thoughts. Indeed there can be no deep spiritual progression until we are able to discipline our own minds. The Savior was teaching this principle, I believe, when he said we should not look upon one another in lust, or we should not covet. If we control our thoughts, we will also be able to master our actions.
Now there is not a person alive who has not, at some point in his life, had an inappropriate thought enter into his mind, primarily because Satan has the power to help put it there. The test, however, is whether we allow it to stay there, to linger, performing its evil deed until the Spirit of the Lord cannot abide with us.
What should I do when an evil thought enters my mind? Almost all Church leaders, at one time or another, have addressed this basic question. As a result many different methods for controlling the thought processes have been cited. Some suggest that when we have an evil thought we should review in our minds the words of a favorite hymn. Others suggest doing the same thing with one of our favorite passages of scripture. One of my favorite passages of scripture to use in such cases is Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46 [D&C 121:45–46]:
“Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
“The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth.”
Other possible approaches might be to read the scriptures or a book by one of the Brethren. The point is, do something! Supplant the evil thought with something pure and wholesome. Find something that works for you and use it. But remember it takes effort. It takes a desire to control our own thinking. If we truly love the Lord, we will do it. In addition, avoid as nearly as possible unholy places, unwholesome music, friends who do not uphold similar standards, and entertainment (movies, television, etc.) that depicts immorality and vulgar language.
As you do this, you will drive away the unclean, evil thoughts; and the more you control your own thinking, the more you are in control of all that you do, until you are able to “lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, … that ye may be able to stand” (D&C 27:15). Thus Satan and his hosts with their subtle whisperings will have no power over you.
If we love the Lord, we will want to become masters of ourselves that we might help further his purposes here on earth. For us to do this, we must control our thoughts.