Thoughts on Overcoming the World

I was deeply moved, as I’m sure many of you were, by President Nelson’s address at conference on Overcoming the World, and have found myself this week re-reading and pondering his message and what it means for me. He answered the what, how, and why, and described the blessings of peace that overcoming the world can lead to. Wanting these blessings for me and my family, I was immediately interested and drawn to the how, which he boiled down to seeking the spirit by living the Doctrine of Christ and staying on the covenant path. He said, “The truth is that it is much more exhausting to seek happiness where you can never find it! However, when you yoke yourself to Jesus Christ and do the spiritual work required to overcome the world, He, and He alone, does have the power to lift you above the pull of this world.”

This was on my mind as I read Isaiah 58, included in this week’s “Come Follow Me” chapters. Isaiah provides the most definitive scriptural instruction of the purpose and manner of fasting while also emphasizing the importance of Sabbath Day observance. While doing so, I had a certain and powerful prompting to call on all of us to use these highly under-utilized elements of living within our covenants as an effective step in overcoming the world.

Isaiah says that “afflicting our souls” and bowing our head “as a bulrush” or spreading “sackcloth and ashes” under us is not the purpose of the fast. An effective fast, while difficult, is not done solely to make God take notice because of our suffering. Instead, Isaiah teaches that we should “loose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke.” We should feed the hungry, take care of the poor and homeless, clothe the naked and see to the needs of our immediate and extended families. When fasting properly Isaiah enumerates in verses 8-12 the blessings of health, spiritual guidance, answer to prayers, a plentiful harvest of all good things that will enable us to care for others, and light that dispels all darkness. These verses sound like an excellent recipe for how to overcome the world and achieve the peace President Nelson spoke of.

In a previous talk from the April 2015 conference, President Nelson encouraged us to keep the Sabbath Day as a “sign” of our commitment and love of God. We are taught to “delight” in the Sabbath as a day of rest and as an opportunity to renew covenants by attending church, partaking of the sacrament, serving others, and strengthening our family relationships. Proper observance of the Sabbath, we are told, will bring rest to our souls and “the fulness of the earth,” which also sounds a lot like the blessings of peace promised in overcoming the world.

The instruction on fasting in Isaiah 58 comprises verses 1-12, but verses 13-14 easily connects the proper observance of the Sabbath to fasting. Perhaps this verse is placed there not just to connect our monthly fast to a Sunday, but to suggest that keeping the Sabbath each week is in fact a type of fast, an overcoming-of-the-world-one-in-seven-days fast.

With the opportunity to participate in Fast Sunday this coming week I am going to re-evaluate whether or not I’m doing it after the manner instructed in Isaiah. At the same time I’m determined to make the Sabbath a delight and my symbol of gratitude to God and our Savior Jesus Christ for providing and showing the way to overcome the world. I’m going to do this because I want the blessings promised by our beloved prophet. I have felt prompted to encourage all to do the same with the promise that it will help you to overcome the world and make Christ more central to your life.

Love, President Nelson