12 Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness.
(Alma 38:12)
This week, I’m going to work on self-discipline. As Alma counsels his son Shiblon in the passage above, it is important for us to “bridle all [our] passions,” which I interpret to mean managing our strongest emotions.
Because of the nature of our mortal bodies and because of our relative spiritual immaturity, we all have tendencies which, taken to extremes, would result in self-damaging behavior. By and large, those tendencies are not inherently evil; they just need to be channeled and managed. As Alma said, we need to “bridle” our passions, not “eliminate” or “suppress” them. (See Bruce C. & Marie K. Hafen, “Bridle All Your Passions,” Ensign, February 1994.) In fact, when properly directed, our passions can fill our lives with meaning and purpose and motivate us to accomplish great things.
Today, I will discipline myself to work effectively toward accomplishing my righteous goals. I will carefully regulate my response to my emotions and desires in order to act in a manner that is pleasing to my Heavenly Father and consistent with long-term success and happiness.
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