Speaker discusses faith challenges in modern society

World. However, we now live in a day and age where we can't avoid the world we are living in. The world we are living around others who mock our faith and who would destroy our faith. And because of media and because of social media and because of all these different things, we have these things and these influences consistently in our lives. It's no longer about just trying to avoid certain situations where the world could influence us. Now it's about living smack dab in the middle of the world and trying hard not to let them influence us. And that's exactly what Daniel was dealing with. He lived smack dab in the middle of Babylon, the center of Babylonian influence, and yet he found ways to shun that influence and to stand strong for his belief in God. Elder Cook once said, when we cannot avoid the world, a cloistered experience is not the answer. In a positive sense, our contributions to the world is part of our challenge and is essential if we are to develop our talents. Now, if you understand in a real way what Elder Cook is saying here, this idea of a cloistered experience is not the answer, then I sympathize with you. Because there are times when I think, man, I just want to take my kids and get out of here. I want to protect them and. But that's not the answer because we, like Daniel, are asked to live surrounded by the world so that we, like Daniel, can provide strength and an example in the world and hopefully help raise that world up. So let's jump into this book of Daniel and take a look at a couple principles here in Daniel, chapter one, verse two, it says, and the Lord gave Jehoiakim, King of Judah into his hand, mean, meaning the hand of the king of Babylon with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his God. And he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his God. Now, this is a really interesting thing that Babylon is doing here. And I think that there's an important principle that we can learn. First of all, it says that the King of Judah is delivered into the hands of Babylon, but also some of the things from their temple. There are items from the temple in Jerusalem that are carried away out of Jerusalem into Babylon, and they're placed there in Babylon in the.