Choosing Which Animal to Feed

Each of us has two animals residing within us, the first I like to refer to as the Lion. The lion is the natural man in all of us, the part of us that encompasses all of our weaknesses, insecurities, fears, and doubts. The lion in us desires things that are not of God, struggles with a desire and conviction to choose right. It encompasses the darkest parts of ours souls. This is the part of us that satan likes to encourage, the part of us satan wants us to feed so that one day it will consumes us.

On the other hand, we all have a divine spirit, a part of us I like to call the lamb. This is our true identity, our identity as sons and daughters of God. This part of our spirits is the part of us that yearns for something greater, that comprehends that we have so much potential, that longs for and strives for righteousness and for all that is pure and holy. It longs for home.

So what decides the prominence of these animals in our lives? What determines which beast will occupy our souls and hearts? It's as simple as this...whichever animal we decide to feed will be the animal that dominates and thrives.

There will be different times in our lives when either the lamb or the lion demands our attention or seems to consume our control, but ultimately it's up to us to decide who we will let rule us. I've been thinking about this a lot lately as the lion in me has fought to take precedence over the lamb. Sometimes I feel consumed by my natural man and the weaknesses inside of my heart that it exploits. But I'm learning that it's completely and totally up to me to decide who will win out.

So how do we feed these animals? If we choose to feed the lion we do things that are selfish, we ponder on our weaknesses and let our flaws consume us and blind us to others and their needs. When we focus so deeply on our weaknesses, our mistakes, or our unholy desires we give fuel to the lion.
Likewise, each time we sin, whether by omission or commission, we feed the lion a feast that strengthens him.

On the flip side, when we choose to "put off the natural man" (Mosiah 3:19) we choose to feed the more precious part of our souls, the lamb. Each time we sincerely pray, seek truth, study the scriptures, selflessly serve others, and choose righteousness we are fueling the lamb.

President Monson once said that "Our decisions determine our destiny," and it's absolutely true. Each of us are fighting an inner battle, a battle between good and evil. We have both beasts residing within us but it's up to us to decide which one we will feed, ultimately resulting in the one who will dominate. It is only by "putting off the natural man and becoming a saint through the atonement" (Mosiah 3:19) that we will be able to return to God's presence and live forever in happiness. I know this is true. My greatest desire is to have the conviction, courage, and strength to feed the lamb and become like the Lamb of God, my elder brother Jesus Christ, for truly the ultimate test of this mortal probation is who we choose to become.