2. We pray for forgiveness, to avoid temptation, and to conquer Satan.

During His earthly ministry, the Savior taught His disciples to pray. His prayer included this important statement:

"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:12–13).

He taught his senior Apostle, Peter:

"Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:31–32).

It is no surprise that as the Savior visited those who had been spared from destruction on the American continent, he taught:

"Behold, … ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

"Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name" (3 Nephi 18:18–19).

Through modern revelation the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that prayer would allow him to conquer Satan and escape his servants. "Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work" (D&C 10:5). The Prophet was also taught:

"And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations—

"Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances" (D&C 52:14–15).