Popular culture may portray the devil as a cartoon character in a red jumpsuit, as needing our sympathy , or has having gone down to Georgia, but those characterizations only muddy the waters. When it comes to Satan it's a no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners approach. Twisting and distorting God's divine imperative to Adam and Eve early in the book of Genesis to our complete despair , he's been wreaking havoc and maligning mankind ever since.
Centuries later, going toe to toe with Jesus in the wilderness, he must have sensed, however, things were not going to end well for him. By the very cross that took Jesus' life, God conquered Satan and sealed our redemption over sin, death and the devil by raising His Son from the dead, promising newness of life to all who believe in the saving Name of Jesus. Though defeated with his end certain, Satan is still on the prowl.
Change Yours. This changes everything. Get Involved Or Donate Your browser is out-of-date! You may need to update your browser to view LHM. At the opening of every dispensation he has made a frontal attack against the advent of truth. As already noted, he deceived the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve in the first gospel dispensation. In the days of Jesus, Satan attacked the Master himself.
See Luke — Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, pp. We Latter-day Saints need not be, and we must not be, deceived by the sophistries of men concerning the reality of Satan.
There is a personal devil, and we had better believe it. He and a countless host of followers, seen and unseen, are exercising a controlling influence upon men and their affairs in our world today. An ancient American prophet, envisioning our day and observing what is going on, prophesied that if Satan is not checked, he will bring this generation to destruction.
Addressing himself to our present situation, Nephi said:. Now I am not calling attention to these things to frighten, stampede, or discourage anyone. This is no time for Latter-day Saints to equivocate. Nor is it a time for us to panic. The difficulties of our times have not come upon us unawares.
A hundred and forty years ago the Lord clearly revealed the tenor of our times. We know that the Spirit of Christ and the power of his priesthood are ample shields to the power of Satan. We know that there is available to each of us the gift of the Holy Ghost—the power of revelation which embraces the gift of discernment by which we may unerringly detect the devil and the counterfeits he is so successfully foisting upon this gullible generation.
Our course is clear and certain. It is to strictly obey the commandments of the Lord, as they are recorded in the scriptures and as they are being given by the living prophets. In conclusion, I bear you my witness to the truth of the things I have been calling to your attention in these remarks. I know that God lives. Through my own experiences I have come to know of his Spirit and his power. I know also that Satan lives.
I have detected his spirit and felt of his power—not to the extent as did the Prophet Joseph, but in like experience. That we may take the Holy Spirit for our guide, recognize Satan, his representatives and their works, and not be deceived by them, to the end that we may be partakers of the promised blessings, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
April Out of the Darkness Joseph Fielding Smith. Love of the Right Marvin J. Dilworth Young. Great Experiences Sterling W. The Law of Abundance Franklin D. Warnings from the Past Mark E. The Meaning of Morality Victor L. Unchanging Principles of Leadership Wendell J. Search for the Wanderers N. Eldon Tanner.
0コメント