Tag: Devil

They Are Free to Choose Liberty and Eternal Life or Captivity and Death

~ Richard Rowley

Lehi teaches his son, Jacob, that the Savior’s redeeming power offers a path of freedom, hope, and eternal life (which otherwise would have been unavailable because of the effects of Adam and Eve’s Fall).

“…The Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil…” (2 Nephi 2:26-27)

-Has every child inherited inevitable physical death, and separation from God, from their parents (going all the way back to Adam and Eve)?

-Will physical death and physical separation from God be permanent for anyone now that Christ has come and redeemed all from these effects of the Fall?

-Will everyone who is resurrected and brought back to God’s presence be comfortable staying there?

-Will Christ save all from spiritual death? Or, does He protect every soul’s freedom to choose whether to accept and follow Him?

Teachings of Latter-day Prophets, Seers, and Revelators:

“The Atonement of Jesus Christ, an act of pure love, overcame the effects of the Fall and provided the way for all mankind to return to the presence of God. As part of the Atonement, the Savior overcame physical death and provided immortality for every one of God’s children through the Resurrection. He also overcame spiritual death and provided the possibility of eternal life, the life that God lives and the greatest of all the gifts of God” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Christians in Belief and Action,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 71).

—

“God has provided a way to live in this world and not be contaminated by the degrading pressures evil agents spread throughout it. You can live a virtuous, productive, righteous life by following the plan of protection created by your Father in Heaven: His plan of happiness. It is contained in the scriptures and in the inspired declarations of His prophets. …

“Avoid worldly wickedness. Know that God is in control. In time, Satan will completely fail and be punished for his perverse evil. God has a specific plan for your life. He will reveal parts of that plan to you as you look for it with faith and consistent obedience. His Son has made you free—not from the consequences of your acts, but free to make choices. God’s eternal purpose is for you to be successful in this mortal life. No matter how wicked the world becomes, you can earn that blessing. Seek and be attentive to the personal guidance given to you through the Holy Spirit. Continue to be worthy to receive it. Reach out to others who stumble and are perplexed, not certain of what path to follow” (Richard G. Scott, “How to Live Well amid Increasing Evil,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 100, 102).

—

“When we choose to do the will of our Heavenly Father, our agency is preserved, our opportunities increase, and we progress. … The opposite is also true: when we don’t keep the commandments or follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, our opportunities are reduced; our abilities to act and progress are diminished. … Obedience to the commandments ultimately protects our agency” (Robert D. Hales, “Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 25–26).

The Temptations of the Devil Blindeth Eyes and Hardeneth Hearts

~ Richard Rowley

While teaching Nephi about the meaning of his father’s dream, the Lord’s angel also teaches Nephi about the reality of Satan and his power to deceive.

“…The temptations of the devil…blindeth the eyes and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.” (1 Nephi 12:17)

Questions:

-If you knew there was a being striving to keep all people on the earth in darkness and separated from God, would you be more careful about your thoughts, actions, and any easy acceptance of popular opinions?

-What does it take to rise above having one’s eyes blinded and heart hardened spiritually?

-What is the relationship between having a hardened heart and being spiritually blind?

-How can you keep your heart soft in your relationship with God and those around you?

-Are there thoughts you have empowered that are keeping you from feeling God’s love and kindness toward yourself and those around you?

Search Diligently in the Light of Christ

~ Richard Rowley

Moroni provides powerful keys to discerning good from evil.

“Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged. Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.” (Moroni 7:12-19)

Questions:

-Do those seeking to follow Christ sometimes have difficulty discerning the difference between being condemnatory of others (on the one hand) and the above commandment to judge righteously between good and evil (on the other hand)?

-Do many struggle with the necessity to hate the sin (unflinchingly recognizing evil for what it is) but still love the sinner (extending love and forgiveness to others regardless of whether the other person’s sins are similar in type or perceived magnitude in comparison to one’s own)?

-Because of the difficulty found in squarely confronting sin in themselves and their loved ones, have many tender-hearted people been lured into making poor judgments about evil in our time?

Ye Shall Pray in My Church

~ Richard Rowley

Christ taught the descendants of Lehi that prayer is an essential part of worship in the church setting.

“Verily, Verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him. And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you.” (3 Nephi 18:15-16)

Questions:

-What kind of prayer did Christ give to set an example for those He is speaking to in the verses above? (See The Eye Hath Never Seen, Neither Hath the Ear Heard So Great and Marvelous Things)

-Imagine trying to pray as the Savior does. Would doing so lift the quality and meaning of your prayers?

He Who Has a Spirit of Contention is Not of Me

~ Richard Rowley

Christ, speaking to a group of Lehi’s descendants in the Americas around 34 B.C., teaches that anger and contention are tools of the devil.

“…And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.” (3 Nephi 11:28-30)

Questions:

-Is it possible to contend with one’s enemies (which is sometimes necessary as taught in Alma 43:46-47) without involving anger?

-How focused are these teachings on the social environment that should exist in Christ’s church as opposed to a more general application.

Christ is a Foundation Whereon if Men Build They Cannot Fall

~ Richard Rowley

The prophet Helaman teaches his sons about the one sure Foundation upon which a person can build.

“…Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Helaman 5:12)

Questions:

-If one builds his or her foundation on anything or anyone besides Christ, are they sure to fall sooner or later?

-How can a person build his or her foundation on Christ?

-Are spiritual foundations the deepest foundations?

The Lord is Merciful unto All Who Will, in the Sincerity of Their Hearts, Call upon His Holy Name

~ Richard Rowley

The historian-prophet, Mormon, teaches of the Lord’s readiness to eternally bless all who will believe in Him and lay hold of His word.

“…The Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we may see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and snares and wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.” (Helaman 3:28-30)

Questions:

– How valuable is the strait and narrow course mapped out in God’s scriptures?

-Have the majority of Americans rebelled against this narrow course? Or, do most still have a strong connection with it?

-Is it possible to sincerely call upon the name of Lord without also laying hold upon His word?

They Remain in This State…Until the Time of Their Resurrection

~ Richard Rowley

Alma teaches his son about the state of human spirits between the time of death and the time of the Resurrection.

“Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow. And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil. Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.” (Alma 40:11-14)

Questions:

-Do the two drastically different experiences of the spirit world, as described in the above verses, represent two ends of a spectrum?

-Are there some who will experience something in between these two opposing spiritual states?

Gratitude: I am grateful to have greater knowledge of the spirit world through the teachings found in the Book of Mormon. I’m also grateful to know that I can look forward to peace and rest in the spirit world if I choose to live in harmony with God’s Spirit in this life.

Such Shall Find Rest to Their Souls

~ Richard Rowley

Alma teaches key principles, which Priesthood leaders should preach, to bring rest to souls.

“Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.” (Alma 37:33-34)

Questions:

-How does ego inevitably torment those who let it have a prominent place in their lives?

-How many understand that having a humble heart and faith in God brings the only true and lasting peace?

Bear with All Manner of Afflictions with a Firm Hope That Ye Shall One Day Rest from All Your Afflictions

~ Richard Rowley

Amulek provides vital keys to progressing spiritually.

Questions:

-In what ways do people contend against the Holy Ghost?

-How can a person receive the Holy Ghost? Is it possible to fully do so without being baptized by one with authority?