3
Nephi 2:2
Keep
the Faith
What
2 aImagining up
some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by
the power of the devil, to lead away and bdeceive the
hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts
of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead
them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a cfoolish and
a vain thing.
Why
Satan’s
purpose was to lead them away from Christ.
Pattern
Heb.
3:12
12
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief,
in departing
from the
living God.
Mark
7:20–23
20
And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the
man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Prov.
11:18
18
The wicked worketh a deceitful work:
but to him that soweth righteousness shall
be a
sure reward.
Matt.
24:5
1 Cor.
1:23 (23–25)
23
But we preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews a stumblingblock,
and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Alma
30:13 (12–18)
12
And this Anti-Christ,
whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him)
began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ.
And after this manner did he preach, saying:
13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.
13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.
Doctrine and Covenants 46:8
8
Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived;
and that ye may not be deceived seek
ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are gi
Doctrine and Covenants 52:14
14
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 deceivingthe
nations—
Christ
“-insomuch
that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that
the doctrine of Christ was a cfoolish and
a vain thing.
“
Conference
By
Elder Dallin H. Oaks Of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
One
of the best explanations of the planned role of opposition is in the
Book of Mormon, in Lehi’s teachings to his son Jacob.
“It
must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so,
… righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness,
neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad” (2 Nephi
2:11;
see also verse
15).
As
a result, Lehi continued, “the Lord God gave unto man that he
should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save
it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other” (verse
16).
Similarly, in modern revelation the Lord declares, “It must needs
be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not
be agents unto themselves” (D&C
29:39).
Opposition
was necessary in the Garden of Eden. If Adam and Eve had not made the
choice that introduced mortality, Lehi taught, “they would have
remained in a state of innocence, … doing no good, for they knew no
sin” (2 Nephi
2:23).
From
the beginning, agency and opposition were central to the Father’s
plan and to Satan’s rebellion against it. As the Lord revealed to
Moses, in the council of heaven Satan “sought to destroy the agency
of man” (Moses
4:3).
That destruction was inherent in the terms of Satan’s offer. He
came before the Father and said, “Behold, here am I, send me, I
will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall
not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor”
(Moses
4:1).
Thus,
Satan proposed to carry out the Father’s plan in a way that would
prevent the accomplishment of the Father’s purpose and give Satan
His glory.
All
of us experience various kinds of opposition that test us. Some of
these tests are temptations to sin. Some are mortal challenges apart
from personal sin. Some are very great. Some are minor. Some are
continuous, and some are mere episodes. None of us is exempt.
Opposition permits us to grow toward what our Heavenly Father would
have us become.
...Through
all mortal opposition, we have God’s assurance that He will
“consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain” (2 Nephi
2:2).
We have also been taught to understand our mortal experiences and His
commandments in the context of His great plan of salvation, which
tells us the purpose of life and gives us the assurance of a Savior,
in whose name I testify of the truth of these things. In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
Apply-Keep
the faith. Study and understand the great plan of salvation.
Continue to pray and keep the commandments. It is when we stray from
keeping the commandments that we are so easily deceived.
Hymns
I
know That My Redeemer Lives
Children
I
am A Child of God
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