Where Is Satan When You Need Him?

The grandkids got on my wife's tablet and were listening to the song "Dumb Ways To Die" on Youtube. (You know the one that says "... Use your private parts as piranha bait...") At age 7 and 10 you wonder how the heck could they find that -- especially with the family rule "No youtube or internet without an adult."  Once the offense was discovered the parents responded: "You're grounded from screens for the rest of the week. You know you don't get on the Internet without an adult."

The kids moaned.
Parents went on about their day....
believing they fulfilled their teaching obligation.

Where is Satan when you need him?

YOU CANNOT EFFECTIVELY 

TEACH A GOSPEL 

PRINCIPLE WITHOUT SATAN!

(opposition 2 Nephi 2: 10-13)

Check out how the Lord teaches us about the following examples:

Word of Wisdom D&C 89:4 "Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days..."

Pre-existence Abr. 3:26–28 "Whom shall I send? … And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him."

The Fall of Adam Moses 3:16–17 "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it...”

Joseph's First Vision Joseph Smith History 1:15-16 "After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go... I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction...."

Think for a minute. How effective of a teacher would you be if you removed any reference to Satan (opposition) from....

the Temple Endowment?

the Plan of Salvation?

Jesus fasting 40 days in the desert?

etc etc

Again I'm convinced you cannot effectively teach about God without teaching about Satan. To learn more about Satan read: Satan Exposed; The Lion Sleeps Tonight. NOT!; and What Satan Doesn't Want You To Know About the War.

I believe similarly you can't effectively teach principles like:

No dating until 16

No R-rated movies

No wine coolers

No women receiving the priesthood

No Gay marriage

or

No watching and memorizing the song ""Dumb Ways To Die". 

We need "Satan" to understand "God". We need "Evil" to understand "Good."

I remind myself keep it simple.

THE GOSPEL AS SIMPLE AS 1-2-3
1) There is a great battle between Satan and God which began back in the premortal life and has continued.
2) In these "Last Days" we our observing unbelievable growth in the kingdoms of Satan in opposition to the kingdom of God.
3) Eventually there will be a destruction of the kingdoms of Satan in preparation for the Millennium. During this time Christ will reign on the earth.
4) "Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you" (Moses 6:33) or not.

BACK TO THE GRANDKIDS

So a few days later I said something like this to my grandson. I explained there are two sides God and Satan. God loves and wants us to do good. Satan wants to lead us away from God.  You've listened to the song "Dumb Ways To Die"  which side wants you to listen to it? Which side wants you to disobey your parent's rules? Which side do you want to be on?

And let him decide. He will anyway.

CHALLENGE

Use the word "Satan," "Devil," "Lucifer," "Evil," etc etc the next time you teach a gospel principle.

dr rick
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