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.

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What Every 12 Year Old Needs To Know About Sex

Emma (not her real name) age 12 was at a sleep over at grandma's with her other cousins. While playing on Grandma's tablet Emma accidentally discovered sexual videos on Youtube. She and three younger cousins watched the videos. They decided to act them out. Over the next couple of months when the cousins would get together they would again watch the Youtube videos and re-enact the sexual behaviors. Emma just graduated from Primary and was now a Beehive.

Joseph (not his real name) age 12 was  just made a Deacon. He has been sexually touching his 6 year old sister for a couple of months. Joseph became curious as he felt these "weird feelings when my family was driving to Temple Square and I saw this big sign along the road. It had this lady in a bikini measuring her boobs."

Common Elements
Each of these youth had great families, active in the Church, and for the first time experiencing feelings of puberty (See: Puberty the Second Fire). Their families were very active LDS. Never missed a Sunday at church .... and went out of their way to never use the word "sex" (or have any sexual discussion for that matter) in front of the kids. (For example, Joseph's father said when he saw the same billboard he just turned his head away. It never even occurred to him to talk about the sign's message to his son.)

During my interviews these young people were extremely sexually naive. When asked about any relationships with same-age boys Emma replied "Twice in 6th grade the teacher made us dance with boys ... It was awful." Joseph talked about girls as if they had "cuties" and he wanted "nothing to do with them.... It's against my standards until I'm 16." Even with prompts I couldn't get Joseph  to even say the words "penis" or "vagina."

Neither youth had ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend not did they want one. Neither had been on a date. Neither had ever kissed or even held hands with a same age partner. Each - were very anxious about any type of relationship with a same age member of the opposite sex.

AND YET NOW..... Each has already initiated very intimate sexual behavior with a partner.

(Not to mention each has felony sex charges and at risk of being removed from the homes and having a very serious juvenile criminal record.)

I ask myself over and over again how in the heck can Satan be so successful at destroying great young people like Joesph and Emma-

WHILE THEY'RE IN THEIR HOMES 

AND WITH THEIR FAMILIES?

Satan is very good at what he does (See: Satan Exposed)

GOD'S SEX 
For the " Best Sex" - the Spirit Body and the Physical Body of one person progresses down the Sexual Continuum with the Spirit Body and the Physical Body of a member of the opposite sex. Remember the Spirit Body includes the Spirit and the mind-this is where "Personality" resides. See: The Anatomy of a Soul.  The personality found in the Spiritual Body must have a relationship with the personality found in the Spiritual Body of the partner.  God's Sex is more than one Physical Body having a relationship with another Physical Body.

I get very concerned when children/teens/adults have sexual relations focusing only on  "God's Love Chemicals" (See: God's Love Chemicals) Having sex for the sake of Sex is "Deviant Sex." (Just like pedophilia, bestiality, etc etc)

Deviant sexual relations focuses on the physical sexual response-Physical Body to Physical Body.
Recently, an elderly client taught me about "NSA Sex." (That's the term he used when he solicited sex partners off Craig's List.) Don't know what that means?

It means sex with "No strings attached."

Check it out. Here is a normal progression of the Spirit Body together with the Physical Body developing a healthy sexual relationship ending in marriage.

It's not comprehensive but gives you an idea.

NOTE: Notice the Physical Body makes very little change prior to marriage. There are not many choices for the Physical Body as compared to the lengthy list that could be developed on the Spirit Body (personality) side. (This is one reason why kissing may be very important.)

God makes no exception to this law.

Before marriage, do not participate in passionate kissing, lie on top of another person, or touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body, with or without clothing. (Strength of Youth: Sexual Purity)

One of Satan's greatest tools is to confuse this continuum "Spiritual Intimacy" with "Physical Intimacy".

Joseph and Emma at the age of 12 had progressed straight to "Touching of Private Parts and Sexual Relations" WITHOUT the skills and knowledge of healthy "spiritual progression" (e.g. communication skills, relationships skills) and even without the physical intimacy of hugging, holding hands or kissing.... These two youth went straight to sex!

CHALLENGE:
Read this "Fragmenting" the "Spiritual" aspects of sexual relations from the "Physical" aspects of sexual relations is certain victory for Satan. See: God's Plan For Sex.

dr rick
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