21 And this Zeezrom began to question Amulek, saying: Will ye answer me a few questions which I shall ask you? Now Zeezrom was a man who was expert in the devices of the devil, that he might destroy that which was good; therefore, he said unto Amulek: Will ye answer the questions which I shall put unto you?
22 And Amulek said unto him: Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord….
Zeezrom wanted to trick Amulek and embarrass him in front of a large audience in order to discredit him. Mormon describes him as “expert in the devices of the devil,” so we can think of his approach as representative of the way the devil tempts us. Amulek’s response teaches us an important principle about how to respond to temptation. He doesn’t refuse to answer the questions, but he does inform Zeezrom that he will follow the guidance of the Spirit in his answers.
We can’t avoid being exposed to temptation, but we can pay attention to the promptings of the Holy Ghost which will help us to avoid being deceived. Today, I will pay attention to the quiet guidance I receive from the Spirit. Like Amulek, I will engage and participate in dialogue with others, but I will strive to “say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord.”
Leave a Reply