“That He May Sift You”

Luke tells us that at the Last Supper, there was a dispute among the apostles as to which of them was the greatest. Jesus instructed them to serve one another instead of competing with each other. Then, He turned to Peter and enlisted his help: “Satan hath desired to have you,” He observed, “that he may sift you as wheat.” In King James English, you is plural. He was speaking of all of His disciples. Then, He addressed Peter personally: “I have prayed for thee [singular], that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32).

Satan, our adversary, wants to divide us because he knows that we are stronger together. If we stop supporting and uplifting one another, he can conquer us more easily. Furthermore, if our divisions cause us to treat one another unkindly, we will lose our connection with God, our source of protection and power.

Alma used the same metaphor as he charged his son Helaman to preserve and maintain the spiritual record of their people. “If ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind” (Alma 37:15). If Helaman were to abandon his spiritual foundation, he would find it impossible to maintain strong relationships with other people and to fulfill God’s purposes for him.

After the Savior’s death and resurrection, He visited a group of people on the American continent. Near the beginning of that visit, He condemned contention, telling them that those who promote it are “of the devil, who is the father of contention” (3 Nephi 11:29). Later that day, He gave the same warning He had given to Peter:

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

3 Nephi 18:18

To avoid this outcome, He encouraged them to pray frequently with their families and to meet often with other church members. Build relationships, and strengthen them. Don’t allow Satan to “sift” you.

President Russell M. Nelson recently urged us to “cast Satan out of [our] relationships.” He explained that “we…rebuke the adversary every time we heal a misunderstanding or refuse to take offense” (“Peacemakers Needed,” General Conference, April 2023).

Today, I will remember that Satan wants to separate me from my loved ones and from God. I will watch for patterns of thought which weaken my most important relationships and will strive to overcome those negative thoughts by being more patient, kind, and forgiving.