Twenty-four times in the New Testament we read about devils being "cast out" of people. All of these passages appear in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The gospel of Mark even ends with the Savior promising that those who believe in Him will have power to cast out devils (Mark 16:17). The... Continue Reading →
How Much Power Does the Devil Have?
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how to overcome temptation. A friend of mine asked me to consider the following question: How much power does the devil have over us? Does he have any power at all if we choose not to listen to him? It's a good question, and the Book of Mormon... Continue Reading →
How Can I Tell When Authority Is Being Used Improperly?
Korihor had a persuasive argument against the church: Members consistently obeyed church leaders; therefore, church leaders must be exercising inappropriate authority over the members. In Korihor's defiant words: I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and... Continue Reading →
How Can I Be More Hopeful?
Hope is an expectation of a positive outcome. When we have hope, we believe that good things will come. Hope empowers us to persevere when we encounter obstacles and to avoid discouragement. In daily conversation, the word "hope" often conveys substantial uncertainty. "I sure hope that happens" often means "I doubt it will happen, but... Continue Reading →
How Can I Recognize the Temptations of the Devil?
The Book of Mormon teaches that there is a being in the universe who is trying to harm us and to thwart God's plan. His name is Satan (שָׂטָן - the Hebrew word for "adversary"), and he is commonly known as the devil, from the Greek word diabolos (διάβολος), which means "slanderer." He was once... Continue Reading →
Does Obedience Diminish Freedom?
Korihor had a message for the Nephite people: You have been brainwashed. Your religious beliefs are the effect of a frenzied and a deranged mind (Alma 30:16). Your church leaders have taught you to follow foolish and silly traditions in order to "usurp power and authority over [you], to keep [you] in ignorance, that [you]... Continue Reading →
What’s Wrong with Seeking Signs?
The prophet Zenos foretold a sign which would coincide with the Savior's death hundreds of years later. Some members of the house of Israel, who would be living on "the isles of the sea," would experience three days of darkness (1 Nephi 19:10). Just five years before the Savior's birth, a prophet on the American... Continue Reading →
How Does God Communicate with Us?
After writing two days ago about the importance of firsthand spiritual knowledge, and after writing yesterday about the role of prophets in helping us to grow closer to God, I was thinking today about the variety of ways that God sends us messages. Here are some examples: Dreams and visions — The Book of Mormon opens... Continue Reading →
Is It Possible to Know Something but Not to Know That You Know It?
In 1880, a young church leader, Heber J. Grant, was challenged by Joseph F. Smith, one of the apostles. Heber had just stated in a sermon that he "believed" the gospel was true. Following the meeting, Joseph asked him, "Don't you know absolutely that the gospel is true?" "I do not," was Heber's reply. The... Continue Reading →
The Devil Will Not Support His Children – Alma 30:58-60
58 And it came to pass that they were all convinced of the wickedness of Korihor; therefore they were all converted again unto the Lord; and this put an end to the iniquity after the manner of Korihor. And Korihor did go about from house to house, begging food for his support. 59 And it... Continue Reading →