“Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.”
Let's dissect this verse a little, shall we?
“Satan had great power...”
I've heard a general authority say, "what power does Satan of himself have?" paraphrased. His power is only what we give to him. But let us observe the influence he can have on us.
“...unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity...”
Stirring. Do you allow Satan to stir you? What does stirring look like? It looks like provocation. It looks like chipping away to get to my core. It looks like catching us off guard. It pooks like a recipe for disaster – his disaster, calculated to destroy us.
“...and to the puffing them up with pride...”
If he can help us get to the level of self-motivation for evil, his work is all the more easier. He says to us as he said to Cain, "God doesn't determine your life. You do." He says to us as he said to Judas, "You have the right to challenge God – He will prove Himself in the end anyway."
“...tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.”
All things against the principles of righteousness outlined in section 121 of the doctrine & covenants. Ironically, if we follow God we can receive all tha the Father hath. He asks that our priorities be in line.
I walked with a friend through the shadows of our university buildings once. I asked him, "which do you think is more important: education of the mind? Or education of the heart?"
Which do you think?
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