Scripture Blog

This weblog is my personal online scripture journal. I try to read the scriptures each morning as I exercise on my cross-trainer. It has a great impact on my life and my testimony of the Savior and his restored church. The journal is really for my own benefit but I have set it up as a web log in hopes to benefit anyone else that may be interested. "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." 1 Nephi 10:19

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

2 Nephi 28

Nephi describes several means Satan will use in the last days to lead mankind away from happiness. The first is false teachings or "the philosophies of men" -

"...they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:4)

Not like Paul where he explains -

"...exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile" (New Testament 1 Thessalonians 2:3)

The Savior asked -

"...he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
18 And if it be by some other way it is not of God." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 50:17 - 18)

Teaching without the Holy Ghost is not of God. The philosophy of men is -

"...Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.
8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:7 - 8)

The second means satan will use is anger for -

"...at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:20)

The third is that he will teach that immorality is just fine - do what feels good.

"...because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few..." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:14)

For they -

"...turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth..." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:16)

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Old Testament Isaiah 5:20)

The last means is tied to the rest - that is the flattering words of men that there is no consequences for our actions saying -

"...others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:22)

Nephi leaves this simple but profound warning -

"...wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:24)