O' That Cunning Plan of the Evil One

Dearest Sisters Happy Wednesday!
How are you all doing? I hope this finds you feeling the love of those around you as well as your loving Father in Heaven.
I am sorry that I have fell off the email bandwagon lately. Just returning the emails and catching up on everything that was going on for the week I was gone has taken me weeks to do. It is amazing how it can throw you off for weeks after being away for just a little while. But I am back and happy to be with you all again.

This Sunday our gifted teacher Suzann Garner taught us using the talk “O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One.” By M. Russell Ballard. Oct 2010 Conference. Please, if you weren’t with us, read that talk! It was so powerful and such a good reminder at the reality of Satan.

Sisters I testify to you that he is real and so aware of our every move and just waiting to use his venomous inticings and thoughts on us. There isn’t a time in my life where I was more aware of him, then on my mission. I saw his reality in so many ways.
The little ways:
• When we were sitting down to meet with someone investigating the church the phone would ALWAYS ring when we got to teaching about Joseph Smith or the temple (even when the family claimed it never rang).
• When we were preparing someone for baptism, there was always someone RIGHT THERE ready to give them anti-Mormon literature or someone ready to disown them.
• The first temple in Ohio (since they lost Kirtland) was opened while I was there and the strong ANTI force that we had to deal with was unbelievable.
• The discouraging of newly come missionaries. The first week in the field as our “greenies”, Satan came in and tried with ALL his might to take their confidence away. Both my greenies had very real, very scary experiences with evil.
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How did we deal with Satan as missionaries? We gave our investigators ARMOR. We prepared them for the adversary. We told them he was real. We prepared them for when he would come and try to distract, intimidate, confuse and chase them away from what they were doing. We taught them that he was real and taught them there was power through prayer and the scriptures to help them run him out of their lives. Just as we need to do in our lives.

Sister Garner was an ALL STAR at teaching us the reality of him in our lives as well as those around us. Although we know that he is real, sometimes we too forget his tactics and we allow ourselves to become his target practice. We allow him to tell us that we are not good enough, strong enough, worthy enough, cute enough, popular enough, etc to the point that we start to believe these lies sometimes in our lives, don’t we!

Elder Ballard gave some parallels to fly fishing he said,
“The goal of the fly fisherman is to catch trout though skillful deception. The adept fisherman studies trout behavior, weather, the water current, and the types of insects trout eat and when those insects hatch. He will often catch by hand the lures he uses. He knows these artificial insects embedded with tiny hooks need to be a perfect deception because the trout will identify even the slightest flaw and reject the fly..what a thrill it is to watch a trout break the surface of the water, inhale the fly, and resist until it is finally exhausted and reeled in. The test is the pitting of the fisherman’s knowledge and skill against the noble trout…the use of artificial lures to fool and catch a fish is an example of the way Lucifer often tempts, deceives and tries to ensnare us…Like the fly fisherman who knows that trout are driven by hunger, Lucifer knows our “HUNGER”, or weaknesses, and tempts us with counterfeit lures which, if taken, can cause us to be yanked from the stream of life into his unmerciful influence. And unlike a fly fisherman who catches and releases the fish unharmed back into the water, Lucifer will not voluntarily let go. His goal is to make his victims as miserable as he is!”

Here it is. Elder Ballard is preparing you for the adversary, just as I prepared my converts in Ohio years ago. He is giving us a very visual reminder of how quickly and slyly Satan can come in and catch you. He does know our weakness, our hungers he knows us better than we know ourselves because he still remembers our pre-earth existence. He knows what we were brought here to achieve. And he will do anything to keep us from our potential and growth.

As we are all aware, one of his greatest tools that he uses today are addictive habits. Things that gain more power over our soul that most of us even can imagine unless we have been through it.

Elder Ballard teaches:
“The battle over man’s God-given agency continues today. Satan and his minions have their lures all around us, hoping that we will falter and take his flies so he can reel us in with counterfeit means. He uses addiction to steal away agency. According to the dictionary, addiction of any kind means to surrender to something, thus relinquishing agency and becoming dependant on some life-destroying substance or behavior.”

He continues,

“Researchers tell us there is a mechanism in our brain called the pleasure center. When activated by certain drugs or behaviors, it overpowers the part of our brain hat governs our willpower, judgment, logic, and morality. This leads the addict to abandon what he or she knows is right. And when that happens, the hook is set and Lucifer takes control. Satan knows how to exploit and ensnare us with artificial substances and behaviors o temporary pleasure. I have observed the impact when one struggles to win back control, to become free from destructive abuse and addiction, and to regain self-esteem and independence. Some of the most addictive drugs that, if abused, can hijack the brain and take away one’s agency include nicotine; opiates—heroin, morphine, and other painkillers; tranquilizers; cocaine; alcohol; marijuana and methamphetamines.”

Each of us I am sure has been affected by these addictions in one way or the other. It doesn’t stop at drugs both illegal and prescription. It can be many other things from pornography, sex, gambling, spending, eating, drinking the list could go on and on. These are real. They affect REAL LIFE people! They affect us, in some way or another.

The good news is although Satan is always right there to tempt and persuade us, there is a power greater there cheering us on to make the right choices and free ourselves from these addictive vises! The Holy Ghost has been given us to be our companion. We can call on him for help. We can pray to our Father for strength over the very things that have become such weaknesses. There is always hope, there is ALWAYS a way out. The Savior provided the way that we can overcome our natural man. We can be whole through his atonement.

There are so many resources out there to help us along our way. Whether it be for you, or for someone that you love dearly, THERE IS HELP! We can start by little steps like prayer and fasting. Our Bishop is there to counsel with us and help open up ways that we can have the support we need. LDS Family Services is available for both the addicted and the ones trying to help them. www.ProvidentLiving. Org is also another place to find some resources. Preach My Gospel pages 187-190 gives excellent ways on how to support those struggling with addictions.

Sisters as long as we are on the earth we will have the snares of the adversary to contend with. That is what we fought for long before we came to the earth. And how did we win the war? In Revelations 12:11 it tells us, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” That is how we win the same war that rages today: WORD OF OUR TESTIMONIES! If we continue to feed our testimonies, not our addictions, we can have power over Satan. We will have the tools, the strength and the desire to win the battle with him and to be who we came here to be.

Remember, we can’t do it alone. We need our Savior (the blood of the lamb), we need each other. We can be a powerful force for good if we but cling to our testimonies and root each other on! I have such confidence in us that we can do this, one step at a time.

I love you! I have your back! You are in my thoughts and prayers. Keep feeding that beautiful testimony of yours. It came with a price, now live up to it!