Abraham 3:2-3 I saw the stars, that they were very great
Joseph Fielding Smith
It was in the night time when the Lord spoke these words to Abraham and revealed to him, in vision and by the Urim and Thummim, the greatness of the stars. As he gazed upon them-for his eyes were opened-they greatly multiplied before him so that he could not see the end thereof, for the stars were without number.
Here was a wonderful lesson to be learned by Abraham. In this vision the wonders of the universe were made plain to him. It was not merely a lesson in astronomy given under the tuition of the Master Astronommer, who built these vast worlds and knew them all by name. There were other and deeper meanings in this lesson. Abraham learned that the works of the Almighty are endless. He discovered that they are created as habitations for man. These glorified worlds are abodes of righteous celestial beings-the children of our eternal Father. Moreover, he learned that there is an eternal purpose in all the works of God, that many worlds have gone through their probation and on to eternal glory. And as one world passes on to its exaltation, so shall another come, for there are many worlds that have passed away and many more to come as habitations for men yet unborn. The vastness and glory of the universe to Abraham was overwhelming. Then the Lord promised: "I will multiply thee, and thy seed after thee, like unto these, and if thou canst count the number of sands, so shall be the number of thy seed." (The Way to Perfection [Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949], 94)
Abraham 3:4 one revolution was a day unto the Lord… it being one
thousand years
Eldred G. Smith
So according to this, 1000 years of our time is equivalent to one day with the Lord. If you were to live to be 100 years old on earth, that would be 1/10 of one day with the Lord… So according to this, if you live to be 100 on this earth, that would be equivalent to 2.4 hours in the Lord's time calendar. If you live to be 75, that would be one hour and 48 minutes. Fifty years of this time is equivalent to one hour and 12 minutes in the Lord's time.
Imagine yourself for a moment back in the spirit world before you came to earth… You knew from firsthand experience the fullness of the glory of God. You knew you could not participate in his glory, or become as he is, because you were only a spirit; you didn't have a physical body. Now the opportunity comes for you to go to earth where you can receive such a body and become as he is. Of course, you shouted for joy! Then let's assume that you were instructed that you would be allotted 100 years of mortal time. To you there and then, that would be two hours and 24 minutes. That would be the only time calendar you would be familiar with—only about 2 1/3 hours.
Only 2 1/3 hours to earn such a great reward—and some may not live 100 years; most of us will not. So we will assume about two hours time in the Lord's time is allotted to us in this life… We have in this life two golden hours.
Wouldn't you promise to endure almost anything for two hours to get the blessings that the Lord has promised of eternal life and to become as he is? He has promised that all that the Father has shall be given unto you. Then suppose you were instructed that you would have much to endure in this life on earth. Nothing would be too great to endure for two hours, would it? (Conference Report, April 1966, Afternoon Meeting 41 - 42)
Abraham 3:9 there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet
above another, unto thou come nigh unto Kolob
The greatness of planets depends upon the rate of rotation around its axis. This description of the stars is confirmed by astronomers. The stars all have different rotational speeds, with the galaxies revolving around a central point.
“The Milky Way, or simply the Galaxy, is the galaxy in which the Solar System is located. It is a barred spiral galaxy that is part of the Local Group of galaxies. It is one of billions of galaxies in the observable universe.
“The stellar disk of the Milky Way Galaxy is approximately 100,000 light-years (9.5×1017 km) in diameter, and is considered to be, on average, about 1,000 ly (9.5×1015 km) thick. It is estimated to contain at least 200 billion stars and possibly up to 400 billion stars, the exact figure depending on the number of very low-mass stars, which is highly uncertain. This can be compared to the one trillion (1012) stars of the neighbouring Andromeda Galaxy.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way)
Joseph Fielding Smith
Modern astronomers have confirmed the teachings of Abraham and Moses in relation to the greatness of the universe and the innumerable stars extending in all directions as far as telescopes, and other instruments of man's invention, are able to reach. Our earth belongs to what astronomers call an island universe. There are a great many of these island universes, each a system composed of worlds without number. These systems are also called galaxies, and we are informed that we belong to the great system of which the Milky Way forms a part. (The Progress of Man [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1964], 495 - 496.)
Abraham 3:10 the stars are set to give light
Perhaps a few pictures of God’s handiwork are in order.
Andromeda Island universe
Lagoon Nebula
Edge of Milky Way Galaxy
Abraham 3:21 I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the
intelligences
Spencer W. Kimball
God has taken these intelligences, given to them spirit bodies, and given them instructions and training. Then he proceeded to create a world for them and sent them as spirits to obtain a mortal body, for which he made preparation. And when they were upon the earth, he gave them instructions on how to go about developing and conducting their lives to make them perfect, so they could return to their Father in heaven after their transitions. Then came the periods of time when souls were to be placed upon the earth and born to parents who were permitted to furnish the bodies. But no parent has ever yet on this earth been the parent of a spirit, because we are so far yet from perfection. Remember what was said a while ago, that “As man is, God once was; and as God is, man may become.”They came with the definite understanding that they could return to become like God and go forward in their great development and progress. (“Our Great Potential,” Ensign, May 1977, 50)
Abraham 3:23 God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in
the midst of them
Marion G. Romney
One of the great truths of this account is the clear understanding we receive about who we were as pre-mortal spirit children of God. We were individual, separate persons, with agency, being, and names prior to our entry on earth.
(quotes Abr. 3:22-23)
You and I were there and so were all the rest of the spirit children of God our Father who were designated for life upon this earth. (Ensign, Sept. 1984, 4)
LeGrand Richards
Isn’t that a beautiful thought? The Lord stood in the midst of those spirits, and there were some there who became his prophets here in mortality.
We read about Jeremiah when he was called to be a prophet. He couldn’t understand it, and the Lord said: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jer. 1:5.) The Lord couldn’t have ordained him if he didn’t exist, and he wouldn’t have ordained him before he was born if he hadn’t done something in that spiritual life to prepare him to become one of the Lord’s mouthpieces here upon this earth. The same thing is true with the Prophet Joseph. (“Call of the Prophets,” Ensign, May 1981, 31)
Abraham 3:23 These I will make my rulers
Joseph Smith
At the general and Grand Council of heaven, all those to whom a dispensation was to be committed were set apart and ordained at that time, to that calling. (The Words of Joseph Smith, p. 371; standardized)
Joseph Smith
Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council…
I calculate to be one of the instruments of setting up the kingdom of Daniel by the word of the Lord, and I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 365-366)
Brigham Young
It was decreed in the counsels of eternity, long before the foundations of the earth were laid, that he, Joseph Smith, should be the man, in the last dispensation of this world, to bring forth the word of God to the people, and receive the fulness of the keys and power of the Priesthood of the Son of God. The Lord had his eyes upon him, and upon his father, and upon his father's father, and upon their progenitors clear back to Abraham, and from Abraham to the flood, from the flood to Enoch, and from Enoch to Adam. He has watched that family and that blood as it has circulated from its fountain to the birth of that man. He was fore-ordained in eternity to preside over this last dispensation. (Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 108.)
Brigham Young
He knew who would be his anointed; he had his eye upon them all the time, as he had upon Moses, Pharaoh, Abraham, Melchizedek, and Noah, who was a chosen vessel to build the ark and save a remnant from the flood. (Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 55)
Bruce R. McConkie
And as with Abraham, so with all the prophets, and for that matter so, to one degree or another, with the whole house of Israel and with all the members of the Lord’s earthly church—all are participants in the blessings of foreordination. (“God Foreordains His Prophets and His People,” Ensign, May 1974, 72)
Bruce R. McConkie
Since men are foreordained to gain exaltation, and since no man can be exalted without the priesthood, it is almost self-evident that worthy brethren were foreordained to receive the priesthood. And so we find Alma teaching that those who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood in this life were “called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God.” (Alma 13:1-12.) And Joseph Smith said, “Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world,” and this includes all who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, “was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council.” (Teachings, p. 365.).” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, vol. 3, p. 329)
Spencer W. Kimball
Remember, in the world before we came here, faithful women were given certain assignments while faithful men were foreordained to certain priesthood tasks. While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to. (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 316)
Joseph Fielding Smith
Every soul coming into this world came here with the promise that through obedience he would receive the blessings of salvation. No person was foreordained or appointed to sin or to perform a mission of evil. No person is ever predestined to salvation or damnation. Every person has free agency. Cain was promised by the Lord that if he would do well, he would be accepted. Judas had his agency and acted upon it; no pressure was brought to bear on him to cause him to betray the Lord, but he was led by Lucifer. If men were appointed to sin and betray their brethren, then justice could not demand that they be punished for sin and betrayal when they are guilty. (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 1: 61.
Abraham 3:24 we will make an earth whereon these may dwell
Barbara Winder
This was to become a testing ground; we would come to an understanding of good and evil, of happiness and suffering, of joy and pain. We knew the plan. We desired it; we endorsed it. We defended it. We even fought for it!
With eagerness and excitement, we came to earth to learn—each of us having our own particular set of circumstances with trials and temptations to overcome.
We were not left without hope. Our Savior, through his atonement, has made it possible for us to obtain salvation. He will not leave us helpless as we struggle to overcome the adversities of this life.
There are so many kinds of challenges: the frustrations and disappointments of disobedient children or a difficult marriage, the loneliness of an empty house when one is so eagerly seeking companionship, the long upward road to repentance, or the difficulty of keeping a positive attitude and counting our blessings even in times of hardship.
The example of the Savior’s life and the teachings that he left us are patterns for us to follow. He faced trials similar to those we experience; he handled each situation in a perfect manner. In the wilderness of Judea and the Garden of Gethsemane, we witness two of the most grievous temptations of Christ, but during no part of his days in the flesh was he free from temptation. Otherwise his life would have been no human life at all. We read in Mosiah, “And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer” (Mosiah 3:7).
He knew disappointment, and he knew discouragement… Which of us has not known disappointment, discouragement, and despair? That is one of the tests for all of us. (“Hope in Christ,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 90)
Abraham 3:25 we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all
things… God shall command them
Of the three big questions, the first two are answered in this chapter: Where did we come from? And why are we here? In answering the second question, we might quote many scriptures, but this one has to be near the top of the list. God’s intent is to prove us, to see if we will pass the test, to see if we will live by faith and still be obedient. As Rex C. Reeve taught, “Yes, this life is a time of testing. It is not the reward time. That will come later. We are here being tested.” (Ensign, Nov. 1982, 26)
Yet, it is not supposed to be a miserable experience. Another of the seminal passages on the purpose of life reminds us that man is “that he might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25). The journey should be a joyful experience, but the journey is still a test, and not all will reach the coveted destination.
Robert D. Hales
These commandments are loving instructions provided by God our Father for our physical and spiritual well-being and happiness while in mortality. Commandments allow us to know the mind and will of God regarding our eternal progression. And they test our willingness to be obedient to His will.
The commandments are not a burden or a restriction. Every commandment of the Lord is given for our development, progress, and growth. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “God has designed our happiness. … He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 256).
How I love the commandments of the Lord! They guide and protect us and allow us to return back into the presence of our Heavenly Father. If we faithfully obey the commandments, we are promised the blessings of eternal life. (“If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commandments,” Ensign, May 1996, 36)
Ezra Taft Benson
The great test of life is obedience to God. “We will prove them herewith,” said the Lord, “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abr. 3:25).
The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it.
The great commandment of life is to love the Lord. (Ensign, May 1988, 4)
Marvin J. Ashton
We are literally the children of our Heavenly Father. We kept our first estate. During our experience in premortality, we lived and were cared for and taught by a loving Father. Among other things, we were schooled in what had to be a perfect spiritual and educational environment. And we rejoiced when told of the plan whereby we could prove ourselves. Hence the day arrived when it was our turn to experience a period of probation and testing, a period during which a veil would be drawn over our memories so that we would be free either to walk by faith and by the Spirit or to forsake our spiritual heritage and birthright.
Now we’re here. And I’m sure we would all agree that this second estate has lived up to its billing. It is a time of testing, of probation. The challenges and duties and responsibilities, at times, seem to overshadow almost everything else. Sadly, it’s easy to become so encumbered by the press of daily life that we lose our focus. (“A Yearning for Home,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 22-23)
Neal A. Maxwell
In fact, adequacy in the first estate may merely have ensured a stern, second estate with more duties and no immunities! Additional tutoring and suffering appears to be the pattern for the Lord’s most apt pupils. (See Mosiah 3:19; 1 Pet. 4:19.) Our existence, therefore, is a continuum matched by God’s stretching curriculum. (“Premortality, a Glorious Reality,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 17)
Abraham 3:26 they who keep their first estate shall be added upon
“Abraham was shown the eternal nature of the plan of salvation and was taught that the earth was purposely created as a schooling and testing ground in ‘all things’ (Abr. 3:25), and learned that rich and everlasting rewards (“glory added upon their heads for ever and ever”) are reserved for those who remain faithful to the plan of the Father (Abr. 3:26). It is on this point that Abraham’s record makes another singular contribution to our understanding of premortality, clarifying what otherwise would be an obscure phrase found elsewhere in one verse of the New Testament. Only Abraham and Jude speak of our premortal condition as the ‘first estate’ (Jude 1:6, Abr. 3:26).
“In that one verse, Jude speaks of certain angels not keeping their ‘first estate’ and thus leaving ‘their own habitation.’ But only from Abraham do we learn that these angels were in fact spirit children in the presence of God, that the habitation they left was God’s presence, that they departed because they chose to follow Satan rather than God and Jesus Christ, and that in this ‘first estate’ God’s children lived as independent identities, exercising moral agency in the Father’s presence. Were it not for the book of Abraham, much of our basic understanding of the structure, sociality, and history of our premortal existence would be missing. Only Abraham’s remarkable record speaks of mortality’s probationary period as the ‘second estate,’ given as an endowment to all those who kept their first estate (Abr. 3:26).” (“The Book of Abraham: A Most Remarkable Book,” Ensign, Mar. 1997, 21)
“Having a body is a blessing. It is a gift we received because we kept our first estate in our premortal life. Because we have gained a body, we are now more like God than we were before coming to earth. People who understand these truths understand that the ‘real’ self, or soul, is both body and spirit. They may feel a oneness, an inner satisfaction, as both parts work together in righteousness. They see their body as a blessing, as a reward for past righteousness. These people are grateful to have the privilege of being able to progress to this second estate to become more like God, and they want to prepare, both in body and in spirit, to live with their Heavenly Father again.” (Barbara Lockhart, “The Body: A Burden or a Blessing?” Ensign, Feb. 1985, 57)
LeGrand Richards
I thank the Lord that my church teaches me that I kept my first estate in that spirit world or else I would have been cast down to this earth with Satan and a third of the hosts of heaven. And the cry went out: “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth … for the devil is come down unto you,” and he “walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (Rev. 12:12; 1 Pet. 5:8.) And so the fact that I kept my first estate entitled me to all the beauties and the joys of this world that have been mentioned here in this meeting today. And it gave me the right to have this body. (Ensign, May 1982, 29–30)
Harold B. Lee
The next truth we learn from this scripture is that you and I, having been spirits and now having bodies, were among those who passed that first test and were given the privilege of coming to earth as mortal individuals. If we hadn’t passed that test, we wouldn’t be here with mortal bodies, but would have been denied this privilege and would have followed Satan or Lucifer, as he came to be known, as did one-third of the spirits created in that premortal existence who were deprived of the privilege of having mortal bodies. These are now among us, but only in their spiritual form, to make a further attempt to thwart the plan of salvation by which all who would obey would have the great glory of returning to God our Father who gave us life. (Ensign, Jan. 1974, 4)
Abraham 3:27 one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me
Henry D. Taylor
Here we observe two different personalities and two different motives of operation. Satan would have removed a person’s free agency and he proposed to redeem all mankind by force, for which he wanted the recognition, honor, and glory. The plan of Jesus would allow individuals to make a choice between what they considered to be right and what they felt would be wrong, and recommended that all honor and glory would be attributed to the Father.
One has aptly said: “There is no end to the good that can be accomplished when we are not concerned as to the one who will receive the credit.” (“The Right to Choose,” Ensign, May 1976, 72)
Marion G. Romney
The gospel plan or program, presented to and approved by a two-thirds majority of the then assembled hosts of God’s spirit children, anticipated everything that has occurred or that will occur in heaven or on earth concerning those spirits.
It provided for them to receive physical bodies in a mortal experience where, endowed with free agency and being acted upon by good and evil, they would prove themselves worthy or unworthy to return to the society of God and go on in eternal progress to perfection.
It anticipated the banishment from heaven of Satan and his followers, the creation of this earth, the placing of Adam and Eve upon it, their partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their banishment from the Garden, and the peopling of the earth by their posterity.
It anticipated Satan’s diabolical work among men, man’s wickedness, and his death, both temporal and spiritual.
It anticipated the need for a Savior to win the victory over death, atone for the sin of Adam, which brought death, and provide the means whereby men, through repentance, may receive forgiveness for personal sins and be readmitted into the presence of God.
All these things and more were anticipated by the gospel plan.
To us the plan is known as the gospel of Jesus Christ because he sponsored it in the heavenly council and implemented it through the atonement which he in the great council voluntarily undertook to make and did come to the earth and make.
The Father’s plan was based on the principle of free agency. Lucifer countered with a proposal to substitute force for free agency, and sought honor for himself.
Jesus, of course, was chosen to be the Redeemer. He led the fight for the Father’s plan in the War in Heaven. He created this earth. He has watched over it ever since. His role in God’s program for bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39) has been revealed to men in all dispensations. (“Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Nov. 1979, 41)
Abraham 3:28 the second was angry and kept not his first estate
There is so much confusion about Lucifer in the Christian world. From the meager information available in the Bible, some of the more enlightened Christian scholars have gleaned that Satan was in the beginning with God—then became a fallen angel. Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18). But they don’t know the story. Abraham gives us the story. Why was Satan so angry? Why would anyone rebel against God? How could Satan have been a “son of the morning” (Isa. 14:12) in the first place?
Of course, we know it was all about a lust for power, glory, and dominion—a lust that could not be satisfied because it sought to infringe upon the agency of man.
L. Lionel Kendrick
Angrily, Lucifer used his divine gift of agency to make a decision that would lead to his eternal damnation. In bold opposition, he rebelled [against God and “kept not his first estate.” “A third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me [the Lord God] because of their agency.” Even with the possibility of their eternal damnation, Heavenly Father would not take their agency from them. To do so would be counter to eternal law. As a result of their rebelliousness, Lucifer and his followers were cast out of heaven and forfeited the blessings of eternal life. (Ensign, Mar. 1996, 30–31)
Eldred G. Smith
Lucifer, who was another of our elder brothers, a son of the morning, must have made a very attractive offer. I can imagine his saying, “Follow me and I will give you a new plan—the old one is outdated; you don’t have to take a chance. I’ll guarantee that all will return; none shall be lost.” He was a good psychologist. He appealed to our desires for security. He made his plan so attractive that a third of the hosts of heaven followed him.
They gave up their right and claim to free agency. They didn’t learn of the full consequences of that decision. They lost their right to choose—the right to make their own decisions.
A war in heaven followed, and Lucifer and his followers were cast out. They were put here on earth to test us, and they are doing a good job of it. (“Decisions,” Ensign, Dec. 1971, 45)
Moses 4:1 I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be
lost
Dean L. Larsen
Lucifer knew that the promise of salvation extended on his conditions was a lie. He could not have delivered the results he promised. He had two despicable motives in taking the course he did. One was to make himself an absolute dictator with all power and glory. The other was to enslave his followers by taking from them forever their right to make choices. Obviously, under such conditions all opportunity for individual progress and development would have been lost. Lucifer sought to aggrandize himself at the eternal expense of all who would submit to this proposition.
From the account of these dramatic events we gain considerable insight into the importance of Joseph Smith’s inspired observation. No person can be compelled to progress. When compulsion is used, the benefits are lost. It is an irrevocable law. Manipulation, regimentation, coercion—for whatever motive or reason—will ultimately fail to produce good results. Joseph Smith specifically warned against such things as pride, vain ambition, control, unrighteous dominion, compulsion, hypocrisy, and guile. He declared that methods of exerting influence based upon these things would cause the Spirit of the Lord to grieve, the heavens to withdraw their sanction, and, finally, the power for accomplishing good to be terminated. (See D&C 121:36–37.) (“Let Your Light So Shine,” Ensign, Sept. 1981, 22)
Moses 4:3 Satan… sought to destroy the agency of man
Wilford Woodruff
With regard to the rights of the human family, I wish to say that God has given unto all of his children of this dispensation, as he gave unto all of his children of previous dispensations, individual agency. This agency has always been the heritage of man under the rule and government of God. He possessed it in the heaven of heavens before the world was, and the Lord maintained and defended it there against the aggression of Lucifer and those that took sides with him, to the overthrow of Lucifer and one-third part of the heavenly hosts. By virtue of this agency you and I and all mankind are made responsible beings, responsible for the course we pursue, the lives we live, the deeds we do in the body. (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, edited by G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969], 8)
David O. Mckay
Two things you will note in that passage: one, that Satan was determined to destroy the free agency of man. Free agency is a gift of God. It is part of his divinity. The second point is that he desired to supplant God. I quote, "Give me thy glory." (See Ibid., 4:1.)
The world does not comprehend the significance of that divine gift to the individual. It is as inherent as intelligence which, we are told, has never been nor can be created.
In the spirit of hate, as is manifest today in the world, the very existence of God is denied, the free agency of man is taken from him, and the power of the state supplanted. I do not know that there was ever a time in the history of mankind when the Evil One seemed so determined to take from man his freedom. (Conference Report, October 1965, First Day—Morning Meeting 7)
Moses 4:4 to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at
his will
ElRay L. Christiansen
Now, the truth is that Satan lives! Indeed, some have seen his satanic majesty in spirit form.
President Harold B. Lee warned us to “make no mistake about his reality as a personality, even though he does not possess a physical body. Since the beginning of time, he, with his hosts … have waged relentless war to destroy the free agency of man.” Those who teach that there is no devil or who declare him to be a figment of the imagination used only to frighten people are either ignorant of the facts or they themselves are deceived.
How does Satan operate? What are his tactics? Using his superior knowledge, his unique powers of persuasion, half-truths, and complete lies, the evil one uses the spirit children who followed him (which were many), plus mortal beings who have yielded to his evil ways, to wage war against Jehovah and his followers; and they will, if they can, influence us to become critical and to rebel against God and his work. Thus he destroys the souls of men. (“Power Over Satan,” Ensign, Nov. 1974, 23-24)
Bruce R. McConkie
As members of the Church, we are engaged in a mighty conflict. We are at war. We have enlisted in the cause of Christ to fight against Lucifer and all that is lustful and carnal and evil in the world. We have sworn to fight alongside our friends and against our enemies, and we must not be confused in distinguishing friends from foes. As another of our ancient fellow apostles wrote: “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4.)
The great war that rages on every side and which unfortunately is resulting in many casualties, some fatal, is no new thing. There was war even in heaven, when the forces of evil sought to destroy the agency of man, [page 34] and when Lucifer sought to lead us away from the path of progression and advancement established by an all-wise Father.
That war is continuing on earth, and the devil is still wroth with the Church and goes forth “to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:17.)
And it is now as it has always been. The Saints can only overcome him and his forces “by the blood of the Lamb, … by the word of their testimony,” and if they love “not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 12:11.)
Now there neither are nor can be any neutrals in this war. Every member of the Church is on one side or the other. (“Be Valiant in the Fight of Faith,” Ensign, Nov. 1974, 33–34)