“How Does Satan Try to Deceive Us?” Ensign, March 2020
Come, Follow Me: Book of Mormon
2 Nephi 26–30 (February 24–March 1)
How Does Satan Try to Deceive Us?
Nephi warned us about three of the devil’s deceptive tactics.
1. Rage against the Good (2 Nephi 28:20)
How does Satan get people to be angry about good things?
Here are some good things Satan may tempt people to be angry about:
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Traditional marriage and family
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Kindness and compassion for all, including those who are different from you
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Organized religion
2. Ease and Apathy (2 Nephi 28:21)
How does Satan get people to be so comfortable that they stop caring about fighting against evil or stop trying to grow spiritually?
Here are some lies the devil may tell us to make us apathetic:
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All that matters is enjoying life and having cool stuff.
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Anything inconvenient or uncomfortable must be bad, so avoid it.
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As long as life appears to be going well, that’s all that matters.
3. No Devil, No Evil, No Consequences (2 Nephi 28:22)
How does Satan get people to stop believing that evil is real and that God will judge us?
Here are some lies Satan tells us to convince us there’s no evil and no consequences:
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This life is it, so live it up.
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If it feels good, do it.
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Look around. The wicked aren’t being punished. So why not have fun like them?