YA Weekly
How the Light of Christ Can Dispel the Darkness of Secret Combinations
November 2024

Applying the Book of Mormon to Your Life

How the Light of Christ Can Dispel the Darkness of Secret Combinations

By Alison Wood

Church Magazines

How can we keep inviting light into our lives?

young adults sitting together and smiling

As a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I’ve always been familiar with the term secret combinations. These words have always conjured up images of shady Gadianton robbers hiding out in alleyways and making secret oaths; the whole thing has always felt a little mysterious to me, not to mention far removed from my life.

But, as it turns out, secret combinations are both very real and very relevant to us today—and they’re not always as complicated as you might think. While secret combinations do mean “an organization of people bound together by oaths to carry out the evil purposes of the group,” here are some other situations that also qualify as secret combinations:

  • “When people conspire to keep their wicked acts secret”

  • When people use unrighteous means to “get power and gain” (Ether 8:23)

  • When “gangs, drug cartels, and organized crime families” commit crimes and acts of violence

These definitions feel a little more familiar to me. It seems like I see this kind of stuff every time I scroll through the news. And it shouldn’t be surprising—secret combinations have existed since the time of Cain (see Ether 8:15), and the prophet Moroni is very urgent about warning us that we need to continue to steer clear of them (see Ether 8:23).

So how do make sure to keep the spiritual danger of “these murderous combinations” (Ether 8:23) as far from our lives as possible?

The Savior “Worketh Not in Darkness”

Secret combinations are inspired by Satan; he “stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations” (2 Nephi 9:9). And since we know that Satan works in darkness (see Ether 8:16), it makes sense that the antidote would be the opposite: light. The Savior “worketh not in darkness” (2 Nephi 26:23). Instead, He is light:

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught us about the difference between living in darkness and living with divine light:

“Darkness reduces our ability to see clearly. It dims our vision of that which was at one time plain and clear. When we are in darkness, we are more likely to make poor choices because we cannot see dangers in our path. …

“Light, on the other hand, allows us to see things as they really are. It allows us to discern between truth and error, between the vital and the trivial.”

How Can We Invite Light into Our Lives?

We don’t just need the Savior’s light when we’re faced with something as big as secret combinations—we need it all the time. So how can we keep inviting light into our lives?

President Uchtdorf gave us three ways:

  • Start where you are.

  • Turn your heart toward the Lord.

  • Walk in the light.

If we’re looking to bring the Light of Christ to our communities, we can share our testimonies. President M. Russell Ballard (1928–2023) explained that the Lamanites “destroyed the influence of the Gadianton robbers in their society by ‘preach[ing] the word of God … among them’ [Helaman 6:37].”

If you ever feel like you’re living in darkness—feeling ashamed, lost, like you need to hide something—know that that’s not how the Lord works. He wants you to step into the light of His love, repent, return to Him, and keep sharing your light with people around you.

With Christ, Darkness Cannot Succeed

So, what was Moroni’s point in talking about secret combinations? To make us fearful and wary?

Not at all. In fact, Moroni’s reasons are pretty hopeful:

  • “That evil may be done away”

  • “That Satan may have no power upon [our] hearts”

  • “That [we] may be persuaded to do good continually”

  • “That [we] may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved” (Ether 8:26)

When we’re aware of Satan’s tactics—and more importantly, aware of how much more power Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have—we can be prepared to withstand attacks on our testimonies and stand strong against the pull of the world. We can invite light instead of living in darkness.

We can know that “with Christ, darkness cannot succeed.” Because “darkness cannot stand before the brilliant light of the Son of the living God!”