Satan had great power
Reading in third Nephi is one of my favorite places. Today I was reading of the Nephites after they defeated the Gadianton robbers. For a moment they were all believers and lived in happiness. But the scripture says that "Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people." Satan loves to stir up the people because he can always get at least some of them to bite on to his wiley ways.
Nevermind the pride that he created, the inequality amongst the people, or the hunger for authority (ambition) and riches (because who doesn't/wouldn't like that), but look at how he led them anywhere he wanted. People generally don't like to be used, but when we get in the grasp of Satan, we think we're doing what WE want, what we think makes US happy. We may feel a little happy for a little while, but Satan certainly doesn't take us down the path of long term happiness.
Some of these guys became killers, just like the Gadianton robbers they just destroyed because they knew how awful they were. Well, these judges made oaths to one another to wipe out folks that got in their way of power and money: they conducted extrajudicial killings. We in America view that as a fairly bad thing and a sign of pretty bad governance. If you live in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan or somewhere like that, it's part of life I suppose. I'm happy to live in America and pray that we can not be led from place to place by Satan, rather follow the enticings of the Holy Ghost and seek out the true happiness only the Lord can provide.
Nevermind the pride that he created, the inequality amongst the people, or the hunger for authority (ambition) and riches (because who doesn't/wouldn't like that), but look at how he led them anywhere he wanted. People generally don't like to be used, but when we get in the grasp of Satan, we think we're doing what WE want, what we think makes US happy. We may feel a little happy for a little while, but Satan certainly doesn't take us down the path of long term happiness.
Some of these guys became killers, just like the Gadianton robbers they just destroyed because they knew how awful they were. Well, these judges made oaths to one another to wipe out folks that got in their way of power and money: they conducted extrajudicial killings. We in America view that as a fairly bad thing and a sign of pretty bad governance. If you live in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan or somewhere like that, it's part of life I suppose. I'm happy to live in America and pray that we can not be led from place to place by Satan, rather follow the enticings of the Holy Ghost and seek out the true happiness only the Lord can provide.
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