What Do You Want?

The question is asked by Satan, the father of all lies, twice. He takes what anyone wants, and shows them a fantasy. All that is fantasy comes from Him. You don’t have to work for it, and you don’t need to wait for it. You can have it all, and have it now. There is no sacrifice, or the sacrifice comes later, so you don’t need to think about it now. He promises whatever you want of the world. 

Lucifer and a third of the hosts of heaven left the presence of God to come to earth to tempt man. We have been taught a narrative that they are evil, and are going to make people hate, kill, and otherwise hurt each other. These are the spirits of death and destruction. They cause illness. They bring pain. They destroy everyone and everything. We think the devil has a fork, is red, with horns and a tail. We think we could recognize evil when we see it because those who remain with Satan in the world should be abhorrent and disgusting, and that we would have a natural aversion to evil. 

Think Win-Win

The truth is different. What these spirits really want to reside in a body. They want to feel. They want control. They want to have power in the physical world. They want those who are born into bodies to invite them in, so they must overcome the natural enmity of the spirits who own the bodies. Most wicked spirits don’t want to be obvious, and get chased out, they want to be kind so they can stay. They ask, “what do you want,” and then offer it to you so they can be invited in, and allowed to stay. They are not all looking to hurt or destroy, they just want a home. Wicked spirits give people what they want of the world, so they will be invited in. It seems like a win-win. A person gets a spirit of knowledge, good fortune, and the spirits get a physical body. The person feels blessed, and the wicked spirit gets a home. 

Those of us who are born into bodies have a natural conflict between the body and the spirit. The body wants the things of the world, but the spirit needs the things of God. The body needs physical food, but the spirit needs spiritual food. The followers of Satan use this conflict to their advantage. They promise to give either the things of the body or the things of the spirit or both, so they can be invited to stay with the body. People who say they are spiritual, but not religious, invite the nice-looking spirits into their lives. For example, some people seek a spirit guide. These spirits want to give the people exactly what they want. Any person who listens to and obeys a spirit of the wicked one invites that spirit to dwell with him. 

One such spirit guide has been popularized in a book by Anthony William called The Medical Medium. He tells the story of a spirit that appeared to him and has been telling him about the illnesses of others. He wrote a bestselling book because he was told that so many people have illness that is not diagnosed. He tells them what to do about it. The spirit is giving people what they want, a promise of health. Mr. William has been given what he wants. He keeps the spirit around because it is not uncomfortable. It seems good because it is giving him what he wants. People believe because they get better. The healing works, using the things of the world. 

Religion

The spirits of the wicked one are subtle. They appear to be good because they can give knowledge of things of the world. They can even appear to be angels of light. The devils will give all sorts of signs. They are seducing spirits. They give you religion. They give you spiritual experiences. They give you gospel hobbies, telling you that you know more than the prophets. They give you gifts of clairvoyance, mediums, healing, knowledge of the world, astral projection, past lives, and so forth. They even use the name of the Lord in vain, and teach people to do so. They tell people to use the name of Jesus without authority. They are told they don’t need repentance, that the Lord will just forgive them and give them what they want if they just use His name. There are congregations with tens of thousands of people who come to hear the preacher tell them what they want to hear -- that Jesus will give them what they want of the world. The people see the preacher has lots of money. They envy him. They want what he has: power, money, success, and so forth. You believe because you see it and experience it. You know it’s real because it works. 

Laziness

The wicked spirits also tell people that “all is well” and they don’t need to do anything. They don’t need to learn. They don’t need to grow. They don’t need to sacrifice. They can be lazy -- mentally, spiritually, or physically. They show up at church every week to sedate their conscience, and then go home and not think about God. They are lulled into carnal security because they have an easy life. One time, an uncle was being critical of my belief in God so I asked him to read the Book of Mormon. He said that he didn’t need to because he had everything he needed in the world. He was looking for the things of the world, and found them, so he didn’t need the things of God. He could believe he was enlightened because he graduated from college and knew science, so he didn’t need to study, ponder, or pray about eternity. Now is all that exists. There is no tomorrow. If you can’t be happy now, then life isn’t worth the trouble. Put off salvation for tomorrow and live for today, then you can have both. They teach you that you don’t need to do anything, you are saved by doing nothing but speaking the name of God. There is no need to repent. There is no need to be baptized. There is no need to sacrifice, the Lord will give you everything you want. These are the words of the evil one. You can relax and enjoy yourself now, and then when you come to the final judgment, you can be saved by grace. 

Addictions

Getting what you want in the world is also the seduction of addiction. Having the things of the world does not fill the needs of the heart. They seem like they should, but they never do, so people continually seek more. The promise of money without effort is behind a gambling addiction. The seduction of connection without sacrifice is behind a pornography addiction. The promise of comfort without the Holy Ghost is behind a drug addiction. These are promised, and it almost seems to make it. Just a little more seems to get me there. This is the seduction of devils. Giving in to addictions invites those spirits to dwell with you. You get temporary relief from your needs, and they get a home. It seems like a win-win. Each time you give in to your addiction, you invite that evil spirit to inhabit your body. You are obeying the wicked one. 

Seduction

Such spirits of the wicked one, though they may use the words of the Lord, they do not bring people to Christ. They are not pointing the way to Him. They do not help people to keep the commandments. They do not increase faith in Christ. They do not ask for repentance and sacrifice. They are not telling people to keep the laws of God. They do not say that people need to be baptized of the water and the spirit -- to die in the flesh or to put off the natural man. They don’t help people receive the Holy Ghost and start on the path of eternal life. Instead, they are deceived, being seduced into doing the things of the flesh. 

But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils. Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given; For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts.

Doctrine and Covenants 46:7-9

The gifts of God are given to help us keep the commandments of God. If I am asked to serve my brothers and sisters by helping them to know the commandments of God, then I may ask for gifts that will help me do my work. Lusts are the things you want that are of the flesh, or of the world. People consume the things of the world with lust for what they want -- glory, power, money, love, food, and so forth. It is easy to be deceived by seducing spirits because they tell you what you want to hear. They are nice. They are helpful. They give people what they want, or at least promise to give people what they want, including knowledge -- thus, the world is filled with the doctrines of men and devils.  

Pointing the Finger

The name of the evil one is Satan, meaning "accuser." He is continually pointing the finger at the people of God, accusing them of evil. Those who justify themselves by pointing the finger of shame at others are doing the work of Satan. These evil spirits teach people that they can justify themselves, that they can appear straight, if others are more crooked. People love to do the work of Satan by pointing the finger at political and spiritual leaders, especially. No weakness will be passed over. Every mistake will be magnified to make people feel better about themselves. They accept the evil spirits of accusation as if they were from the Lord. They often believe they are doing the will of the Lord, when they are really doing the work of Satan. 

Casting out evil spirits

When a person with such a devil decides to change, and not to do those things anymore, they chase the devil out. If they have a covenant with God, through baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, then they can remain clean. However, without the covenant, they are open to becoming worse than before. 

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Matthew 12:43-45

The place was swept and garnished... clean, but empty. There was nothing there. The Holy Spirit was not in the man’s house. His empty house is a vacuum that must be filled. So, the evil spirit finds more, worse than him, and they wreak havoc on the man. I have seen this happen, where a young man was going to enter the priesthood in the Catholic Church, so he cleaned up his life, and then suddenly got much worse. He was diagnosed with all sorts of mental illness, but I saw him one time where he demonstrated the voices which were always angry and saying, “kill, kill, kill.” He had to be on constant vigilance. Now he is sedated all the time on psychiatric drugs. His last state is certainly worse than the first. He was seduced by a promise of salvation, and now is not even able to care for himself. They try to be nice, at first. If they get kicked out, they will find other more evil spirits to come and make the man miserable. Either way, in the end he does not have salvation. 

Those who are baptized into the covenant must obey the command given when hands are placed on their head to "receive the Holy Ghost." This is not automatic. The Holy Ghost is received through prayer, keeping the commandments, and remembering the Lord always. Those who do not do these things will not receive the Holy Ghost, and will be more susceptible to evil spirits who will seduce them and make them think they are angels of light. This will leave a nagging confusion in the person; they will not know good from evil because the evil spirit will not lead them to Christ. 

Black and White

The evil spirits are like dust, settling on everything, and getting into every crevice. They are everywhere, and they have all the advantage, offering what people want, telling them they can have it all, body and spirit. That’s why there are so many people who will not come to Christ. It is pride: I want. They are not willing to make a sacrifice. The difference is night and day. It is not grey. It is not a continuum of good and evil, where some things are more good, or less. Evil spirits are evil. They offer what you want, but never lead you to God. Mormon tells us how easy it is to know. If you can distinguish a bright and sunny day from a dark moonless night, you can judge between good and evil. 

For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

Moroni 7:15-17

No wicked spirit will ever lead you towards God. They will always be evil. They don’t give an inch. The difference is, they don’t lead you to God. They seem nice, they give you gifts, they tell you things, they show you things, but they do not teach you to keep the commandments of God and sacrifice the things of the world. Instead, they offer the things of the world. 

The Holy Ghost is the opposite. God does not give people what they want in the world. Instead, He asks them to sacrifice everything, including their stuff, their families, their hearts, even their own lives. There is nothing in the world that is not on the chopping block. The contrast is real. The truth must teach both obedience and sacrifice. The baptism ordinance represents the death of all that I love in the world. My heart is broken by the loss of all things I want.

I have looked at good and evil as all grey areas, as if some things, indeed everything, is a mixture of good and evil, now I see, and agree with Mormon, that it is black and white. There is not a single evil spirit that will lead anyone to Christ, and salvation. Seeking what I want in the world takes me away from God, and the evil spirits are more than willing to help. 

While the servants of Satan ask me what I want of the world, the Holy Ghost asks me what I want that is eternal. Eternal life requires letting go of the things of the world. Thus, the Spirit of God tells me to keep the commandments of God, to sacrifice the things of the world, to have faith in Christ, repent of my sins, make covenants, and be on the path to eternal life. All that is good speaks of Christ. To avoid seduction by evil spirits I must have a covenant with Him. He will protect me from the subtle lies through the holy priesthood. He will not allow them to come in my house. It is swept and garnished, and the Holy Ghost is inside so no evil spirit would dare enter; I have received the Holy Ghost. I leave the things of the world behind, rejecting the evil one and take the Holy Ghost as my guide. He leads me to what I ultimately want -- eternal life.