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In the great universities of the world, one does not often choose to speak
of the influence of Satan. Perhaps it is not cool to address this subject, but
I choose to do so anyway. Someone said in these few words: “I have heard
much about the devil. I have read a great deal about the devil. I have even
done business with the devil, but it didn’t pay.” Your generation lives in a day
when many things are measured against the standard of social or political
correctness. Today I challenge that false doctrine of human behavior. The
influence of Satan is becoming more acceptable.

It is not good practice to become intrigued by Satan and his mysteries.
No good can come from getting too close to evil. Like playing with fire, it is
too easy to get burned: “The knowledge of sin tempteth to its commission”.
The only safe course is to keep well distanced from him and from any of his
wicked activities or nefarious practices. The mischief of devil worship, sorcery
casting spells, witchcraft, voodooism, black magic, and all other forms of
demonism should be avoided like the plague.

It is important to “study evil, and its consequences”. Since Satan is the
author of all evil in the world, it would therefore be essential to realize that he
is the influence behind the opposition to the work of God. “For I say unto you
that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh
from the devil.”


My principal reason for choosing this subject is to help young people by
warning them, as Paul said, “lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for
we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). We hope that young
people, unfamiliar with the sophistries of the world, can keep themselves free
of Satan’s enticements and deceitful ways.

“Now there are those among us who are trying to serve the Lord without
offending the devil.” This is a contradiction of terms. Must the choice lie irrevocably
between peace on the one hand, obtained by compliance with the Gospel of Jesus
Christ , and contention and war on the other hand?

“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Yogi Berra said.

But it doesn’t work that way. The Savior said,"No man can serve two masters: for
either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon." [Matthew 6:24]

Today many of us are trying to serve two masters: the Lord and our own selfish
interests, without offending the devil. The influence of God, our Eternal Father,
urges us, pleads with us, and inspires us to follow him. In contrast, the power of
Satan urges us to disbelieve and disregard God’s commandments.

I think we will witness increasing evidence of Satan’s power as the kingdom of
God grows stronger. I believe Satan’s ever-expanding efforts are some proof of
the truthfulness of this work. In the future the opposition will be both more subtle
and more open. It will be masked in greater sophistication and cunning, but it will
also be more blatant. We will need greater spirituality to perceive all of the forms
of evil and greater strength to resist it.


Abortion is one evil practice that has become socially accepted in our country and,
indeed, in the world. Many of today’s politicians claim not to favor abortion, but
oppose government intervention in a woman’s right to choose an abortion.



Mother Teresa delivered a message that cut to the very heart and soul of the social ills afflicting America, which traditionally has given generously to the peoples of the earth but now has become selfish. She stated that the greatest proof of that selfishness is abortion. She stated,

"In the great universities of the world, one does not often choose to speak of the influence of Satan. Perhaps it is not cool to address this subject, but I choose to do so anyway. Someone said in these few words: “I have heard much about the devil.

I have read a great deal about the devil. I have even done business with the devil,
but it didn’t pay.” Your generation lives in a day when many things are measured
against the standard of social or political correctness. Today I challenge that false
doctrine of human behavior. The influence of Satan is becoming more acceptable.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning said, “The devil is most devilish when respectable”


However, as Shakespeare said, “He’s mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf”

(King Lear, act 3, scene 6, line 20).

It is not good practice to become intrigued by Satan and his mysteries. No good can come from getting too close to evil. Like playing with fire, it is too easy to get burned: “The knowledge of sin tempteth to its commission” (see Joseph F. Smith, GD, p. 373). The only safe course is to keep well distanced from him and from any of his wicked activities or nefarious practices. The mischief of devil worship, sorcery, casting spells, witchcraft, voodooism, black magic, and all other forms of demonism should be avoided like the plague.
“study . . . evil, and its consequences”. Since Satan is the author of all evil in the world, it would therefore be essential to realize that he is the influence behind the opposition to the work of God. “For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil”.

My principal reason for choosing this subject is to help young people by warning them, as Paul said, “lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). We hope that young people, unfamiliar with the sophistries of the world, can keep themselves free of Satan’s enticements and deceitful ways.

“Now there are those among us who are trying to serve the Lord without offending the devil.” This is a contradiction of terms.

Must the choice lie irrevocably between peace on the one hand, obtained by compliance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and contention and war on the other hand?

Yogi Berra is reported to have said, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” But it doesn’t work that way. The Savior said,

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. [Matthew 6:24]

Today many of us are trying to serve two masters: the Lord and our own selfish interests, without offending the devil. The influence of God, our Eternal Father, urges us, pleads with us, and inspires us to follow him. In contrast, the power of Satan urges us to disbelieve and disregard God’s commandments.

The consequences of [mortal man’s] choices are of the all-or-nothing sort. There is no way for him to escape the influence of these opposing powers. Inevitably he is led by one or the other. His God-given free agency gives him the power and option to choose. But choose he must. Nor can he serve both of them at the same time, for, as Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: . . . Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”



I think we will witness increasing evidence of Satan’s power as the kingdom of God grows stronger. I believe Satan’s ever-expanding efforts are some proof of the truthfulness of this work. In the future the opposition will be both more subtle and more open. It will be masked in greater sophistication and cunning, but it will also be more blatant. We will need greater spirituality to perceive all of the forms of evil and greater strength to resist it.

Abortion is one evil practice that has become socially accepted in our country and, indeed, in the world. Many of today’s politicians claim not to favor abortion, but oppose government intervention in a woman’s right to choose an abortion.

During a national prayer breakfast in Washington, Mother Teresa gave the most honest and powerful proclamation of truth on this subject I have ever heard. The eighty-three-year-old Yugoslavian nun who has cared for the poorest of the poor in India for years. She is now aged and physically frail, but courageous, with immense spiritual strength. Mother Teresa delivered a message that cut to the very heart and soul of the social ills afflicting America, which traditionally has given generously to the peoples of the earth but now has become selfish. She stated that the greatest proof of that selfishness is abortion. Cal Thomas of the Los Angeles Times Syndicate reported on her speech. He said that Mother Teresa had tied abortion to growing violence and murder in the streets by saying,
If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill each other? . . . Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want."

I suggest that the devil takes some delight every time a home is broken up, even where there is no parent to blame. This is especially so where there are children involved. The physical and spiritual neglect of children is one of the spawning grounds for so many of the social ills of the world.
So-called small sins include the challenge to the “sin laws” that seek to control forms of gambling, alcohol, and drug consumption. Some who wish to appear broad-minded say, under the guise of not imposing religious belief, “I don’t drink or gamble, but I don’t think we ought to have any laws to control others that wish to.” This completely ignores the health and social costs to society of the vices. They foolishly argue that laws cannot control human behavior. My long legal career has led me to conclude that all criminal laws have a moral basis.

I testify that there are forces that will save us from the ever-increasing lying, disorder, violence, chaos, destruction, misery, and deceit that are upon the earth. Those saving forces are the everlasting principles, covenants, and ordinances of the eternal gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. These same principles, covenants, and ordinances are coupled with the rights and powers of the priesthood of Almighty God. We can be possessors and custodians of these commanding powers that can and do roll back much of the power of Satan on the earth. We believe that we hold these mighty forces in trust for all who have died, for all who are now living, and for the yet unborn.
[James E. Faust]

Precious Lord,
We pray for those in the grip of thine adversary, that they may have the gift of discernment to know
Good from Evil and to be able to choose the truth and the light and follow Jesus Christ back to the
Kingdom to worship at thy feet.

We would ask thee for peace in this world; for enemies to soften and become friends. We'd ask help
in not judging. We know that to judge is to be judged. Father, we love thee.
Help us follow in the paths of righteousness and always keep the commandments He has given us.

We thank thee for all the gifts thou gavest, but above all, the Gift of thine Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Keep us aware and on vigil against the powers of evil, that we recognize it through all the clouds and veils of worldliness
that we might be worthy on Judgement Day, to be taken Home.

Please heal us and lift our hearts to try to become what thou would havest be.

We ask these favors and blessings in the holy name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen