Conference Address

I have rejoiced with you this afternoon at the excellence of the addresses which have been delivered, and I pray that for these few moments I may be strengthened by your faith and prayers. ¶

In President George Albert Smith's opening remarks this morning he made reference to the two great forces contending in the world today with the human soul as the prize, and he admonished the Latterday Saints to stay "on the Lord's side." ¶

Power of Evil ¶

I was reminded of that as the brethren have spoken, particularly Bishop Richards, of the power of evil extant in the world today, and some evidences of that power. As I thought of that, I have remembered that in the life of the boy-prophet, Joseph Smith, before he was given the outbursting of two of the greatest revelations that have ever been given to man, both of those revelations were preceded by a demonstration of the power of evil, — in the Sacred Grove, and on the Hill Cumorah. It seemed to have been necessary that the Prophet was to understand the nature and power of that force in order that he could be prepared to contend successfully against it. ¶

The Master, just before his crucifixion, in fact, it was immediately after the Last Supper, after Satan had entered into Judas Iscariot, as the scriptures record, as he received the sop from the Savior and departed to the place of the betrayal, the Master then proceeded to converse with the other eleven. Whether this took place as he stood at the table or on their way to the place of the betrayal or in the temple, we have no definite way of knowing, but in that conversation the Master gave expression to this significant statement: ¶

Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. (John 14:30.) ¶

That statement, which is the quotation from the King James Version, is given more significance by the Prophet Joseph in the Inspired Version when he quoted it thus: ¶

... the prince of darkness, who is of this world, cometh, but hath no power over me, but he hath power over you. ¶

Satan's Dominion ¶

In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, his preface to his commandments in this dispensation, the Lord said this, making it still clearer as to the nature of this force of evil: ¶

For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the time speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion. (D. & C. 1:35.) ¶

Satan's dominion, as the Lord has further explained, was the dominion of those who do wickedly in and throughout the world. Bishop Richards has called attention to the fact of the disbelief among many in such a being as Satan, and he has shown us that such disbelievers, without their knowing it, are but giving fulfilment to a prophecy uttered twenty-five hundred years ago to the effect that such disbelief and denial of the existence of hell and Satan would be one of the things which would come in this latter day. ¶

Satan, or the devil, is known by various terms. He is called the . dragon; he is called the serpent; he is called perdition; he is called Lucifer; and he is called the adversary or the prince of darkness. After an encounter with Moses with this master of darkness, the Lord appeared and told Moses who Satan was, that he was one of the sons of God who came to Elohim with a proposition before this world was that would have destroyed the agency of man. Satan was cast out with all those who followed after him, and they became those striving in this earth in a further effort to destroy the agency of man. ¶

Powers of Darkness ¶

In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord said that Satan drew after him a third part of the spirits whom God created, and that they with Satan became the force in the world to try to destroy the work of righteousness. That power was spoken of by Isaiah in a vision which he received which he called a grievous vision, in which it was said: "Set a watchman on the tower to tell what he seeth and report the coming of horsemen and chariots," but a voice spoke out of Mount Seir saying, "Watchman, what of the night." (See Isaiah 21:6-11.) "Watchman, what of the night," suggesting that, more to be feared than the enemies that could be perceived with the physical senses or could be seen by physical eyes were the powers of darkness that came unseen by physical eyes. ¶

That same thought was in the mind of the Master, no doubt, when he said: ¶

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28.) ¶

The Apostle Paul seemed to understand very clearly this same power when he declared: ¶

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph. 6:12.) ¶

Importance of Defenses ¶

Using words that are common to modern warfare, we might say that there are in the world today fifth columnists who are seeking to infiltrate the defenses of every one of us, and when we lower those defenses, we open avenues to an invasion of our souls. There are carefully charted on the maps of the opposition the weak spots in every one of us. They are known to the forces of evil, and just the moment we lower the defense of any one of those ports, that becomes the D Day of our invasion, and our souls are in danger. ¶

The experiences and the examples of many cases recited in testimonies in this and other dispensations of the gospel seem clearly to indicate that whenever we allow ourselves to become doubtful, bitter in our souls, melancholy, and otherwise downcast, or despondent, we open avenues to the forces which are ready to take us in a snare just the moment these weaknesses are discovered in us. ¶

Power of God in Weakness ¶

With these things clearly understood and taught by the scriptures, it seems that we should do well today to look to ourselves as ¶

leaders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Lord has told us in the scriptures that Satan is an enemy of all righteousness; because of that fact, those who are standing in high places in our Father's kingdom will become the objects of his attacks. You may well expect, as the Apostle Paul understood, that you who preside in the various places in our Father's kingdom will be subject to the devil's onslaughts. The Apostle Paul said this: ¶

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan of buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. ¶

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ¶

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (II Cor. 12:7-9.) ¶

So it is with you who in Zion preside in the various places. Sometimes there is given infirmity, difficulty, hardship upon you to try your souls; and the powers of Satan seem to be enrolled against you, watching and trying to break down your powers of resistance; but your weakness, through those infirmities, will give you the power of God that shall rest upon you even as the Apostle Paul was reconciled and comforted by the thought that through his trials the power of God might rest upon him. ¶

Satan's Ability to Deceive ¶

Satan has been said to have the power to transform himself into an angel of light; and because of that ability to transform himself, the Apostle Paul asked the Corinthians: ¶

Do you think it is any great thing that his ministers can likewise transform themselves into ministers of righteousness (see II Cor. 11:15), in order that they might lead the children of men astray. Because of Satan's ability thus to cleverly deceive, the Lord has given us a key in the scriptures by which we may be able to detect him when. he comes presenting himself as that angel of light. And so we are told to be constantly on guard against these things. ¶

Moroni said it is as easy as it is to tell the darkness from the daylight to discover evil from righteousness, for, "the devil persuadeth men continually to do evil and to believe not in Christ, but to deny him, and to serve not God nor keep his commandments. And he persuadeth no man to do good, neither his angels, neither do they who subject themselves unto him." (See Moroni 7:16-17.) ¶

Armor of God ¶

Because of that power of evil which is so strong in the world today, the great teacher to the Gentiles declared: ¶

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, in an evil day. (Eph 6:11.) ¶

But he taught a remarkable lesson. He pictured each of us as a man of armor, clothed on various strategic points of his body with an armor that would protect him against the onslaughts of evil. He said: "Have a girdle around your loins," suggesting the very thing which Bishop Richards has spoken to us about, that one of the avenues by which he finds most easy to overthrow humankind is unchastity. So the Apostle Paul admonished that we have a girdle around our loins. ¶

We are counseled to put on the breastplate of righteousness over our hearts, suggesting that our conduct in life should always be right and proper. Have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, or in other words, our objectives, the goal we set out to achieve in life be in harmony with the gospel of peace; and have on the helmet of salvation and take the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Thus armored, we are now prepared with the weapons common to the warfare of Paul's day, comparable to those things which we would have in similar way upon us today, to attack and to fight successfully and to win this battle in which the forces of evil and the forces of righteousness are contending today. ¶

Experience with Power of Evil ¶

I want to bear you my solemn witness that I know there are such forces in the world today. It would seem to me somewhat significant as I have thought about it, that the first and only experience of its kind I ever had, came shortly after I came into the Council of the Twelve when I was asked to administer to a young woman who was possessed of an evil spirit. Seemingly, there might have been a purpose in letting me know that these powers were around. In this experience, as I was challenged by the evil spirit, the hairs on my head felt as though pin pricks were in every hair and coursing down my body. I knew in that experience the power of evil, and I knew again the superior power of the priesthood and the powers of the Living God. I came on that occasion to understand what the Savior admonished in his day to his disciples when he said: "The prince of the darkness which is of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." ¶

He was trying to impress upon his disciples likewise that Satan would come to each of them with cunning, temptation and deceit. Latter-day Saints, the prince of darkness which is of this world cometh among us today. He is knocking without the door of every one of us, of you and me and all who bear the names within themselves of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and I pray God that he may find nothing in us, and will go away and let us alone. ¶

I bear you my testimony that I know these powers are in the world and I know the powers of the gospel of Jesus Christ are sufficient to thwart these powers of darkness. God give us strength and understanding sufficient to our day, to help us to live worthy of the callings to which we have been called and be able successfully to assail these powers of darkness, and to win in this greatest of all combats known in the world today. I pray, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶