Satans Lie

               I want to share one of my favorite scriptures from The Book of Mormon.  It is found in Alma 47:10-19

              A little back story on these verses: Lehonti fled with a small army from the Lamanite king. They are camped on a hill. Amalickiah chases them with another small army and camps at the bottom of the hill.

             "And it came to pass that when it was night [Amalickiah] sent a secret embassy into the mount Antipas, desiring that the leader of those who were upon the mount, whose name was Lehonti, that he should come down to the foot of the mount, for he desired to speak with him. And it came to pass that when Lehonti received the message he durst not go down to the foot of the mount. And it came to pass that Amalickiah sent again the second time, desiring him to come down. And it came to pass that Lehonti would not; and he sent again the third time. And it came to pass that when Amalickiah found that he could not get Lehonti to come down off from the mount, he went up into the mount, nearly to Lehonti’s camp; and he sent again the fourth time his message unto Lehonti, desiring that he would come down, and that he would bring his guards with him. And it came to pass that when Lehonti had come down with his guards to Amalickiah, that Amalickiah desired him to come down with his army in the night-time, and surround those men in their camps over whom the king had given him command, and that he would deliver them up into Lehonti’s hands, if he would make him (Amalickiah) a second leader over the whole army. And it came to pass that Lehonti came down with his men and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so that before they awoke at the dawn of day they were surrounded by the armies of Lehonti. And it came to pass that when they saw that they were surrounded, they pled with Amalickiah that he would suffer them to fall in with their brethren, that they might not be destroyed. Now this was the very thing which Amalickiah desired. And it came to pass that he delivered his men, contrary to the commands of the king. Now this was the thing that Amalickiah desired, that he might accomplish his designs in dethroning the king. Now it was the custom among the Lamanites, if their chief leader was killed, to appoint the second leader to be their chief leader. And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died. Now, when Lehonti was dead, the Lamanites appointed Amalickiah to be their leader and their chief commander."

                   The reason I love this story so much is because it is a parable of our lives and Satan. At least when I read it that is what I see. We are like Lehonti we are high on a hill, protected. When we are doing what we should and follow Gods commandments we are promised protection from the adversary.  Satan is like Amalickiah. He is at the bottom of the hill sad and lonely and mad. He wants nothing more than to get us down there with him. He cannot get us to come all at once. But when he meets us half way we find ourselves rationalizing. It’s just one lie that won’t hurt anything. I can miss church this week. I am only hanging out at the bar I don’t drink. It’s only a candy bar I can just stick it in my purse no one will know. So many lies Satan tells us, he makes it sound like a great plan to go down with him. Then when we least expect it he “administers poison my degrees” until it is too late and we are trapped in a place we never thought we would be. I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but if I can remember this when I start to rationalize I hope I will be smart enough to tell Satan no and stay at the top of my hill.



Stay on top of the hill!