2 Nephi 28:3-6, 22

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Reference Search: 2 Nephi 28:3-6, 22

3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord—

4 And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.

5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;

6 Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work.

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22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

Quotes for Discussion

No God Today and No Devil

Several years ago in a seminary recognized as perhaps the greatest in this country, a doctor of divinity, who had a string of honorary doctoral degrees and who is on the board of directors of one of the largest Protestant churches in America, in lecturing to a large group of students, most of whom already had bachelor of divinity degrees, said sympathetically: “I know that it is difficult for you men to teach creeds which you, yourselves do not believe, but you have the social obligation to do it.” Another man in the same institution, having about the same academic credentials, declared: “Who knows but what in the year 2004 or some other year, there will live a man who will love more perfectly than did Jesus. Then we will worship him as the Son of God, rather than Jesus. The reason we worship Jesus as the Son of God is because he lived the most perfect life of any man of whom we have knowledge.

A. Theodore Tuttle, Conference Report, Oct, 1960, p. 54

There is a personal devil, and we had better believe it. He and a countless host of followers, seen and unseen, are exercising a controlling influence upon men and their affairs in our world today.

An ancient American prophet, envisioning our day and observing what is going on, prophesied that if Satan is not checked, he will bring this generation to destruction. Addressing himself to our present situation, Nephi said: (2 Nephi 28:19-22).

Marion G. Romney, Ensign, Apr. 1971 [salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1971], 36

There are those who profess belief in a devil, yet live as though Satan were not real. By failing to keep the Sabbath day holy or by violating the laws of chastity and other God-given laws, many of our Father’s children show their disbelief of the power their actions give to Satan to influence and destroy their souls. Others say that the idea of a devil is nothing but a fictional creation of designing men who would use fear to keep people under their control. That intellectual denial of Satan is like stepping into a boxing ring and convincing oneself there is no opponent even while one is continually pummeled by the enemy.

Clyde J. Williams, Doctrines of the Book of Mormon, 1991 Sperry Symposium, edited by Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top [salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992], 248