2 Nephi 28:20-24

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Reference Search: 2 Nephi 28:20-24

20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheatheth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

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.

23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

Quotes for Discussion

We have to know the enemy. He deals in anger, lies, and justification of sin. To keep us chained, he may rage in the heart to cause us to destroy relationships; or he may pacify us into carnal security so that we are numb to the real causes of our malaise. Leading us carefully, he may flatter us to soothe the smarting child of God lest the child discover his real problem and repent. And while we are in hell itself, he tells us that there is no hell (2 Nephi 28:20-22). He is indeed a subtle enemy (Moses 4:5). He seduces a person into disobedience. He says, “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” (2 Nephi 28:22). And the reason he is subtle is that he does not want to be detected as separate from the person he is seducing. If a person could detect him as a separate voice, he would know to dismiss him. We can learn to recognize his voice. Just this knowledge alone gives us considerable power. That is, if we are not consciously cultivating the Lord’s shepherding, we may know for a surety that we are taking signals from the adversary and reaping the physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences.

M. Catherine Thomas, Selected Writings of M. Catherine Thomas, “Spiritual Twilight and the Contest with Evil,” 229