Satan did not want to become like G-d!

[Hemidakota]

Satan STILL doesn’t fully understand God’s plan. He can never understand it. He gave that right to understand when he decided to fall from grace. I feel I should point out that we say ‘fall’, suggesting that it was involuntary, yet he knew what he was doing, he knew it as soon as he uttered those words of Treason of the Highest degree.

He and the thugs were not part of the Second Grand Council. This is why he was not privy to the Plan of Salvation.

[prisonchaplain]

God may have loved those angels who became demons, but hell was prepared for them. I do not traffic in spiritual fear mongering, but the righteous anger of God is real. Our post-modern generation, with it's disbelief in absolutes, struggles greatly with the reality of God's justice, judgment, and his holy indignation. Scripture does not condemn anger. Rather, it says, be angry and sin not.

[Hemidakota]

Interesting...

[Misshalfway]

God may have loved those angels who became demons, but hell was prepared for them. I do not traffic in spiritual fear mongering, but the righteous anger of God is real. Our post-modern generation, with it's disbelief in absolutes, struggles greatly with the reality of God's justice, judgment, and his holy indignation. Scripture does not condemn anger. Rather, it says, be angry and sin not.

If you don't mind PC, would you refer me to the scripture(s) you are referring to? Thanks.

[Hemidakota]

Here is sermon by Elder Neal A. Maxwell concerning Anger...

"The Indignation of the Lord"

(D&C 97:24)

It is customary, even understandable, when we read of God's indignation and anger to think of it in terms of an angry mortal father and to not ponder it much more. Some even mutter about Old Testament "tribalism," mistakenly thinking of God as being personally piqued or offended at some human act of wickedness or stupidity because He has told us to behave otherwise. This is erroneous, bumper-sticker theology. Simply because we are, so often, angry at a wrong done to us, we assume the same about God's anger.

Several scriptures illustrate some of the familiar expressions which are often wrongly construed as above. These verses are but two examples:

Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?

Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:

For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:

And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 29:24-28.)

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched (Jeremiah 7:20).

Instead, we should think of God in terms of His divine attributes, for He is perfect in His love, mercy, and compassion—as well as in His justice. Only then can we begin to understand why His anger is kindled and to appreciate the loving concern which underlies His wrath. God's love for us is perfect, and His desire for our happiness is so deep that when His anger is kindled this signals much more than we realize. Our God is not preoccupied with other concerns, nor is His ego offended, as are ours. Such narrow views of Him do an injustice to God who is perfect in His justice.

While God's love is pure and perfect, Henry Fairlie has written that our mortal anger is often perverted love, for instance, "the love of justice perverted into the desire for revenge" (The Seven Deadly Sins Today, p. 108). God's indignation is quite a different matter.

God's anger is kindled not because we have harmed him but because we have harmed ourselves. We are His children and He is a perfect Father. He does not want us, for instance, to take His name in vain, but this is because of what happens to us when we do. Our profanity cannot diminish from His Godhood, His love, His omnipotence, or His omniscience. But our profanity does damage us and can damage us profoundly.

We read, for instance, that He experiences a deep, divine disappointment in us when we are ungrateful and when we are unwilling to confess God's hand in all things. (D&C 59:21.) But it is because of what our sustained ingratitude does to us, not to Him. Failure to see His hand in human affairs in bringing to pass His eternal purposes and plans in the world (at the same time leaving us to exercise our free agency) is a fatal misreading of life. It also represents a profound spur to selfishness and self-centeredness. It is these faults which lead to the celebration of the appetites rather than of spiritual things. And God knows perfectly what the end results of such trends are so far as human misery is concerned. It is our true happiness which He desires for us, His children, and "wickedness never was happiness" (Alma 41:10).

God is our Father. He knows better than we what we have the power to become. He would not be a true Father God if He were content with us just as we are, because He knows what we have the possibilities to become. Even so, He has said to us, "Nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself" (Moses 3:17).

We see an example of His divine disappointment in an episode early in Moses' spiritual career, when Moses worried that he was not eloquent, that he was slow of speech and slow of tongue (see Exodus 4:10). The Lord remonstrated with him, even promising Moses that He would "teach thee what thou shalt say" (verse 12). This was not enough, hence Aaron's role. Thus we see in a very early scriptural episode a failure to trust in the Lord and a settling for something less. God's indignation was over what might have been.

Surely ancient Israel's tendency to follow other gods provoked the Lord to anger, but we must be careful not to look at that anger through finite mortal eyes. After all, what is to be said of a people who prefer to worship dumb idols and gods of wood and stone? Especially after so many miracles had been performed by the real Father-God for them? Hence Isaiah spoke about God's "indignation toward his enemies" (Isaiah 66:14). Those who prevent human happiness include those who traffic in drugs, narcotics, and child pornography. Because God loves His children and He is our friend, He is angry at our enemies and those foolish and misery—producing acts inculcated by our enemies.

If true but imperfect friends feel that way, would not a perfect Heavenly Father so feel, only much more deeply?

There is an immensely important insight in this episode concerning our healing Savior:

And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. (Mark 3:1-5, italics added.)

Jesus' indignation was over "the hardness of their hearts," over their inability to see how appropriate a healing on the Sabbath day was, especially for a man who had endured a withered hand for so many Sabbaths before.

How contorted and distorted the thinking was of those who were critical of Jesus for violating the Sabbath day! After all, He was Lord of the Sabbath, and they clearly misunderstood the purpose of the Sabbath. Jesus' critics were, in effect, denying the value of a miracle just performed. However, should not man be entitled to do "good" on the Sabbath as well as on any other day?

As Paul wrote, the wrath of God is aroused against all ungodliness (Romans 1:18). The gross sexual immorality afflicting some of the Ephesians was, as Paul wrote, the cause of "the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 5:6). Who knows better than our Father and His Son Jesus Christ what the long-term, deep, and miserable consequences of gross sexual immorality are?

Those who wrongly and grossly celebrate their capacity to feel, lose their God-given capacity to feel. The beautiful world around them thereafter goes unseen and unappreciated, because their concerns are focused on a single but shrinking plane of action. The desensitization which follows sexual immorality produces all sorts of social consequences for the individual, his or her victims, and the family, as well as society. In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah in a time of gross sexual immorality, they neglected their poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:49).

Then there are the lamentable inward consequences, which God well knows. Jacob wrote about these in another time of gross sexual immorality, when children lost respect for their fathers, when "many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds" (Jacob 2:35). How much misery permeated these families we know not, but it would have been considerable.

Since wickedness never was happiness, when wickedness is rife God's indignation is understandably ripe (see D&C 29:17).

His indignation is likewise kindled when we hide our talents (D&C 60:2). Our service to our neighbor is thus diminished, and his and our happiness lessened.

We must remember, too, that we worship a loving Father in Heaven who is anxious to give us even further gifts and spiritual confirmations. But His perfectly giving nature cannot operate under certain conditions.

Yea, signs come by faith, unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleaseth God; and with whom God is angry he is not well pleased; wherefore, unto such he showeth no signs, only in wrath unto their condemnation (D&C 63:11).

The sparks are struck as His desire to give to us grinds against our inability and unwillingness to receive.

God's indignation is checked by His perfect love, mercy, and compassion. Our own anger is usually not. No wonder Paul counseled us not to be easily provoked (1 Corinthians 13:5). No wonder parents are counseled not to provoke their children to anger (Colossians 3:21). Bishops are counseled in similar terms (Titus 1:7).

Thus divine anger is rich in its redemptiveness, and it rests on love; it is a far different thing than the pique and petulance we know and display on our mortal scale. Of course, righteous indignation is possible for us. It too is commendable when it is in check through love and compassion and when it occurs by showing increased love after deserved and inspired reproof (D&C 121:43).

In the tutoring and the developing of that remarkable man, Enoch, we also see how his indignation came to mirror those considerations which underlie the Lord's indignation. Given some extensive understanding through visions of the human future, tender Enoch wept when he viewed how the "residue of the people" would not respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ (Moses 7:28). Enoch even asked the Lord how it was that the Lord "canst weep" over people on this planet amid the vastness of His creations, especially when there may be "millions of earths like this" (verses 29-30).

The Lord's response is very instructive. He recounted to Enoch that man was created and given certain knowledge, intelligence, and also agency (verse 32). That mankind also were given special commandments that "they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood" (verse 33). For those reasons, the Lord indicates, "the fire of mine indignation is kindled against them." Hence the flood at the time of Noah. A Father perfect in love and affection was stirred by man's lack of affection, even man's lack of love for "their own blood."

It is particularly poignant that those to whom the Lord then referred were apparently more wicked than any of the people "among all the workmanship of mine hands"(verse 36). These men and women would choose Satan to be their father and thus "misery shall be their doom." Hence came the final answer to Enoch's question: "The whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore, should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?" (verse 37). It is very, very significant that the heavens wept because "these shall suffer." Because, they having chosen Satan, misery was to be their lot. Yet they were their Father's spirit children!

How much this tells us, especially about the purposeful and perfect love of a Father whose ceaseless work is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"! (Moses 1:39)

Even then, as we read, Enoch was told that a Redeemer, Jesus Christ, was to be sent among the children of men. Still later, even among those who rejected Jesus, there would be missionary work done in the spirit world (see D&C 138).

It is in the presence of these reassurances and this perspective that the Lord "told Enoch all the doings of the children of men." Enoch came to look "upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook" (Moses 7:41). Thus those tutored by the Lord become more and more like Him, including in the qualities of empathy and indignation.

As tenderly and tellingly as Enoch saw the Flood and the destruction of the wicked, "he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and laid unto the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look" (Moses 7:44). Then Enoch was treated with a vision of that which would happen with the coming of Jesus Christ and His mortal ministry and subsequent events.

And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy (Moses 7:67).

It is the Lord's hand in all things that we are to confess and make allowance for. Those who do not believe in God or in the meaning and purpose of life and in His plan of salvation simply cannot do this.

Very significantly, Enoch went on to help perfect the City of Enoch and its righteous inhabitants, a happy people who were of one heart and one mind" (Moses 7:18). It is the only time in human history when a righteous people did not relapse. Significantly too, all this was accomplished under the leadership of an expanded Enoch who, when he had been called, asked why he had been called—because I "am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech" (Moses 6:31).

Yet he trusted in the Lord, and the Lord unfolded Enoch's possibilities and talents in a most remarkable way.

Thus as we search the scriptures our understanding in all matters can be deepened, our perceptivity enlarged, and our adoration of our Father in Heaven and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, immeasurably enhanced—even as concerns the anger and the indignation of God!

The fact is that a loving Father watches over His children and is deeply concerned with our suffering and with our misery, whether that suffering is a result of pride or pornography, drugs or devil worship, aggression or perversion, or the worship of false gods.

Being a loving Father, though deeply devoted to our free agency, there are times in human history when He simply could not continue to send spirits to this earth who would have had virtually no chance. This was the case with Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plains.

Hence it was better to destroy a few individuals, than to entail misery on many. And hence the inhabitants of the old world and of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, because it was better for them to die, and thus be deprived of their agency, which they abused, than entail so much misery on their posterity, and bring ruin upon millions of unborn persons. (John Taylor, The Government of God [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1852], p. 53.)

If we were like the people before the flood, full of violence and oppression; or if we, like the Sodomites or Canaanites, were full of all manner of lawless abominations, holding promiscuous intercourse with the other sex, and stooping to a level with the brute creation, and predisposing our children, by every means in our power, to be fully given to strange and unnatural lusts, appetites, and passions, would it not be a mercy to cut us off, root and branch, and thus put an end to our increase upon the earth? You will all say it would. The spirits in heaven would thank God for preventing them from being born into the world under such circumstances. (Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses 1:259.)

Another time in human history when such degradation was reached was the time preceding the Flood, in which Noah and others were spared. Similarly there were conditions in the Nephite society when people were "without civilization," "without order," "without mercy," were "strong in their perversions," and were "past feeling." (Moroni chapter 9.)

Likewise, the Lord has indicated that for the sake of the elect He will shorten the days before the Second Coming, when human suffering will be intense.

In every instance, social ills are self-induced—it is not God but human misuse of the agency God has given us which causes our misery and suffering. He would clearly have it otherwise.

Thus neither God nor His Church nor His leaders can look with indifference upon those things which bring so much human misery and suffering. Genuine and righteous indignation, however, is always redemptive. Indeed such indignation, properly heeded, can reduce human misery now and the shame which will otherwise be present on that distant day. A special circumstance of final judgment will come when, in the words of Alma (Alma 12:15):

". . . we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance."

[Traveler]

Some things and some thoughts.

First off: Satan and the various members of the G-dhead have almost nothing in common. It is my personal belief that attaching anger to G-d is a misinterpretation of scripture. I would point out that any need to suffer ill effects because of sins was paid for by Jesus. Jesus has gone through a lot of suffering himself to overcome the damage done by sin. It is important to note that not only did he suffer that you and I do not have to suffer for the ill effects of our sins but that we might also not be destroyed by the sins of others. I believe if someone is angry because of sin it is because they do not really believe that Jesus overcame sin – so their anger is really because they must think in some way Jesus did not really keep his promise. In other words any anger towards someone because of sin is an outward manifestation on one’s rejection of Jesus Christ’s infinite redemption of sin. Because of the atonement there is no need to condemn, damn, or be angry because of any sin.

Next: I would point out that Hell was not created in order to enforce revenge on sinners. It was created by a loving and compassionate G-d for those that would not live with him – and living with him requires covenants. The only souls in hell are those that want to be there. Hell is exactly what heaven would become if those that do not covenant with G-d to become free like G-d, were accommodated in order to exist there. No one would be free.

Next: Satan does not want to be in heaven – he wants everyone in hell; including G-d. He wants the power and control over ever thing. Those that do not want to live free in eternity – want everything taken care of so they do not have to worry – will find hell and Satan very much to their liking. It was Satan’s plan all along to turn heaven into hell. Those that want a free ride in heaven and a eternal guarantee to be saved regardless of what they do will find Satan’s hell much more to their liking than G-d’s heaven – where you cannot be forgiven unless you forgive – if you want to be forgiven based on your personal relationship with your G-d and/or without having to forgive – then Satan is your ideal G-d and hell is your ideal heaven.

Next: Those that followed Satan out of heaven were not deceived. They understood the plan of salvation and did not like it. They liked Satan’s plan. The reason we think of them as demons is because they got angry when they did not get control of heaven and they are trying to punish the rest of us for that. I do not like the notion and doctrine that G-d treats those that do not go along with his plan in the same manner that Satan and his hosts treat those that do not go along with their plan. There is a very big difference. G-d is not angry or trying to get even or punish anyone for not playing his game. Please try to get past this idea and concept and you will understand G-d a lot better.

Last: 1/3 of heaven did not follow Lucifer. The ancients did not understand fractions in the same manner as we do. The 1/3 part of heaven is an indication that heaven was divided by the rebellion of Lucifer into 3 parts. It is not required that the 3 parts be equal. There may have been 10 times as many in Lucifer’s part or only half as many as any other part. The point is that there were 3 parts and the part the followed Lucifer was sent away from heaven so that heaven would not be come hell. Dividing G-d’s children into 3 parts is a recurring theme in scripture.

Thank for listening and enjoy your choices.

The Traveler

[nannysherri]

Lets get the doctrine in check here. If you look in Abraham the account regarding to Plan of Salvation most of it will answer most questions regarding Satin and this role. The Plan of Salvation was presented by Hevenly Father and Satin was in direct contrast and was seeking after pride which is why pride is thought of as the wrong path. Jesus was chosen because he was in support of the Father that is why when we say they are one in the same. Satin was a loved son and a chosen one but he chose angry and case war. There really is not room for contention regarding this, we have the answers.

[Traveler]

Lets get the doctrine in check here. If you look in Abraham the account regarding to Plan of Salvation most of it will answer most questions regarding Satin and this role. The Plan of Salvation was presented by Hevenly Father and Satin was in direct contrast and was seeking after pride which is why pride is thought of as the wrong path. Jesus was chosen because he was in support of the Father that is why when we say they are one in the same. Satin was a loved son and a chosen one but he chose angry and case war. There really is not room for contention regarding this, we have the answers.

Satan wanted all the glory unto himself. I believe that he wanted all to believe that under his plan of salvation that all would be saved by his grece.

Satan wanted to take away the agency of man. I believe that Satan wanted all to understand that under his plan that man was not think in any terms or to any degree that anything done by man is meaingfull.

The Traveler

[nannysherri]

Not only did Satan want all the Glory he was against Hevenly Father. He wanted to and wants to be king. He is as much against Jesus and what he stands for today as he did during the council.