Don't Be Deceived

This week we had the opportunity to read and study Joseph Smith - Matthew. As I prayerfully read through the chapter, I specifically looked for things that apply directly to me and to my life right now. In addition, I always search for things that will help me in my role as a mother and ways in which I can influence my children for the better.

The chapter speaks quite a bit about the importance of not being deceived. It speaks of the signs of Christ's second coming - of false prophets and false Christs who shall lure even the most elect away from the true gospel of Christ. It speaks of the love of men waxing cold and brother turning against brother in hatred. All of these are examples of how deceit will inevitably (and already is) play a role in these the last days. Thankfully, we have some counsel on how to get through these challenging times.

Marvin J. Ashton said,

"Young people, be not deceived. God loves you. He cares about you. He wants you back in his paths, where there is comfort, companionship, and purpose. We as leaders need to effectively communicate to our youth that God loves them no matter where they are. We need to sacrifice our time and talents in this direction."

Additionally, President Thomas S. Monson said,

"My young friends, be strong. The philosophies of men surround us. The face of sin today often wears the mask of tolerance. Do not be deceived; behind that facade is heartache, unhappiness, and pain. You know what is right and what is wrong, and no disguise, however appealing, can change that. The character of transgression remains the same."

So the message is clear: Don't let yourself be deceived.

But the question remains: How?

There are many ways that we can keep ourselves from falling into the grasp of the adversary and being deceived. Among them are regular church attendance, prayer, fasting, serving others, building our testimonies, and the list goes on and on and on. Basically, think of your typical Sunday School answers, and it will most likely answer this question to some extent.

In Joseph Smith - Matthew, however, we are given a more specific answer to the question, How can we keep ourselves from being deceived?

Verse 37 reads:

"And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived."

So there you have it. How can we keep ourselves from being deceived? By treasuring up the word of the Lord.

This, to me, includes reading, studying, and pondering on the words found in the scriptures. We are so blessed to have the scriptures that we do today and much personal revelation can come from the words written there. They are our study guide and cheat sheet as we navigate through our Earthly life.

In addition, we should listen to the talks given at General Conference. Not only that, but we should study those talks again and again, prayerfully searching out counsel that applies and helps us now or will help us in the future. I have never read or listened to a talk in Conference - and I mean really listened - and not come away with some new insight that I hadn't thought of before. Listening to and studying the words of our modern leaders is another way that we can treasure of the word.

We are given more counsel on how we can treasure up the word.

Elder Adrian Ochoa said,

"My dear brothers and sisters, if you ever come across anything that causes you to question  your testimony of the gospel, I plead with you to look up. Look to the Source of all wisdom and truth. Nourish your faith and testimony with the word of God. There are those in this world who seek to undermine your faith by mixing lies with half-truths. This is why it is absolutely critical that you remain constantly worthy of the Spirit. The companionship of the Holy Ghost is not just a pleasant convenience - it is essential to your spiritual survival. If you will not treasure up the words of Christ and listen closely to the promptings of the Spirit, you will be deceived."

What I love most about what Elder Ochoa said was that we should look to the source when we see something that confuses us. Too often, we see something that is concerning to us and as we research it more, we fail to go to the source to confirm its truth or to better understand it. If I see something about Church doctrine that troubles me, who should I go to for answers? The anti-mormon websites who will tell me everything wrong with the doctrine in addition to telling me why everything I have ever believed is false? Or the words of the prophets and apostles, my local church leaders, and (most importantly), my loving Heavenly Father?

I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather get my answers from that second set of sources.

We have been put on this Earth to succeed, not to become deceived and fail in our efforts to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father has not left us empty-handed in our endeavors. He has provided us with the tools and information and resources necessary for us to be successful; one of which is the holy scriptures.

I can say with absolute surety that as we treasure up the words of Christ and the words of His servants, then we will know right from wrong. We will know the truth of the doctrines that we hear. We will understand the gospel more fully. And most importantly, we will not be deceived by the ways of the world.

Resources:

Marvin J. Ashton. You Can Get There From Here. October 1971 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1971/10/you-can-get-there-from-here?lang=eng

Thomas S. Monson. Examples of Righteousness. April 2008 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/examples-of-righteousness?lang=eng

Adrian Ochoa. Look Up. October 2013 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/look-up?lang=eng