To This End Was I Born

To This End Was I Born www.kevinhinckley.com

What happens when the High Priests begin engaging in priestcrafts….

In the news: President Hinckley’s97th Birthday Celebration… This is a very large building to carry the name of a small man. As I creak into old age with . . . a pacemaker and hearing aids, I sit back and think of days gone by

Revelations 12 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Question: Based on what we know of the Anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon, in his effort to deceive, what kind of accusations would Lucifer have made?

Brent Top In the literal sense, it may have been that Lucifer and his followers "accused" Jehovah and the brethren before the Father, much like Korihor… denounced and accused the prophet Alma. Korihor accused Alma of oppressing the people and not allowing them to think for themselves. He said their religious beliefs were "the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so" (Alma 30:16). Almost like echoes from eternity past, one can logically hear Lucifer using the same types of arguments as he denounced Jehovah. He may have accused him of oppressing and misleading the spirit children of God so that he might have power over them. (Life Before, 126-127)

JST Matthew 4 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple. Then the devil came unto him and said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down… While on the Cross: And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it again in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking with the Scribes and elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

James Talmage That "If" was Satan's last shaft, keenly barbed and doubly envenomed, and it sped as with the fierce hiss of a viper. Was it possible in this the final and most dreadful stage of Christ's mission, to make Him doubt His divine Sonship, or, failing such, to taunt or anger the dying Savior into the use of His superhuman powers for personal relief or as an act of vengeance upon His tormentors? To achieve such a victory was Satan's desperate purpose. The shaft failed. Through taunts and derision, through blasphemous challenge and diabolical goading, the agonized Christ was silent. (Jesus The Christ, 605)

Trial and Condemnation Courtesy of Bill Baredall

Spencer W. Kimball “Peter, My Brother” Some time ago a newspaper in a distant town carried an Easter Sunday religious editorial by a minister who stated that [Peter denied knowing Jesus] because of self-confidence, indecision, evil companions, failure to pray, lack of humility, and fear of man…. As I read this, I had some strange emotions. I was shocked, then I was chilled, then my blood changed its temperature and began to boil. I felt I was attacked viciously, for Peter was my brother, my colleague, my example, my prophet, and God’s anointed. I whispered to myself, “That is not true. He is maligning my brother.” …Much of the criticism of Simon Peter is centered in his denial of his acquaintance with the Master. This has been labeled “cowardice.” Are we sure of his motive in that recorded denial? Being a leader, Peter was a special target of the adversary.… Peter was under fire; all the hosts of hell were against him. The die had been cast for the Savior’s crucifixion. If Satan could destroy Simon now, what a victory he would score. Here was the greatest of all living men. Lucifer wanted to confuse him, frustrate him, limit his prestige, and totally destroy him. However, this was not to be, for he was chosen for and ordained to a high purpose in heaven, as was Abraham. …Is it possible that there might have been some other reason for Peter’s triple denial? Could he have felt that circumstances justified expediency? Could it be that in these last hours Peter realized that he should stop protecting his Lord, that the crucifixion was inevitable, and that regardless of all his acts, the Lord was moving toward his destiny? I do not know. I only know that this apostle was brave and fearless. [When the cock crowed it] reminded him not only that he had denied the Lord but also that all the Lord had said would be fulfilled, even to the crucifixion. He went out and wept bitterly. Were his tears for personal repentance only, or were they mingled with sorrowful tears in realization of the fate of his Lord and Master and his own great loss? … Peter was full of faith. He never faltered.

Melvin J. Ballard [Heavenly Father] had the power to save, and he loved his Son, and he could have saved him. He might have rescued him from the insult of the crowds. He might have rescued him when the crown of thorns was placed upon his head. He might have rescued him when the Son, hanging between the two thieves, was mocked with, "Save thyself, and come down from the cross. He saved others; himself he cannot save." He listened to all this. He saw that Son condemned; he saw him drag the cross through the streets of Jerusalem and faint under its load. He saw that Son finally upon Calvary; he saw his body stretched out upon the wooden cross; he saw the cruel nails driven through hands and feet, and the blows that broke the skin, tore the flesh, and let out the life's blood of his Son. He looked upon that. In the case of our Father, the knife was not stayed, but it fell, and the life's blood of his Beloved Son went out. His Father looked on with great grief and agony over his Beloved Son, until there seems to have come a moment when even our Savior cried out in despair: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer; and, … so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son. I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us,

Question: When are we most vulnerable to Satan’s “accusations?”

To This End Was I Born