The adversary tries to make good appear evil and evil appear good, but if we listen to our prophets, we won’t be fooled.
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In his conference address “Deceive Me Not,” Elder Gary E. Stevenson tells the story of his sons who wanted to go outside to play at their great-uncle’s house. Before they were allowed outside, they were warned to stay away from skunks. Later, when asked if they saw any skunks, one of them said, “No, we didn’t see any skunks, but we did see a black kitty cat with a white stripe on its back!”
Just as Elder Stevenson’s sons confused a skunk for a kitty cat, in a world full of lies and deception, we can easily confuse good and evil. But Elder Stevenson explains that we don’t need to be confused. God knows everything, and he understands that some of the issues we face today are different from the issues his people faced two thousand years ago. This is why the Lord has given us modern-day prophets. Through them, he gives us commandments and direction uniquely tailored to us and the time in which we live.
Some lies of the devil may seem attractive, but no matter how enticing they seem, they are still lies. There is nothing we can do to change or justify them. Likewise, some eternal truths may not be as easy to accept, but no matter how much we ignore or disagree with them, they are still truths. However, if we trust God and his prophets and we keep his commandments, we will more easily differentiate the skunks from the kitty cats and, as Elder Stevenson promises, we will be blessed with “lasting joy and happiness.”
Read more about how prophets can help you see through the lies of the devil in Elder Gary E. Stevenson’s address “Deceive Me Not.”
Source: General Conference
—Hannah Charlesworth, Latter-day Saint Insights
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Find more insights
Discover more insights on following the prophet in Rebecca Purse’s article “The Prophet’s Voice: Our Beacon.”
Study Ephesians 4:11–16 to find more about the purpose of prophets.
Read or watch President Dallin H. Oaks’s talk “Truth and the Plan” to learn how to discern between eternal truths and lies.
Learn more about our current prophet in Sarah Jane Weaver’s article “Get to Know President Russell M. Nelson, a Renaissance Man.”