To This End Was I Born

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To This End Was I Born

• www.kevinhinckley.com

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What happens when the High Priests begin engaging
in priestcrafts.
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In the news President Hinckleys97th 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
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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?
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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 3016).
• 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)

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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.

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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)

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Trial and Condemnation

• Courtesy of Bill Baredall

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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 Gods 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 Saviors 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 Peters 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.

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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,

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Question

• When are we most vulnerable to Satans
  accusations?