Presentation Phase - Know/Testimony

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1) Read the following statement by President Kimball where explains that the fight against Satan and his forces, “is not a little skirmish with a half-willed antagonist, but a battle royal with an enemy so powerful, entrenched, and organized that we are likely to be vanquished if we are not strong, well-trained, and watchful...[but if we will yield] "to the sweet influence and pleadings of the Spirit,” we will be blessed with “protection, power, freedom and joy.” 

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2) Next, ask the group if they ever worry about being deceived by the Adversary?

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3) Explain that today's lesson focuses on Moses's experience with Satan and how we can learn to protect ourselves.

 

4) Then watch the video "I Know that I am a Son of God." Invite the class to take notes of key ideas and impression from the spirit. Write their answers on the board.

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5) Invite eveyone to open their scriptures to the Pearl of Great Price and ask for volunteers to read Moses 1:12–23. Stop periodically and ask questions and discuss key elements. Refer to questions below:

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Questions to Consider

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Why Would Satan Claim to Be “the Only Begotten”? (Moses 1:19)

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Read or ask for a volunteer

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Satan’s arrogant claim exposes his basic motivation: to deceive mankind into worshiping him so that they, like him, will be miserable forever (see 2 Nephi 2:17–18; Moses 4:1–4). It also reveals Satan’s basic objectives: to seek Heavenly Father’s power and glory and to supplant and usurp the role of Jesus Christ. Indeed, Satan seeks to displace the Father Himself (PGP Manual)

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President James E. Faust calls him the Great Imitator:

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"I think we will witness increasing evidence of Satan’s power as the kingdom of God grows stronger. I believe Satan’s ever-expanding efforts are some proof of the truthfulness of this work. In the future the opposition will be both more subtle and more open. It will be masked in greater sophistication and cunning, but it will also be more blatant. We will need greater spirituality to perceive all of the forms of evil and greater strength to resist it."

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President Spencer W. Kimball describes some of his methods of deceptions:

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"He never sleeps—he is diligent and persevering. He analyzes carefully his problem and then moves forward diligently, methodically to reach that objective. He uses all five senses and man’s natural hunger and thirst to lead him away. He anticipates resistance and fortifies himself against it. He uses time and space and leisure. He is constant and persuasive and skillful. He uses such useful things as radio, television, the printed page, the airplane, and the car to distort and damage. He uses the gregariousness of man, his loneliness, his every need to lead him astray. He does his work at the most propitious time in the most impressive places with the most influential people. He overlooks nothing that will deceive and distort and prostitute. He uses money, power, force. He entices man and attacks at his weakest spot. He takes the good and creates ugliness. … He uses every teaching art to subvert man.The adversary is subtle. He is cunning. He knows that he cannot induce good men and women to do major evils immediately, so he moves slyly, whispering half-truths until he has his intended captives following him."

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6) Invite the group to write in their notebooks/journals some of the ways that Satan tempts us to worship him? Ask for a volunteer to record their responses on the board. 

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7) Ask for volunteers to role play a scenario where Satan might try to tempt us. (Like Screwtape and Wormwood)

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What Did Moses Do When Satan Ranted and Raved? (Moses 1:20)

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Read or ask for a volunteer

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When he felt afraid in Satan’s presence, Moses saw the bitterness of hell. Being in constant rebellion toward God truly is a living hell, and that is the way Satan wants us to live. Yet, there is no need to fear if we are faithful, for we know that the wisdom of God is greater than the cunning of the devil (see D&C 10:43). We also know that Satan will eventually be bound (see D&C 45:55; 88:110), will tremble in fear (see D&C 35:24), and will be cast out from this earth and from among its people (see D&C 76:33, 36). We can, even now, bind Satan through righteous living, so that he has no power over us (see 1 Nephi 22:26). (PGP Manual)

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8) Invite the group to write in their notebooks/journals some of the ways that we can bind Satan through our own righteous living. Record their responses on the board.

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9) Ask if anyone can think of a  conference talk or an Ensign message or related revelation that teaches ways to bind Satan?

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How Did Moses Respond to Satan Tempting Him? (Moses 1:12-22)

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Read of ask for a volunteer

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Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave the following suggestion on how to resist Satan’s temptations:

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"The importance of not accommodating temptation in the least degree is underlined by the Savior’s example. Did not he recognize the danger when he was on the mountain with his fallen brother, Lucifer, being sorely tempted by that master tempter? [see Matthew 4:1–11.] He could have opened the door and flirted with danger by saying, ‘All right, Satan, I’ll listen to your proposition. I need not succumb, I need not yield, I need not accept—but I’ll listen. Christ did not so rationalize. He positively and promptly closed the discussion, and commanded: ‘Get thee hence, Satan,’ meaning, likely, ‘Get out of my sight—get out of my presence—I will not listen—I will have nothing to do with you.’ Then, we read, ‘the devil leaveth him.’

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10) Invite the group to write in their notebooks/journals some of the ways that we can protect ourselves from being deceived? Record their answers on the board.

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How Can We Protect Ourselves from Satan's Lies/Deceptions?

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The Holy Ghost will protect us against being deceived, but to realize that wonderful blessing we must always do the things necessary to retain that Spirit. George Q. Cannon has called the gift of discerning of spirits “a gift that is of exceeding value and one that should be enjoyed by every Latter-day Saint. … No Latter-day Saint should be without this gift, because there is such a variety of spirits in the world which seek to deceive and lead astray” (Gospel Truth, sel. Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 vols. in 1 [1987], 156–57). 

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President James E. Faust testified:

 

I wish to testify that there are forces which will save us from the ever-increasing lying, disorder, violence, chaos, destruction, misery, and deceit that are upon the earth. Those saving forces are the everlasting principles, covenants, and ordinances of the eternal gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. These same principles, covenants, and ordinances are coupled with the rights and powers of the priesthood of Almighty God. We of this church are the possessors and custodians of these commanding powers which can and do roll back much of the power of Satan on the earth. We believe that we hold these mighty forces in trust for all who have died, for all who are now living, and for the yet unborn.

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Practice Phase - Do/Conversion

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Final quote - Elder Oaks - 

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"I will conclude by describing another subtle form of deception—the idea that it is enough to hear and believe without acting on that belief. Many prophets have taught against that deception. The Apostle James wrote, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). King Benjamin taught, “And now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them” (Mosiah 4:10). And in modern revelation the Lord declares, “If you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you” (D&C 78:7). It is not enough to know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that the gospel is true. We must take the high road by acting upon that knowledge. It is not enough to know that President Gordon B. Hinckley is God’s prophet. We must put his teachings to work in our lives. It is not enough to have a calling. We must fulfill our responsibilities. The things taught in this conference are not just to fill our minds. They are to motivate and guide our actions.

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1) Invite the group to record and committ to one thing they will focus on this week that will enable the current "God-like" abilities to either - "bind Satan" or "to not be deceived." Explain that you look forward to hearing their progress next week and to remember to read the next GD lesson.

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References:

Elder Oaks - Be Ye Not Deceived

Elder Holland - Cast Not Away Thou Thy Confidence

President Faust - The Great Imitator