The Devil Will Cheat
Whenever I can, and when appropriate, I try to provide sources for anything presented as factual. I think it is irresponsible to supposedly quote something that somebody said, or to present something as true or factual, but then fail to provide a source that others can refer to. Basically it's providing the option for at least some kind of peer review, to substantiate claims made.
However, most of what I post is purely my thoughts, my opinions, my ideas.
The following is not doctrinal, at least I have not found any specific evidence supporting this thought, but I think it fits. So, as a preface, these are my thoughts.
I think that in premortality, when the great plan of salvation was being presented, Lucifer wanted to cheat his way to godhood.
Lucifer presented his version of the plan, where he would come down and make sure all of God's children did what they were supposed to do, and that he, Lucifer, would do this on condition that he would get all of God's glory.
What is God's glory?
"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal elife of man." (Moses 1:39). https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/moses/1.39?lang=eng#p38
So, God's glory is in his children receiving immortality (something all who have received bodies will receive because of the Savior's resurrection) and eternal life, returning to God so his children can, in some future eternal time, become like him.
I don't think Lucifer wanted to pass through all the difficult tasks of going through mortality, risk not returning to God, and then, if he passed the mortal probationary period, eventually work towards becoming a god, raising a spirit family, creating worlds, and providing a plan of salvation for his own spirit children to go through, be tested, and risk losing some them to bad choices due to their agency. I think he wanted to try to skip all that he possibility could, become a god as quick as possible, by being given the glory that belongs to a god. Basically, he wanted to steal God's children from him; he was looking to cheat his way to becoming a god.
But he presented his plan in a way that enticed many to be convinced of it, without revealing his actual ultimate goal. Maybe some who sided with him didn't want to risk making bad choices. Maybe some knew they would make bad choices and wanted a security blanket to enable them to return. Maybe some didn't want the risk associated with the agency they would be given in a mortal test. There were undoubtedly many who, like many who came to this world, feel that people should not be given a choice, but should be told what to do and who to become, for example there are many who feel that the government should be involved with everything in everyone's lives.
However, most of Lucifer's followers probably failed to see his ultimate objective or didn't care as long as they were guaranteed a passing grade in the mortal probationary test. They probably saw his request, that all of God's glory be given to him, as being a fair price for the guarantee of not losing any of God's children.
A very poor comparison would be for the government to guarantee to a father and mother that their children will lack for nothing--they will always have food, clothing, full and complete medical care, education, and, eventually, a job--on the condition that the parents relinquish all of their rights, responsibilities, and parental or family claims on the children. The children would no longer "belong" to the parents, they would belong to the state. The state would decide what is good for each child, because the state would take complete responsibility for each child. And, upon agreement, the children would be forever removed from the parents so they parents would not have any responsibility in the raising or care of the children. The part of the agreement that would be emphasized is the parents would be "freed" from the responsibility, restrictions, and problems of raising the children.
The part that would not be mentioned is the parents would completely lose out on all of the joy that comes from raising their children, of helping to teach their children, encouraging their children to make good choices, of enabling their children to pursue and improve diverse talents and abilities. The parents would never know the joys of seeing their children learning to walk, or talk, or to accomplish some task, or achieve a milestone. Sure, the parents might be "freed" from the sorrow and anguish that comes in child rearing, but they would never know any of the joy that comes from being a father or mother. And, at some future date, the parents would never become grandparents, never experience the joy of seeing their own children learning to become parents, and holding new little ones.
Only parents who are completely self-centered, and without love for their children, would ever consider giving up all of their parental rights and responsibilities to an entity that cannot provide love and true parental guidance, an entity that has no real incentive to encourage the children to become more. These parents are choosing to give up their parental role because they want an easier, more convenient life.
As a side note, I am not in any way referring to adoption and those who make the often difficult and painful choice to give their child up to be adopted. These children are not being given to the state to raise, but usually to a family, where the child can receive love, support, and the things that the birth mother and father cannot give. Children given up for adoption are given more opportunities than they otherwise would have.
Additionally, I am not discussing another aspect of parenthood where there are sometimes parents who are completely irresponsible, who really should not be parents, and who often end up having their children taken from them due to consistent, and continual bad choices that endanger the lives and well-being of their children.
When Lucifer's plan was rejected, and he rebelled and convinced a third of the hosts of heaven--a third of our brothers and sisters--to follow him, he came to Earth. Here he continues do all that he can to thwart the plan of happiness and prevent God's children from returning to God.
Some think Lucifer, Satan as he called, still thinks he can win the war. I'm not convinced he is. The scriptures state that he knows he has only a short time.
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Revelation 12:12)
If Satan knows "he hath but a short time," then it seems he to indicate that he knows he cannot win the final war. However, he will do all he can to inflict as many casualties as he can.
His goal is to prevent as many of God's children as he can from returning and inheriting eternal life--not just immortality, since all who received bodies will be resurrected and be given the gift of immortality, but immortality in the presence of God, reunited forever with our Heavenly Father and the faithful of his family. Satan's goal is to reduce and diminish God's glory as much as he possibly can.
Referring back to Moses 1:39, it would stand to reason that the more of God's children who return to him, the greater his glory. And the inverse is probably true, the fewer who return, the less the glory.
However, the vast majority of God's children will inherit some degree of glory, from the lowest, the telestial, to the highest in the celestial kingdom. Only those in the highest degree of the celestial glory will continue on to eternal lives and the path to becoming like our heavenly father. Because these are all degrees of glory, it is reasonable to say that all who inherit some degree of glory will give glory to our Heavenly Father. Only those are cast out into outer darkness do not have any glory, and would not add to our Heavenly Father's glory.
The glory of a parent in this world is in his/her children. I'm not aware of any loving parent who does not want their child to become a better person. At the end of life, just about everyone comes to the realization that material things really don't have any meaning, it is family and our relationships that are enduring. This is the glory we have in this life. This is the joy we have, and which we can take with us.
To the adversary, his ambition and lust for power blinds him to what real glory is. It seems that he views glory as a possession, and control must be exerted to possess it. He may have seen the Father, a God, as having what could only be described as glory, and he wanted it. Did he understand what it really was, or how the Father obtained it, or how it would continue to expand?
The reality seems to be that agency actually adds to glory. Good choices add to personal and parental joy and satisfaction. I think that if agency had been taken away, then maybe joy would have also been unlikely.
In any case, Satan, the devil, has absolutely no interest in anyone's welfare or their well-being. Not for this mortal life, and definitely for eternity. His interest lies in hate, anger, pride, and he will do all he can to cheat God's children from attaining their inheritance, and eternal life with the Father.
Regarding Satan, Nephi stated:
"And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell."
(https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/28.21?lang=eng#p20)
However, most of what I post is purely my thoughts, my opinions, my ideas.
The following is not doctrinal, at least I have not found any specific evidence supporting this thought, but I think it fits. So, as a preface, these are my thoughts.
I think that in premortality, when the great plan of salvation was being presented, Lucifer wanted to cheat his way to godhood.
Lucifer presented his version of the plan, where he would come down and make sure all of God's children did what they were supposed to do, and that he, Lucifer, would do this on condition that he would get all of God's glory.
What is God's glory?
"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal elife of man." (Moses 1:39). https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/moses/1.39?lang=eng#p38
So, God's glory is in his children receiving immortality (something all who have received bodies will receive because of the Savior's resurrection) and eternal life, returning to God so his children can, in some future eternal time, become like him.
I don't think Lucifer wanted to pass through all the difficult tasks of going through mortality, risk not returning to God, and then, if he passed the mortal probationary period, eventually work towards becoming a god, raising a spirit family, creating worlds, and providing a plan of salvation for his own spirit children to go through, be tested, and risk losing some them to bad choices due to their agency. I think he wanted to try to skip all that he possibility could, become a god as quick as possible, by being given the glory that belongs to a god. Basically, he wanted to steal God's children from him; he was looking to cheat his way to becoming a god.
But he presented his plan in a way that enticed many to be convinced of it, without revealing his actual ultimate goal. Maybe some who sided with him didn't want to risk making bad choices. Maybe some knew they would make bad choices and wanted a security blanket to enable them to return. Maybe some didn't want the risk associated with the agency they would be given in a mortal test. There were undoubtedly many who, like many who came to this world, feel that people should not be given a choice, but should be told what to do and who to become, for example there are many who feel that the government should be involved with everything in everyone's lives.
However, most of Lucifer's followers probably failed to see his ultimate objective or didn't care as long as they were guaranteed a passing grade in the mortal probationary test. They probably saw his request, that all of God's glory be given to him, as being a fair price for the guarantee of not losing any of God's children.
A very poor comparison would be for the government to guarantee to a father and mother that their children will lack for nothing--they will always have food, clothing, full and complete medical care, education, and, eventually, a job--on the condition that the parents relinquish all of their rights, responsibilities, and parental or family claims on the children. The children would no longer "belong" to the parents, they would belong to the state. The state would decide what is good for each child, because the state would take complete responsibility for each child. And, upon agreement, the children would be forever removed from the parents so they parents would not have any responsibility in the raising or care of the children. The part of the agreement that would be emphasized is the parents would be "freed" from the responsibility, restrictions, and problems of raising the children.
The part that would not be mentioned is the parents would completely lose out on all of the joy that comes from raising their children, of helping to teach their children, encouraging their children to make good choices, of enabling their children to pursue and improve diverse talents and abilities. The parents would never know the joys of seeing their children learning to walk, or talk, or to accomplish some task, or achieve a milestone. Sure, the parents might be "freed" from the sorrow and anguish that comes in child rearing, but they would never know any of the joy that comes from being a father or mother. And, at some future date, the parents would never become grandparents, never experience the joy of seeing their own children learning to become parents, and holding new little ones.
Only parents who are completely self-centered, and without love for their children, would ever consider giving up all of their parental rights and responsibilities to an entity that cannot provide love and true parental guidance, an entity that has no real incentive to encourage the children to become more. These parents are choosing to give up their parental role because they want an easier, more convenient life.
As a side note, I am not in any way referring to adoption and those who make the often difficult and painful choice to give their child up to be adopted. These children are not being given to the state to raise, but usually to a family, where the child can receive love, support, and the things that the birth mother and father cannot give. Children given up for adoption are given more opportunities than they otherwise would have.
Additionally, I am not discussing another aspect of parenthood where there are sometimes parents who are completely irresponsible, who really should not be parents, and who often end up having their children taken from them due to consistent, and continual bad choices that endanger the lives and well-being of their children.
When Lucifer's plan was rejected, and he rebelled and convinced a third of the hosts of heaven--a third of our brothers and sisters--to follow him, he came to Earth. Here he continues do all that he can to thwart the plan of happiness and prevent God's children from returning to God.
Some think Lucifer, Satan as he called, still thinks he can win the war. I'm not convinced he is. The scriptures state that he knows he has only a short time.
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Revelation 12:12)
If Satan knows "he hath but a short time," then it seems he to indicate that he knows he cannot win the final war. However, he will do all he can to inflict as many casualties as he can.
His goal is to prevent as many of God's children as he can from returning and inheriting eternal life--not just immortality, since all who received bodies will be resurrected and be given the gift of immortality, but immortality in the presence of God, reunited forever with our Heavenly Father and the faithful of his family. Satan's goal is to reduce and diminish God's glory as much as he possibly can.
Referring back to Moses 1:39, it would stand to reason that the more of God's children who return to him, the greater his glory. And the inverse is probably true, the fewer who return, the less the glory.
However, the vast majority of God's children will inherit some degree of glory, from the lowest, the telestial, to the highest in the celestial kingdom. Only those in the highest degree of the celestial glory will continue on to eternal lives and the path to becoming like our heavenly father. Because these are all degrees of glory, it is reasonable to say that all who inherit some degree of glory will give glory to our Heavenly Father. Only those are cast out into outer darkness do not have any glory, and would not add to our Heavenly Father's glory.
The glory of a parent in this world is in his/her children. I'm not aware of any loving parent who does not want their child to become a better person. At the end of life, just about everyone comes to the realization that material things really don't have any meaning, it is family and our relationships that are enduring. This is the glory we have in this life. This is the joy we have, and which we can take with us.
To the adversary, his ambition and lust for power blinds him to what real glory is. It seems that he views glory as a possession, and control must be exerted to possess it. He may have seen the Father, a God, as having what could only be described as glory, and he wanted it. Did he understand what it really was, or how the Father obtained it, or how it would continue to expand?
The reality seems to be that agency actually adds to glory. Good choices add to personal and parental joy and satisfaction. I think that if agency had been taken away, then maybe joy would have also been unlikely.
In any case, Satan, the devil, has absolutely no interest in anyone's welfare or their well-being. Not for this mortal life, and definitely for eternity. His interest lies in hate, anger, pride, and he will do all he can to cheat God's children from attaining their inheritance, and eternal life with the Father.
Regarding Satan, Nephi stated:
"And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell."
(https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/28.21?lang=eng#p20)
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