Deceiving the Saints

And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.

Moses 4:4

Deception (Noun) : the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.

Merriam-Webster

Satan is a great orator. He knows how to stir up a crowd. He can be very persuasive. He can even get some people to deny the noon-day sun. His efforts in our pre-Earth life caused one-third of the hosts of Heaven to rebel against our Father to such an extreme that they put themselves beyond repentance and had to be cast out.

This is happening again. Approximately one-third of Americans support Donald J. Trump regardless of what he says or does. The Pew Research Center reports that “about half of Mormons (52%) approve of his job performance.”

When it comes to people’s vanity and stubbornness it doesn’t seem to matter what is true and real. Rather than base their decisions consciously on reason and the evidence of their senses, humans usually make their choices subconsciously based on vague opinions and strong emotions. The problem, of course, is that opinions and emotions can be easily manipulated by charlatans.

Misled by rhetoric

Rhetoric, the art of persuasion, is an ancient field of study containing techniques and skills that can be used to influence people. A gifted speaker of good moral character can used words to inform and enlighten others. A speaker who seeks power and gain for himself can use the techniques of rhetoric to misinform and mislead.

Limbaugh, Hannity, and the other billionaire-supported right-wing media stars have chosen to persuade rather than to inform. (This is why “Fox” is not “News”). They work to manipulate opinion rather than to present facts.

These scoundrels use rhetorical techniques such as misdirection, labeling, hyperbole, insults, and irony, and deliver them with a typically mocking or outraged tone. The goal is to upset, anger, and outrage the listener or the viewer, not to educate him or her. The most important thing is to keep their audience coming back — to build a group of dedicated followers. (Rush Limbaugh’s unquestioning followers were called “dittoheads.”)

And behold I say unto you all that this was a snare of the adversary, which he has laid to catch this people, that he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity.

Alma 12:6

Evil commentators

One key to identifying commentators who are evil is that they will never ask their listeners to sacrifice anything. They will always flatter people and tell them what they want to hear. They appeal to people’s worst instincts and give their followers permission to behave unrighteously. Their goal is to gain popularity, not to share the truth.

But behold, it is better that thy soul should be lost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words;

Alma 30:47

In the Book of Mormon, Nehor, the man who introduced Priestcraft to Nephite society, became popular by teaching that there was no need for repentance and that everyone would be saved. Of course, taking care of himself, he also taught that preachers should hold a privileged status in society and should be paid. (Alma 1:2-6)

Korihor, the anti-Christ, was a skilled speaker who taught that “Whatsoever a man did was no crime.” (Alma 39:15-18). This teaching would certainly be popular today with people like Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump.

Snared in a false reality

Unfortunately, many Latter-day Saints have been pulled into the Trump/Republican/Fox News web of lies and deception. Since it is a form of blindness, it is very hard for them to escape because the victims can’t see that they are snared. They refuse to look outside of their cage.

What began as right-wing paranoia and conspiracy theories in the 1960s, and turned into deliberate brainwashing with the birth of Fox News in 1996, has now become a fully-formed alternate reality under Donald Trump. Satan must be well pleased. If you have friends or family caught in this trap, and have been unable to wake them up, pray that they will still be given time enough to repent.

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

2 Timothy 2:25-26

Sources: Hugh Nibley, “Victoriosa Loquacitas: The Rise of Rhetoric and the Decline of Everything Else,” The Ancient State, Deseret Book, 1991.
Dallin H. Oaks, “Be Not Deceived,” General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, October 2004.
Philip Schwadel and Gregory A. Smith, “Evangelical approval of Trump remains high, but other religious groups are less supportive,” Pew Research Center, March 18,2019.