The Tricks and Empty Treats of Satan

One Halloween (years and years ago) I convinced my younger sisters that gum had greater value than chocolate. "Gum is the best," I lied. "A single stick of bubblegum is worth your Snickers candy bar. If you were smart, you'd trade."

My sisters were reticent, and I had to extoll the virtues of gum: it lasts longer, it freshens your breath, it has fewer calories. The more I talked, the more trades they'd make. Gradually I worked the value up. Soon, one piece of gum was worth four or five chocolate candies. By the end of the trading session, I had a huge pile of M&Ms, Milky Ways, Tootsie Rolls, Butterfingers . . . you name it. All they had to show for knocking doors was a pitiful pile of gum.

Of course, my mom understood what I'd done and quickly rectified the situation. We all ended up with exactly the same ratio of gum and chocolate, but my success lingered sweetly in my mind. I was a little Tom Sawyer.

However, this childhood experience taught me how Satan works. His propositions are outrageous: in no way is sin going to lead to happiness (i.e., smoking is not going to make you beautiful and healthy). However, as soon as you give him your ear, he'll start extolling the supposed virtues. Soon, if you aren't careful, you're handing him piles of chocolate for a piece of plastic.

The moral of the story? Don't listen to Satan; don't give him a second of your time. As Alma taught his son, "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness" (Alma 41:10)