FāVS News News and Commentary about Religion and Ethics in Eastern Washington and North Idaho
Ask A Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: I Hear Satan
Do you have a question about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Submit it online or fill out the form below.
By Mindy Wright
I hear Satan in my fan saying he’s my worst nightmare, he also said I will never be perfect. I talked to the bishop about my sins he said I have been forgiven, but I hear Satan talks to me in my air condition how do I get rid of him? I’m afraid I won’t make it to the celestial kingdom because Satan talks to me. I tell him to leave me alone, no one else here’s him, but I do. He has a man’s voice. He sounds wicked. I’m scared. – Darlene
Darlene, Satan is real. But the way he influences people is subtle, deceitful, and cunning. He doesn’t blatantly come out and declare his presence or his strategy to distort, deceive, and divert people from truth. Rather he uses half-truths targeting people’s weaknesses and fears. In 2 Nephi 28:21 of the Book of Mormon, it states, [Satan] will “pacify, and lull them away into carnal security…the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.”
When Heavenly Father speaks to us, most often we hear him through impressions given by the Holy Ghost. He speaks to us is in our mind and in our heart. Other times his impressions, “occupy our minds or press upon our feelings. Still other times he fills our souls with joy, enlightens our minds, or speaks peace to our troubled hearts.”
If you are “hearing messages,” they may be voices created by issues stemming from a mental illness. My own mother struggled with mental issues that caused her to see and hear things that were scary or troubling to her but were not real. She found relief by consulting a medical professional who helped determine the source of her disconcerting experiences and developed a medical plan to overcome her issues. I acknowledge your fear is real to you but finding help through a mental health resource is a good start to overcoming this challenge you are facing. If you don’t know where to get medical help, ask your bishop to help you find the resources you need.
You can also find peace when you read the scriptures, attend your Sabbath day meetings, and pray for help and guidance. God is stronger than Satan. He is there for you and will help you find the resources to understand your fears and a path forward that will bring peace. Good luck.
Mindy Wright was born and raised in Richland, Washington. She moved to Spokane Valley when she married Kevin in 2004, inheriting four wonderful stepchildren. Mindy graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and served a proselyting mission in Tokyo, Japan, for 18 months, learning the language to communicate in their native tongue. She worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for 20 years as a technical editor, operations manager for the Japan office and finishing up in Public Relations as a community relation’s specialist. Currently, Mindy is raising two daughters adopted from China and has fostered over 50 motherless kittens for SCRAPS. Mindy remains active in church and currently serves as the choir director.
