20 Satan has no Power Without the Pride of Men, and the Wealth of the World

1 Nephi 22

Revelation

Isaiah

1 Nephi 22:Verse 23

23 For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet.

Revelation 18:Verse 11

11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Revelation 18:Verse 14

14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Revelation 18:Verse 15

15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

Revelation 18:Verse 16

16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Revelation 18:Verse 17

17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Isaiah 13:Verse 11

11 And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Isaiah 14:Verse 4

4 ¶ That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

Isaiah 14:Verse 5

5 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, [and] the sceptre of the rulers.

Isaiah 14:Verse 6

6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, [and] none hindereth.

Isaiah 14:Verse 7

7 The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing.

Isaiah 14:Verse 8

8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, [and] the cedars of Lebanon, [saying], Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

Revelation

Isaiah

Revelation 18:Verse 18

18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What [city is] like unto this great city!

Revelation 18:Verse 19

19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Isaiah 14:Verse 9

9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet [thee] at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, [even] all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

Isaiah 14:Verse 10

10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

Isaiah 14:Verse 11

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, [and] the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

Isaiah 14:Verse 12

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Isaiah 14:Verse 16

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, [and] consider thee, [saying, Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Isaiah 14:Verse 17

17 [That] made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; [that] opened not the house of his prisoners?

Without "enmity" Satan has no power, and Babylon, or "spiritual wickedness" cannot exist. One of the premier rules of marketing is the law of "supply and demand." That which people want, they will buy if they have the funds and attitude to do so. The "law of supply and demand" works in every aspect of our daily lives, from satisfying the needs and/or lusts of the flesh, to the more subtle spiritual needs of the mind and heart. As Latter-day saints we have before us a constant reminder, that we, are in a constant need of nourishment to our spiritual and physical bodies. Just as we need the right kind of food and exercise for the nourishment of a healthy body, we likewise need exercise and the appropriate type of nourishment for our spiritual good health. Wickedness will cease to exist if there is no demand for it. Without enmity and pride in the hearts of mankind there is no necessity for wickedness and the supply will no longer be available for purchase. Righteousness too, is governed by the law of supply and demand, the supply is limitless as long as the demand and desire are there. The Savior stated that he could not teach eternal truths and preform miracles if the righteousness didn't exist in the hearts of the people (see 3 Nephi 19:35). The limitations of spiritual blessings and experiences are placed upon the individual by their own righteous desires and worthiness. The scriptures are replete with references that testify of this concept, and how God is bound by our individual righteousness or wickedness. "And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done" (D&C 50:29). "And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 12:6). The supply of blessings is never ending for those who are obedient to the commandments upon which the blessings are predicated. One need only look at the many books that were published in the church twenty-five or thirty years ago. At that time, almost all of the books published involved scriptural or doctrinal commentary on the truths of eternity, while today, the preferred reading material published for the L.D.S. audience, is fiction mingled with scripture. Consumer preference has gone from doctrine to entertainment, from scripture to fiction, from continued reference to single reading, from slow methodical commentary to a few hours of fun.

The material provided is still based on the law of "supply and demand," and the supply of truth or error, scripture or fiction, will always be dispensed, for a profit of course, to satisfy the demands of the masses.

As Babylon falls in the economic collapse caused by war and the upheavals of nature as described in scripture, the wants and needs of the masses change in their more humble circumstances. This humility leads to the demise of the powers and priesthoods of Satan as the pride and enmity of mankind is replaced by humility, and the love and concern for others during this time of tribulation. Thus, the merchants of the world, wonder at the death of the great whore, and at the speed of which Babylon falls. The great and abominable church of the devil, with whom the peoples of the earth have committed fornication and waxed rich in her delicacies, falls into the same pit it dug for the saints of God.

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