Andersen - Beware of the Evil behind the Smiling Eyes - April 2005

Elder Andersen starts his talk telling us a story about a friend who was a drug enforcement officer.  He knocked on a door one day and say there were drugs in the house.  As they went in, he passed one man that had a big smile on his face that gave him the impression that he was harmless so he went to focus on other people in the house.  The Spirit told him to "beware of the evil behind smiling eyes" and as he turned his focus back to this man, he stopped him from pulling a gun and shooting him.  He says there are things in our lives that make us feel very comfortable but there is evil behind them and we have to be careful.

Elder Andersen explains the great plan of happiness that our Heavenly Father has created.  He says:

• At the head of all that is good is the Christ—He who is the Only Begotten of the Father, who created our world and numerous others. Our Redeemer is a resurrected and perfect being. I know He lives.
  
• The devil, on the other hand, “persuadeth men to do evil.” He is a liar and a loser.
• Evil has been allowed a position of influence to give us the chance to choose between good and evil.
  
• The choice between good and evil is at the very heart of our experience on earth.
  
• We can work, study, laugh and have fun, dance, sing, and enjoy many different experiences. These are a wonderful part of life, but they are not central to why we are here. The opportunity to choose good over evil is precisely why we are here.
  

Elder Andersen asks us this question and then gives us the answer:

• How, then, can we discern the evil behind something that doesn’t appear evil?
  
• First, talk to your parents.
  
• Next, follow the prophet.
  
• Very importantly, let the Holy Ghost be your guide.

Of this he says:

• The gift of the Holy Ghost is a spiritual gift. It is sensitive and will not be associated with unworthiness. You cannot offend or ignore it one day and expect it to strengthen you the next day. Finally, gain your own testimony of the Savior.
  

To do this, he says:

• Pray passionately. Read the Book of Mormon when no one is watching. Take time alone to think about who Jesus really is and how His life and sacrifice are important to you.
  

He closes with telling us what the results will be if we take the actions above:

• As we increase our understanding and love for the Savior, His light will illuminate everything around us. We then will see evil for what it is.
  

What a great message and advice about the choices we make in our lives.  Some choices we make appear harmless at first but there are evil intentions behind them that can lead us to unhappiness.  Making sure we are making choices that are inline with our values and with God's teachings is important.  In my life, I am going to review what things take my time and evaluate if they are inline with those things that mean the most to me.  I would encourage you to do the same.  Making the best choices in our lives will lead us to happiness and a presence of the Spirit in our lives.