Historians name the larger ages in the world’s history after the skills people use to succeed, such as sharpening rocks into tools in the Stone Age or creating machines for mass production in the Industrial Age. I hope you are seizing every opportunity to learn all that you can from your professors and others about how to succeed in our present Information Age! [1]
As with previous ages, our time brings its own methods of deception in nearly every arena, from politics and journalism, to healthcare and religion. So, naturally, I asked a generative AI chatbot for guidance:
Deception in the information age leverages AI, digital platforms, and psychological manipulation to distort perception, with deepfakes and automated bots fueling widespread misinformation and social engineering. These techniques, ranging from phishing to complex AI-generated narratives, exploit cognitive vulnerabilities, making it difficult for individuals and organizations to verify authenticity. [2]
The rumors, misinformation, and lies that surround us do indeed make our times “perilous” [3] as both people and machines now “call evil good, and good evil.” [4] But what stands out to me is the glaring weakness of human thinking! Researchers can demonstrate that humans spread false news faster and farther than truth. [5] Unfortunately, Latter-day Saints show no significant advantage over others in detecting fraud, and we may in some instances be even more vulnerable. [6] How can we protect ourselves against psychological manipulation? How can we reduce the vulnerabilities in our thinking?
Unsurprisingly, the Savior provided answers to these questions centuries ago. When His Old World disciples asked about the signs of His “coming, and of the end of the world,” He answered, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” and “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” He taught a parable about ten virgins to illustrate the need for personal readiness. [7]
The Savior’s chilling words about deceiving the elect remind us that no one is immune from deception. The Old Testament prophet Jacob was deceived by his own children who lied about the death of his son, Joseph. As a consequence, Jacob mourned, wept, and “refused to be comforted”—for more than two decades before he finally learned the truth! [8] If you have been the victim of manipulation, violence, or abuse in any form you are not responsible. [9] The perpetrators will stand before God to be judged and punished for their sins, and I give my personal witness that God weeps with you. Through the glorious and incompressible power of Jesus Christ your pain and trauma will be “swallow[ed] up . . . in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.” [10] I pray that our time together will contribute to your enduring strength in Christ.
Two thousand years after answering his disciple’s question, the Living Christ reminded Joseph Smith of the parable of the ten virgins and added that the wise women “received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived.” [11] Thus, to avoid deception in our time, we must 1) take heed and 2) take the Spirit as our guide.
The need to avoid deception is accelerating. Early in the Restoration, the Savior declared: “Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations.” [12] Within the last decade, President Russell M. Nelson warned, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” While that warning has been frequently mentioned, [13] less cited are the sentences before and after that plead with us to “learn” and “increase [our] spiritual capacity to receive revelation.” [14] In other words, to take the Holy Spirit for our guide. In a recent devotional address, President Dallin H. Oaks repeated President Nelson’s warning, explaining, “One of the many reasons you will need the constant influence of the Holy Ghost is that you live in a season in which the adversary has become so effective at disguising truth that if you don’t have the Holy Ghost, you will be deceived.” [15] In other words, take heed that no man deceive you.
The principles of taking heed and taking the Holy Spirit for a guide can help us develop patterns of thinking to avoid deception. The Risen Lord taught Joseph Smith: “I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived.” [16] I will discuss four patterns, illustrating each with teachings of Church leaders, case studies from Church history, and examples of contrasting counterfeits. With practice, these patterns can become habits or reflexes that strengthen our thinking. I hope these become life hacks that protect us.
I. “That No Man Deceive You” [17]
The first pattern to help ensure “that no man deceive [us]” is to listen to God’s messengers. How do we recognize true messengers? Is there a sign? Jesus Christ explained in February 1831: “This I give unto you that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of me. For verily I say unto you, that he that is ordained of me shall come in at the gate and be ordained as I have told you before.” [18] Throughout the dispensations, true messengers have “come in at the gate” and been publicly identified—Jesus laid His hands on and ordained apostles during His mortal ministry and in the Book of Mormon; He announced them in the founding meeting of His modern Church on April 6, 1830; and we sustain them publicly in our conferences. [19] This is the sign the Savior has given for identifying His true messengers.
Let’s examine our first case study from Church history. Just four months after the Restored Church was organized, one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon announced that he, too, had a seer stone and had received two revelations. This was a pretty big deal. There were only two General Authorities in the entire Church—Joseph Smith had been sustained as first elder and Oliver Cowdery as second elder. [20] Hiram Page was one of eleven named witnesses who had seen the gold plates and had his testimony published in the book itself. His claims quickly persuaded Oliver Cowdery, many of the Whitmer family, and other early converts. Joseph Smith patiently reasoned with them for weeks. In this moment, the Savior taught them that “those things which [Hiram] hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him; For, behold, these things have not been appointed unto him.” [21] In short, Hiram was not the appointed messenger through which the Lord would guide His Church.
This story illustrates a common counterfeit in our Information Age in which well-meaning Latter-day Saints gravitate to an alternate messenger. The alternate voice may be popular, with a large readership or online following, or it may take pride in cultivating an obscure group of the truly enlightened. The alternate may publish a lengthy travel report from the other side of the veil, offer intelligence drawn from a séance with Nephi, or cite an emeritus General Authority to push a theory about some topic of curiosity. The voice may self-present as an unbiased source. Indeed, the Savior warned long ago that there would be “many” false Christs and false prophets who “shall deceive many.” [22] For most of our history, Latter-day Saints haven’t typically fallen for alternate messengers who call themselves Jesus, or for those like Korihor, say “there should be no Christ.” But it can be a different story with a Nehor who spreads “that which he termed to be the word of God [while] bearing down against the church.” [23] We might say it this way in the Information Age. Alternate messengers may claim interest in our welfare, flatter, belittle, entice, threaten, or appeal to our own righteous desires as they distract from the Savior, His true messengers, and our fidelity to our covenants.
Let’s examine a second case study. In Kirtland in the 1830s, Joseph Smith and others began the “Kirtland Safety Society” to extend loans and circulate currency. The effort struggled before collapsing during a wider national market crash known as the Panic of 1837. The resulting financial setbacks tried the faith of some who began to say that Joseph Smith had become a fallen prophet. [24] Desdemona Fullmer recalled that many people “would say to me, ‘Are you such a fool as still to go hear Joseph the fallen prophet?’” She responded, “The Lord convinced me that he was a true prophet. And He has not told me that he is fallen yet.” [25] How I admire her conviction and her quick reply!
Today, spreaders of this fallen messenger counterfeit typically begin by emphasizing their own devotion and testimony. They may list callings held or other actions to profess their goodness. They often assert that they know the Church was true at an earlier time, but then something changed—Brigham Young invented plural marriage, [26] Russell Nelson got vaccinated, [27] conspiring bureaucrats infiltrated Church headquarters. With false piety they claim to be true to the Savior while trampling His prophets! The question of whether the living prophet is “called of God” or “just a man” is itself part of the distraction. Obviously, the Savior’s messengers are human, and in 1830 He explained exactly how it works:
- Yes, his prophets, seers, and apostles are called “through the will of God the Father”—that is the only way to become a true messenger.
- “And the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ” These humans need the grace of Jesus Christ for the same reason you and I need it! Wondering if they are “just a man” distracts us from testifying of the grace of Christ.
- And there’s more: “being inspired of the Holy Ghost.” [28] They are not superheroes with X-ray vision or a direct line Bat Phone to heaven. [29] They learn to rely on the same gift given to you, and me, and every member at baptism.
And when His messengers need correction, He gives it. Think about the Risen Lord stopping Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon translation work after the loss of the manuscript; [30] think of the mortal Messiah restoring a severed ear after Peter cut it off, [31] or His telling Judas to exercise his agency “quickly” and then replacing him in the Twelve. [32] The Savior watches over His messengers so we don’t need to fall for the fallen messenger counterfeit.
Let’s solidify this with one more case study from a little deeper in Church history. As the Apostle Paul and his companion Silas were walking the streets of Philippi, they encountered a young woman who was “possessed with a spirit of divination.” Her predictions were successful enough that the Book of Acts records she “brought her masters much gain.” When she saw Paul and Silas, she followed them for many days and declared loudly: “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.” Isn’t that interesting? Possessed of an evil spirit, yet her words were true! And who wouldn’t want the endorsement of such a popular voice? Paul didn’t. He cast the spirit out of her, making enemies of her now income-less masters. What do we learn from this? That the messenger matters. [33]
Perhaps the most common counterfeit comes from simple apathy. A few years ago, I sat in a ward council meeting where the bishop announced the opening prayer and spiritual thought. By the look on the face of the man assigned the give the thought, you could tell that he had entirely forgotten! After the prayer, he began, “I can’t remember which General Authority said it but. . .” and then he shared a concept and grew emotional as he developed it, but to me something was not right. A quick search on my iPad drew instant hits—what he was testifying of as heaven’s word was in fact the headline on a cable news program on Friday night. The following day, it had been amplified by affiliated blogs and social media, and by Sunday morning it had become doctrine. Speakers, teachers, and classroom commenters should care enough to share quotes by naming the author, the exact words, the source, and the original setting. [34]
The best way to ensure “that no man deceive you” is to watch for and listen to God’s true messengers. They are publicly identified. In February 1831, the Savior assured us that “there is none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations [from my hand].” He emphasized that “ye receive not the teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations or commandments.” You may find things in our Information Age that are interesting, entertaining, or even insightful, but they are not God’s messages. “And this I give unto you,” the Savior explained, “that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of me.” [35] The truest messages will come from the Lord’s appointed true messengers.
II. “Take Heed” [36]
A second pattern of thinking for avoiding deception was modeled by a Lamanite queen in the Book of Mormon who was told that her husband was dead and rotting. She was not present to observe what had happened and she was not a medical professional, but something did not add up. She told Ammon, “to me he doth not stink,” and she sought additional information that proved correct. [37] In the Information Age, we cannot be an expert on every subject, but we can recognize when something stinks or not.
The most common deceptive method of our time is to mingle errors with truths, human philosophies with scriptural realities. Con artists, conspiracy theorists, and corrupt politicians won’t tell outright lies; they will mix accurate facts with deceptive spin. AI-generated content effortlessly combines the likeness of celebrities and world leaders with false words. Misinformation comes packaged in fonts, colors, images and other branding that attempt to look legitimate. This is “the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness” that the Apostle Paul warned of, “whereby they lie in wait to deceive” and leave us “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” [38] Mixed and mingled information is definitely sus.
A few general vulnerabilities make us susceptible to this kind of mingling. Deceivers may appeal to our deepest hopes and motivations—we sincerely want to be happier, healthier, better looking, and loved. Latter-day Saints often desire social acceptance, cultural validation, or just less-weird “proof” for spiritual claims and experiences. Our greed might entice us in the form of financial need or the allure of a “good deal.” The deception may confirm something we already expect, or we may be distracted by too much information, pressure to act now, or social compliance to respect authority or avoid confrontation. [39]
Three very common techniques for deceptively packaging information merit closer attention. [40] First, watch out for any who oversimplify the nuances and complexities of real life by reducing them to polarized either/or opposites. These oversimplifications might: present “both sides” when the issue actually has more than two dimensions, urge you to vote only for candidates from one political party, or use exaggerations such as always or never. This kind of either/or thinking can be helpful in writing binary computer code, but it becomes harmful when it is used to limit our agency, increase contention between us-versus-them, and distract from important truths.
Here, another case study is illustrative. For centuries, the orthodox Christian view of the afterlife taught heaven or hell. In February 1832, Jesus revealed a vision of multiple kingdoms of glory that shattered the old either/or paradigm. Brigham Young recalled “it was a great trial to many.” Some early members left over the Savior’s teaching. Prayers, patience, and pondering helped the early Saints escape the confinement of the inherited either/or tradition. In time, the Saints were able to see “the light which burst upon the world,” with one convert saying “I felt to love the Lord more than ever before in my life.” [41] Break out of the false trap of either/or thinking.
A second cunning way to blend truth and error is by omission. Consider this example: Would you trust this man? He is described in an ancient text as having little faith, and he publicly denied Jesus. In the book, he was compared to Satan and he violently attacked a religious leader. All of those facts are true. The book is the Bible but I omitted some important facts: This man was named Peter and he left his career to follow the Savior, he saw visions and angels, healed the sick and raised the dead, and was chosen by Jesus to lead His church. [42] Thus, a deceiver might select only a narrow range of evidence and omit the larger picture. Often these perpetrators will loudly proclaim that they “let the facts speak for themselves,” without admitting that they selected only the facts they desired. One convicted con artist-turned-reality-TV-star explained, “The truth can be used to support a scam or distorted until it leads the [victim] to the wrong conclusion.” [43] In this way, the presentation of too few truths can result in a greater error.
A final variation involves stretching truth or twisting it out of context, and we can illustrate this with a fictional case study. I am sorry to break the news today that there will be “Only men in the Celestial Kingdom.” First, there is a verse in that marvelous “Vision” in section 76 that most people overlook: “just men . . . are [those] whose bodies are celestial.” And Church leaders have been teaching this important truth right out in the open. Here’s Elder D. Todd Christofferson saying the quiet part out loud: “Those in the celestial kingdom are . . . just men.” And it’s not only him; in the last decade, this verse has been cited 12 times more than ever before! [44]
Now that I have offended the women and demotivated the men, let’s examine what’s going on here. First, I led with an inflammatory headline. I didn’t want you actually thinking about this. I wanted you to react emotionally, so I started a gender war. Then I twisted the scripture out of context, but I did so in a sincere and deniable way. Two words in that passage have two meanings: “just” can mean justified or only, and “men” can mean all humans or biological males. While the full context of the passage shows the words mean all humans justified through God’s mercy, I presented just enough to suggest it meant only males. Many of you resisted because you have read section 76 before and you knew the correct context, but what if I had cited an obscure pamphlet from the 1800s? Finally, I piled on a quote from a General Authority and a statistic seemingly showing a lot of support for this position. I have listened to many talks and lessons in our own meetings in which a teacher or class member lifted a few words out of scripture text and then used them to prove some other point.
Take heed that you are not deceived by false choices between purported opposites, by the omission of important information, or by twisting truth out of context. These tactics mingle enough truth to make you let your guard down with enough error to lead you astray. These tactics thrive in our day as common methods in antagonistic websites, reels, and stories.
III. “[Take] the Holy Spirit” [45]
In addition to taking heed that no one deceives us, the Savior also instructed us to take the Holy Spirit for a guide. How do we do this? Wouldn’t it be nice if one of the Lord’s true messengers would explain it? In October 2004, Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: “How do we take the Holy Spirit for our guide? We must repent of our sins each week and renew our covenants by partaking of the sacrament with clean hands and a pure heart.” [46] This weekly pattern helps us avoid deception and remain true to our covenants.
Repentance purifies our hearts and clears our minds. Have you noticed that neither deceivers nor the deceived speak of repentance? Instead, they will belittle the act or change the subject. Korihor taught that looking for a remission of sins was the product of a deranged and frenzied mind and there was no need for repentance because “whatsoever a man did was no crime.” [47] Elder Oaks further emphasized that personal revelation “is based on worthiness and is so essential that we are commanded to renew our covenants by partaking of the sacrament each Sabbath day. In this way we qualify for the promise that we may always have His Spirit to be with us, to guide us.”[48] Ignoring repentance and avoiding the sacrament diminishes our ability to have His Spirit.
IV. “The Holy Spirit for [a] Guide” [49]
How does the Holy Spirit guide us? A case study from my missionary experience in Brasil a few years ago might be relevant. After being transferred to work with a new senior companion from the United States, we visited a family who had received one visit and the invitation to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We were pleasantly surprised to find they had done both! My companion then asked, and I will re-translate this back into English from his Portuguese: “Did your internal organs catch on fire?” When they answered with an awkward, “No?,” my companion followed with, “Then you didn’t do it correctly,” and he assigned another passage, invited them to read and pray again, and we left. On the street, I said: “Elder, you have two problems. First, your Portuguese is bad, but you can fix that. Second, you don’t understand how the Spirit works, and that is more important than the first.”
My companion assumed that there was only one way to feel the Spirit, a burning in the bosom, but the scriptures teach far more than that! In the same address in which he issued the warning about needing the Holy Ghost to “survive,” President Nelson also explained, “If we will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His promptings, we will be guided in matters large and small.” [50] We can understand this guidance with the concepts of fruits, workings, and bounds of the Holy Spirit.
First, the fruits of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul taught that “the fruit of the Sprit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” [51] Notice again that there are multiple things on this list. Second, some of these fruits refer to feelings, some to the thoughts, and some shape our behavior.
If we adopt the categories of heart, mind, and action as a way to organize our thinking, many more examples appear in the scriptures. In addition to passages about love, [52] joy, [53] and inner peace [54] you might see instances in which the Spirit presses on the heart and feelings, [55] causes the heart to burn [56] or swell, [57] makes the bones quake, [58] softens a heart, [59] or changes a heart. [60] In addition to offering peaceful assurance, [61] the Holy Spirit acts on the mind to bring things to remembrance, [62] enlighten understanding, [63] or bring new insight. [64] It may manifest as a piercing whisper, [65] an audible voice, [66] a thought that occupies your mind, [67] or a vision [68] or dream. [69] And, beyond becoming longsuffering, [70] kind, [71] upright, [72] faithful, [73] meek, [74] and temperate, [75] the Holy Spirit guides action [76] to believe in Christ, [77] be willing to pray [78] and make covenants, [79] do good, [80] deal justly, [81] walk humbly, [82] and judge righteously; [83] it may compel to act [84] or restrain from acting. [85] Through which of these many fruits does the Holy Spirit communicate with you? I don’t know. That is for you to learn through your personal experience with heaven.
Let’s analyze a testimony. Which fruits of the Spirit do you see? “The first time I shared my testimony I was 12 years old . . . and my heart started to pound, and I knew I had to stand up. . . . I shared a very simple testimony, but I felt so warm, so good, so affirmed that Heavenly Father loved me.” Did you see the Spirit working on her heart, mind, and behavior? That is the testimony of former Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham. [86]
We encounter these fruits according to principles described in the scriptures as “the workings of [His] Spirit.” [87] President Nelson urged us “with all the pleadings of [his] heart” to “learn about God and how He works." [88] One principle of the workings of the Spirit is that the fruits come in the plural. In 1829, Jesus explained that He communicates “in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost.” [89] This principle quietly answers the common question: “How do I know if I’m feeling the Spirit?” It is the combination of heart and mind that provide the working answer—a thought without conviction is just a thought, a feeling without a mental corroboration is just a feeling. Sometimes the Spirit moves our minds, hearts, and feet. [90] The Old Testament prophet Elijah learned the “still and small” principle that God does not speak through thunder, earthquake, and fireworks but through methods described in scripture as still, small, piercing, and of perfect mildness. [91] Personal revelation comes “line upon line,” [92] sometimes sequentially on one occasion, [93] or as steps over time, [94] or as a gradual accrual like the distillation of dew on a summer morning. [95] The Spirit does not micro-manage your tasks, often giving an outcome without methods [96] or nudging you with an instruction without explanation. [97] Inspiration comes in God’s own time and in His own way, which can make it feel late or inconvenient. [98]
Let’s dissect another person’s testimony. A adult male recalled: “When I was a teenager, I went to the Sacred Grove alone . . . and I wanted some kind of confirmation. . . . I prayed with deep sincerity for a long time, but nothing came. There was no response. . . . Six weeks later, I was reading in the Book of Mormon . . . and without asking there came flooding over me that confirming spirit, and I knew.” Can you see the Spirit working on both his heart and mind? And his desire for something big in the Sacred Grove was answered later in a still and small way while reading the Book of Mormon. That is the testimony of President D. Todd Christofferson. [99]
It is also important to note that there are bounds to what the Holy Spirit will do. [100] Elder Dale G. Renlund taught that inspiration will occur within four important elements of a “framework for personal revelation”—1) it will be aligned with the scriptures, 2) within our purview and not within the prerogative of others, 3) in harmony with covenants and commands of God, and 4) connect to past and future revelation. [101]
Let’s make it real: suppose a male tells a female that he has had a dream in which he saw her as his wife. That is out of bounds! Elder David A. Bednar minced no words: “you can be sure that such revelations are NOT from the Lord.” [102] Elder Robert D. Hales shared the example of a wise woman who responded: “When I have the same dream, I’ll come and talk to you.” [103]
Here again, there are counterfeits. In the early days in Kirtland, Joseph Smith reported that “many false spirits were introduced, many strange visions were seen, and wild enthusiastic notions were entertained.” So the Prophet warned not to “imagine that when there is any thing like power, revelation, or vision manifested that it must be of God.” [104] Notice that the scriptural list of fruits does not contain fear, shame, guilt, or tears alone. Note that the scriptures don’t describe the workings of the Spirit simply by opening a book to a random page or sharing any stream-of-consciousness thought that pops into your head during Sunday School or even in the temple.
President Oaks warned: “It is common for persons who are violating God’s commandments or disobedient to the counsel of their priesthood leaders to declare that God has revealed to them that they are excused from obeying some commandment or from following some counsel. Such persons may be receiving revelation or inspiration, but it is not from the source they suppose. The devil is the father of lies, and he is ever anxious to frustrate the work of God by his clever imitations.” [105] In history, the devil has even “appeared as an angel of light.” [106] Not all supernatural manifestations are from God.
V. “[Treasure] Up My Word[s]” [107]
The Savior’s instructions to take heed and to take the Holy Spirit for a guide can help us avoid deception in the Information Age. The five wise virgins in the parable succeeded because they had prepared in advance with sufficient oil in their lamps. When Joseph Smith revised this part of the New Testament, he was inspired to add the Lord’s further counsel that “whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived.” [108] Our treasuring of God’s word constitutes the real-world storage of this symbolic oil. We build our treasury as we take heed to 1) listen to true messengers and 2) reject the mingling of truth and error through either/or opposites, omission, and twisting things out of context. We treasure up this oil by taking the Holy Spirit as a guide 3) through repentance and fidelity to covenants and 4) by learning to recognize the fruits, workings, and bounds of the Spirit. And only you can do this. Elder Renlund emphasized that “The five wise virgins could not help those without oil; no one can accept the gospel, take the Holy Ghost as a guide, and avoid deception on our behalf. We have to do this for ourselves.” [109]
Last month, President Oaks closed General Conference by invoking this process of treasuring up: “The Lord has promised, ‘Unto him that receiveth I will give more.’ As we treasure up and act upon the teachings of this conference, the Lord will continue to teach and inspire us with personal revelation and guidance.” [110] May you enrich your treasury today, and may God bless you as you develop patterns of thinking and behavior to help you avoid deception in the Information Age.
Notes
[1] Church History Topics, “Information Age,” Gospel Library.
[2] Text generated by Google Gemini, Google, Mar. 28, 2026.
[3] 2 Timothy 3:1.
[4] Isaiah 5:20.
[5] Steve Lohr, “It’s True: False News Spreads Faster and Wider. And Humans Are to Blame,” The New York Times, Mar. 8, 2018; Rachel Meng et al., “Research: Being in a Group Makes Us Less Likely to Fact-Check,” Harvard Business Review, Aug. 1, 2017.
[6] Dennis Romboy, “Does Utah Deserve the Title ‘Fraud Capital of the United States’?,” Deseret News, Apr. 29, 2019; Dennis Romboy, “Convicted Utah Fraudsters Used ‘Spiritual Revelation’ to Bilk Investors of $11M, Feds Say,” Deseret News, Jan. 8, 2021; “The ‘Big Lie’: Most Republicans Believe the 2020 Election Was Stolen,” Public Religion Research Institute, May 12, 2021; Daniel Woodruff, “The Business behind Christ-Centered Energy Healing,” KUTV, Sep. 28, 2016.
[7] Matthew 24:3-5, 24; see also 25:1-13.
[8] Genesis 37:35; see also Genesis 45:25-28.
[9] See Richard G. Scott, “Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse,” Ensign, May 1992, 31–33.
[10] Isaiah 25:8.
[11] Doctrine and Covenants 45:57, emphasis added.
[12] Doctrine and Covenants 52:14.
[13] For a brief and incomplete summary of citations see Rachel Sterzer Gibson, “‘God Has a Prophet Upon the Earth,’ Elder Neil L. Andersen Testifies,” Church News, Feb. 24, 2026.
[14] Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018, 96.
[15] Dallin H. Oaks, “Coming Closer to Jesus Christ,” Brigham Young University devotional, Feb. 10, 2026, speeches.byu.edu.
[16] Doctrine and Covenants 52:14, emphasis added.
[17] Matthew 24:4.
[18] Doctrine and Covenants 43:6-7, emphasis added.
[19] Matthew 10; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; 3 Nephi 11:18-28; Doctrine and Covenants 20:1-3, 124:123-143. See also “Founding Meeting of the Church of Christ” and “Common Consent,” Church History Topics (Gospel Library).
[20] See Doctrine and Covenants 20:2-3.
[21] Doctrine and Covenants 28:11-12.
[22] Matthew 24:5, 11, emphasis added.
[23] Alma 30:12; 1:3, emphasis added.
[24] “Kirtland Safety Society,” Church History Topics (Gospel Library).
[25] Desdemona Wadsworth Fullmer, Reminiscences, 1868, in Desdemona Wadsworth Fullmer Papers (Church History Library), punctuation modernized.
[26] The Lord revealed plural marriage to Joseph Smith; see “Did Joseph Smith practice plural marriage, or was it introduced by Brigham Young and others?” (Gospel Library).
[27] President Nelson called the COVID vaccine “a literal godsend.” His statements and actions are compiled in Tad Walch, “President Russell M. Nelson and the COVID-19 Vaccine: What the Church Leader Has Said and Done,” Deseret News, Apr. 30, 2021.
[28] Doctrine and Covenants 21:1-2, emphasis added.
[29] See Keith A. Erekson, “Expectations of a Prophet,” Ensign College Devotional, Salt Lake City, UT, Feb. 1, 2022.
[30] See Doctrine and Covenants 3:9-11. See also Doctrine and Covenants 93:40-48; Steven C. Harper, "Joseph Smith and Hearty Repentance," Religious Educator 12, no. 2 (2011): 69–81.
[31] All four gospel record details about this correction, see Matthew 26:51-54; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50-51; John 18:10-11.
[32] See John 13:21-20; Acts 1:25-26.
[33] Acts 16.
[34] See Keith A. Erekson, Real vs. Rumor: How to Dispel Latter-day Myths, (Deseret Book, 2021), 202-204.
[35] Doctrine and Covenants 43:2-3, 5-6.
[36] Matthew 24:4
[37] Alma 19:1-12.
[38] Ephesians 4:14.
[39] See Maria Konnikova, The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It . . . Every Time (Viking, 2016), especially chapters 2 and 10; R. Paul Wilson, The Art of the Con: How to Think Like a Real Hustler and Avoid Being Scammed (Lyons Press, 2014), 82-83; Loren Collins, Bullspotting: Finding Facts in the Age of Misinformation (Prometheus Books, 2012), 24–27; Steven Novell, The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe: How to Know What’s Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake (Grand Central Publishing, 2019), 118–28.
[40] Keith A. Erekson, “How Can We Find Truth in a Sea of Information?” Liahona, Apr. 2023.
[41] Matthew McBride, “‘The Vision,’” in Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Matthew McBride and James Goldberg (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2016).
[42] See Tad R. Callister, A Case for the Book of Mormon (Deseret Book, 2019), 134.
[43] R. Paul Wilson, The Art of the Con: How to Think Like a Real Hustler and Avoid Being Scammed (Lyons Press, 2014), 82.
[44] Doctrine and Covenants 76:69-70; D. Todd Christofferson, “The Testimony of Jesus,” Liahona, May 2024, 97; for citation history see this query of the data in the BYU Scripture Citation Index at scriptures.byu.edu.
[45] Doctrine and Covenants 45:57.
[46] Dallin H. Oaks, “Be Not Deceived,” Liahona, Nov. 2004, 46.
[47] Alma 30:17.
[48] Dallin H. Oaks, “Two Lines of Communication,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 83.
[49] Doctrine and Covenants 45:57.
[50] Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018, 94, emphasis added.
[51] Galatians 5:22-23.
[52] Love: Galatians 5:22; 1 Corinthians 13:4, 8; Moroni 8:26.
[53] Joy: Galatians 5:22; Romans 15:13; Mosiah 4:3, 20; Doctrine and Covenants 11:13; Joseph Smith-History 1:73.
[54] Peace (inner): Galatians 5:22; John 14:27; Romans 15:13.
[55] Press on the heart: Joseph Smith-History 1:12; Doctrine and Covenants 128:1.
[56] Heart to burn: Luke 24:31-32; 3 Nephi 11:3; Doctrine and Covenants 9:8.
[57] Heart swells: Alma 32:28.
[58] Bones quake: Doctrine and Covenants 85:6; 3 Nephi 11:3.
[59] Heart softened: Alma 24:8.
[60] Heart changed: Mosiah 5:2.
[61] Peace (assurance): Galatians 5:22; Philippians 4:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; Mosiah 4:3; Alma 58:11; Doctrine and Covenants 6:23.
[62] Remember: John 14:26; Acts 11:15-16; 1 Nephi 4:14; Alma 36:17.
[63] Enlighten: Alma 19:6; 32:28, 34; Doctrine and Covenants 6:15; 11:13; 76:10-18; Joseph Smith-History 1:74.
[64] New insight: 2 Nephi 32:5; Jacob 4:15; Doctrine and Covenants 124:4-5.
[65] Whisper: 1 Ne. 17:45; 1 Kgs. 19:12; Enos 1:10; Words of Mormon 1:7; Helaman 5:30, 46; 3 Nephi 11:3; Doctrine and Covenants 85:6.
[66] Audible voice: 1 Samuel 9:15; 1 Timothy 4:1; 1 Nephi 4:11-12; Enos 1:5, 10; Alma 20:2; Helaman 13:3.
[67] Occupy your mind: Doctrine and Covenants 128:1; Isaiah 11:2.
[68] Vision: Joel 2:28-29; Acts 7:55; 10:9-16; 16:9; 18:9-11; Joseph Smith-History 1:42.
[69] Dream: Joel 2:28-29; Genesis 28:12; 37:5; Daniel 7:1; Matthew 1:20; 1 Nephi 1:16; 8:2.
[70] Longsuffering: Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:2; Doctrine and Covenants 107:30-31; 121:41.
[71] Gentleness: Galatians 5:22; Doctrine and Covenants 121:41.
[72] Goodness: Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:8-10.
[73] Faith: Galatians 5:22; Doctrine and Covenants 63:36-37; 121:43-44.
[74] Meekness: Galatians 5:23; Moroni 8:26; Doctrine and Covenants 19:23; 121:41; 124:4-5.
[75] Temperance: Galatians 5:23; 2 Peter 1:6; Doctrine and Covenants 12:8.
[76] Action: Acts 2:37; Jarom 1:11-12; Doctrine and Covenants 31:11.
[77] Believe in Christ: Moroni 7:16.
[78] Willing to pray: 2 Nephi 32:8.
[79] Willing to covenant: Mosiah 5:3-5.
[80] Do good: Doctrine and Covenants 11:12; Mosiah 5:2; Ether 4:11-12; Moroni 7:13-16.
[81] Do justly: Doctrine and Covenants 11:12.
[82] Walk humbly: Doctrine and Covenants 11:12.
[83] Judge righteously: Doctrine and Covenants 11:12.
[84] Compel: Doctrine and Covenants 63:64; 121:43-44; Ether 12:2.
[85] Restrain: Acts 16:6-7; 1 Nephi 17:52; 2 Nephi 32:7; Alma 14:10-11.
[86] Jean B. Bingham, “How I Hear Him” (2020).
[87] 2 Nephi 1:6.
[88] Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” Liahona, May 2022, 100.
[89] Doctrine and Covenants 8:2.
[90] Mind, heart, and action: Mosiah 5:2-5; Alma 19:6; 3 Nephi 11:3; Doctrine and Covenants 11:12-13.
[91] 1 Kings 19:12.
[92] 2 Nephi 28:30.
[93] On one occasion: see 1 Nephi 4:10-12; Joseph Smith-History 1:41-49; Richard G. Scott, “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance,” Ensign, Nov. 2009.
[94] Steps over time: see Doctrine and Covenants 18:2; 26:1; 128:2; David A. Bednar, “Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept,” New Era, Sept. 2010, 3–4.
[95] Gradual, like dew: Doctrine and Covenants 121:45; 128:19.
[96] Outcome without methods: see Doctrine and Covenants 60:5; 1 Nephi 3-4.
[97] Instruction without explanation: see Neil L. Andersen, “The Prophet of God,” Ensign, May 2018, 26; David A. Bednar, The Spirit of Revelation (Deseret Book, 2021), 61.
[98] In God’s own time and way: see Luke 12:11-12; Doctrine and Covenants 84:85; 1 Nephi 4:6; Dallin H. Oaks, “In His Own Time, in His Own Way,” Ensign, Aug. 2013, 22–27.
[99] D. Todd Christofferson, “How I Hear Him” (2020).
[100] Doctrine and Covenants 32:4; 88:38; Exodus 19:12.
[101] Dale G. Renlund, “A Framework for Personal Revelation,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 16-19.
[102] David A. Bednar, The Spirit of Revelation, 38.
[103] Robert D. Hales, “The Holy Ghost,” Ensign, May 2016, 106.
[104] The Joseph Smith Papers, “Times and Seasons (Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL), 1 Apr. 1842,” vol. 3, no. 11,747; edited by JS.
[105] Dallin H. Oaks, “Two Lines of Communication,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 84.
[106] Doctrine and Covenants 128:20; see also 129:8; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
[107] Joseph Smith Matthew 1:37
[108] Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:37.
[109] Dale G. Renlund, “Personal Preparation to Meet the Savior,” Liahona, May 2025.
[110] Dallin H. Oaks, “Closing Remarks,” Liahona, May 2026.
About Keith A. Erekson
Dr. Keith A. Erekson is an author, teacher, and public historian with expertise in politics, religion, pedagogy, and information literacy. He grew up near Baltimore, served a mission in Brazil, and has worked in auto manufacturing, publishing, and higher education. He holds an MBA and earned a PhD in history from Indiana University. At the University of Texas at El Paso, he was a tenured associate professor of history and founded and directed the Center for History Teaching & Learning. In 2014 he became the director of the archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for the past five years he has directed the Church’s historical research and outreach activities.