Shortly after I was married on the edge of Cedar City the youth leaders planned a fun activity. A rope was threaded all over a hill - around sage brush, past pine trees, and over the rocky slope. The youth were blindfolded and led to the start of the rope. They were told there were two rules:
1) Don't let go of the rope. Follow it to the end where the Bishop is waiting
2) Don't take off your blindfold, only the bishop can do that
Me and two other leaders were given the job of hiding along the path and tempting the youth to let go of the rope. At first we tried the obvious tempations:
"Hey, come over here... I have some candy I'll give you!"
"Pssst! There's a shortcut this way! Just let go and walk towards me!"
"Look out there's a huge tree in your way. Let go and walk to your left so you can avoid it!"
The reactions from these stalwart youth were like this:
"No way. I know you are trying to tempt me, and I won't listen to you."
"I can hear you, but I was told to not let go of the rope, and you won't trick me."
"Nice try, Brother Crawford. I can tell it's you."
This was all fun and good, considering the symbolism of it all, but I got to thinking - What if I really could tempt them to let go of the rope? What would I need to hear to convince me to break such simple rules? I pondered for a few minutes and then I had it.
First thing I did was to go to the end of the line where there was only one more curve before the bishop. I wanted them to forget the rules, and to be tired of playing the game. I think this is why the Lord said, "Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work." (D&C 10:5) If we pray continuously we won't forget what we have been taught.
I saw Lisa coming. I said to her,
"Is that Lisa? Good work, you've almost made it. Keep going and you'll meet a prickly tree, but if you reach around the right side you won't get scratched. Good, got the rope? Remember you're supposed to hold onto it for now. Keep coming, you're doing well, it will bend to the left before you get to me, there's a pole right there, then it turns left. Good job!"
So far I haven't asked Lisa to do anything; I haven't asked for her to respond. I just want her to be used to my voice. I'm purposely being helpful and friendly, and I make a point to call her by name. In the Book of Kings Rehoboam needed advice, but he had too many voices speaking to him. In the end he "forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; And spake to them after the counsel of the young men" (1 Kings 12:13-14). That ended up being a bad choice, and I'm hoping Lisa will be so used to my voice that she will listen to me too.
"Lisa, you're doing great. When you come around the bend I'm going to ask you what you've learned so be ready. Don't take off your blindfold because only the bishop can do that. I hope you've seen how this is an analogy for life. Four more steps, there you go, and stop right there, thank you so much, you've done a great job, now can you tell me something you have learned about going through life?"
Technically I haven't asked Lisa to do anything wrong, I haven't asked her to break the rules, in fact what I'm asking her to do is good - I want her to come up with life lessons. I think this sneaky trick is why Paul said, "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14) Notice - now she has changed from what she would have done because of me. Her goal was to get to the bishop, and now she is telling me about how life seems dark, but there is always a rope nearby, and how thorns and rocks are a part of life. Once I have started a dialogue I can try to crack through her protection. It's time to introduce the idea of sin, and rationalize it until she accepts it.
"Lisa, you have done a great job, but you have been able to hold onto the rope of your parents testimony for a long time. And I don't want you let go of the rope just yet, because I need you to tell me what you have done in your life to gain a testimony without holding on to your parents"
I'm desperately hoping that the difficulty of asking a personal question - the "how did you gain a testimony" part - will distract her from the fact that I just called "evil good, and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20).
"Lisa, you are an amazing young woman. Now it's time to have the faith to step into the darkness. I want you to stand right where you are but take your hand off the rope and feel the slope of the hill under your feet."
Oooo! The moment of truth! It's such a small difference from holding on to the rope and standing next to the rope. But this is the first time I have asked her to break the rules! When she does I smile. I know I've got her from here. This is Satan's favorite trick, "he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever" (2 Nephi 26:22)
"Excellent, now let's see how the trials of life are when we are moving solely on faith. Take a few steps towards the sound of my voice. Sister Hackett and I cleared away the rocks, but there's still one to your left. There you go. We've got to get to the bishops rendezvous before the next kid comes. Just a few more steps this way. Follow my voice. We're going to turn a little to the left, excellent. You are obeying with exactness, can you think of a scripture story where obedience led to a blessing?"
Her first few steps are unsure, suspicious, but all I have asked are for a few steps. If she chose to repent and go back to the rope it would have been easy. As we take more and more steps I weave to the left, then to the right. I want it to be hard for her to get back. That's why Amulek said, "I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance" (Alma 34:33).
After I've led Lisa down the hill I can see the next kid coming. I said, "Lisa, you're kind of in the middle of a whole bunch of trees here" (that's by the way, wasn't exactly true). "So stay here for a minute while I help the next kid, and I'll be back."
"Ryan, Is that Ryan? You're doing great, man, keep coming..."
With Ryan I got him around the bend, he stopped and told me what he had learned, I told him it was time to take a leap of faith into the darkness. We talked about gaining a testimony. I asked him to let go of the rope.
He hesitated.
"You've done a great job in your life, but there have been times you've had to face trials on your own. Ryan, as you let go of the rope, can you think of a time one of your friends challenged your beliefs?"
"They said, 'Don't let go of the rope.' "
"Right, because you had to make it here. Now you're not alone, but you have to walk by faith. I'm like your missionary companion. If you'll let go and walk towards me I'll tell you about the time on my mission..."
"Don't let go of the rope."
"Yes, that was the rule up to now, but at this point you are supposed to stand there and Sister Hackett wants all the youth to feel how scary it can be after you've let go of the rope, now hurry before the next kid comes, if you'll just let go real quick"
"Don't let go of the rope." And Ryan put one hand in front of the other
"No! Ryan, that's a dead end! Ryan come back! The bishop is on this rope, look I have the other rope in my hand! RYAN!"
As he turned around the last bend I heard him mutter, "Don't let go of the rope". Oh the power in memorizing the rules! He was fooled into thinking I was good until the second I asked him to break a rule. His memorized response kicked in, and although he couldn't understand what I was doing or why it led him safely through. Listen youth - memorize those Scripture Masteries! Even if you don't see why they are so important the time will come when you will want them and they will kick in word for word. The world will try to explain the scriptures fifty different ways, but if you memorize them word for word you will have extra protection. Ryan was lost. But Chris was next.
"Chris? Is that Chris coming? There's a tree about four feet ahead of you.. Just reach around the right side there..."
Chris stopped. Chris told me how life is like following a rope. Chris told me he got his testimony by praying and reading the scriptures. He let go of the rope and followed me down the hill. Now I can Lisa still standing in the middle of nowhere. There is no way I am going to let Chris be by Lisa. I want them isolated so they are less likely to figure out they have been tricked. If I'm lucky Lisa will be too embarrassed and mad to even tell Chris she is out there. There is great power in people meeting together in the cause of Christ. That is why the Nephites "church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls." (Moroni 6:5) That is why I take Lisa southwest and Chris southeast.
"Megan, is that Megan? You are doing great. About four feet ahead you hit a tree..."
Megan comes to me and tells me about following a rope. She tells me how she gained a testimony. As I tell her it's time to let go of the rope and walk by faith one her hands comes off the rope.
"Now, as you follow me I want you to focus on feeling the wind. The Savior once said that the spirit is like the wind because..."
"MEGAN DON'T LISTEN TO BROTHER CRAWFORD! HE IS TRYING TO TRICK YOU!"
Lisa.
Megan is around the next corner hands clutching the rope. I whirl on the girl and in my deepest most menacing voice,
"Lisa you shush right now or I will lead you so far down the hill you will never find your way back home and you know I can do it. Your choices are to totally break the rules and go back without your blindfold and be a complete failure, or you will stay there silent until I am ready to bring you back."
Ooooo! I was ticked - my whole routine ruined! The power of a friend! Megan trusted Lisa much more than she trusted me, and if she said I was tricking them I couldn't win. There is a power in choosing friends that will remind you of your standards.
"Brent, you are doing great man, hurry around the tree you'll hit in 5 more seconds. I want to talk to you..."
Brent came and told me about life and testimonies. As he stood there and let go of the rope I turned to make sure Lisa was going to stay quiet. It was hard to tell from the blindfold, but I think she was about to cry. What a dilemma - I was doing my job well... but I was playing a role that wasn't really me. Then I heard a new voice behind me:
"Brent, follow the rope to the end. I'll meet you there."
The bishop.
There was nothing I could say, Brent knew the Bishop's voice. My power was instantly dead. The bishop walked past me and took the blindfold off Chris.
"Meet me at the end"
Then he put his arm around Lisa and took off her blindfold.
"Oh Bishop! I messed up didn't I?"
The bishop laughed,
"Lisa, you got tricked. I've been listening to Brother Crawford all night. I probably should have jumped in sooner, I just couldn't resist listening. It's been a fun game, and I hope you'll be willing to share your experience. This object lesson doesn't matter, but what we learn tonight might save us from problems that really do matter."
The bishop could take their blindfolds off, and instantly Chris and Lisa were both calm and confident. They looked around at the barren slope and they could see exactly where they were, how they got there, and where they wanted to be. They walked in the bishops arms back the rope. I hope the youth know how much evil hates it when they go to the bishop.
Lisa stuck her tongue out at me and Chris told me I did a good job. It was funny now, but I resolved to be a little more kind.
"Peter, is that you? You are doing a great job. You'll hit a tree in about four more steps... there now reach around the right side...."
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