Simple. Satan is "The God of This World" as plainly taught in the Temple.
Reference to him is removed so as not to repeat his name too often - just like Priesthood after the order of the Son of God was changed to Melchidek - to avoid saying that name too often - but somehow got confused as Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - instead of Mormon/LDS assures saying that damned name way, way too often.
It is almost as if the top dogs can't find their butts in a bathroom.
BoydKKK Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Satan is "The God of This World" as > plainly taught in the Temple.
That hearkens me back to something I always found confusing. Satan's dialog in the temple... are his words true because it's part of a true and sacred ceremony, or is it all misdirection and lies because it comes from Satan?
Is he the God of this world, or was he just on an ego trip and telling lies?
If we do not live up to every covenant we made in that temple that day... are we really in HIS power?? It felt like we were supposed to take that to heart, but it's the Father of Lies saying it, right? So... truth, or falsehoods and scare tactics by an evil lunatic?
And isn't it kind of true that God punished Lucifer pretty damn severely for doing that which had been done in other worlds? That which needed to be done? I can't say I blame him for being a little pissed about that.
For that matter, God is the one who was acting suspiciously in the presentation... sending covert ops to earth to observe conditions... concealing secret handshakes... Secret combinations much? Satan ends up seeming like the more trustworthy of the two. #rolereversal
The LDS apologist might reference Christ's temptation in the wilderness, when Satan offered a mixture of lies while quoting Scripture. There's also the Book of Job, where his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildar, and Zophar) did the right thing in visiting and comforting Job, but spouted bad opinions and advice. So just because it's stated in or by a purportedly holy source (in this case, the temple melodrama) doesn't mean it's true.
I think this conundrum would be fun to play on missionaries.
The Book of Job is easy to dismiss for two reasons. First, it was not Hebrew but rather Persian; it still exists in the Avesta. Second the part that is Hebrew is the last few chapters, in which YHWH "makes it up" to Job to render himself just.
I'm not sure why the reformers of recent centuries chose to leave Job in the OT. They removed the second half of the book of Daniel, in which YHWH is portrayed as dwelling in fire and spouting the rhetoric of Ahura Mazda. Perhaps Job was spared the editor's pen because it doesn't pretend to offer doctrine and is really just a meditation on the vagaries of life.
The confrontation between Stan and Jesus in the desert is more problematic for Western Christians because it is an integral part of the latter's story. It's easier for Orthodox believers to process in the way Kazantzakis did since they emphasize the human side of Jesus and can treat him as gradually evolving into a knowledge of who and what he was. But for Catholic and Protestant Christians, the notion of the Devil interacting with Jesus is indeed a conundrum.
Back in the early days, The temple ceremony was confusing but at least there was a line and precept and theme that could be followed. Things that have changed: In the movie, When Lucifer was still in the pre-earth kingdom he had a robe and apron with symbols. He was a "Son of the Morning" and all that. So he was sent down to earth to fulfill his mission of tempting and mocking God's/Jesus' gospel and rites. So you see him tempting Eve and Adam, you see him giving wisdom/words to the preacher to set up his church. He even set up secret rites and symbols and covenants to give power to his followers; Cain became Master Mahan but Lamech also learned the secret rites (Moses 5:28-52). So it was to reflect that everything Jehovah set up was copied or offset by Lucifer, every sacrament, rite, symbols, tokens, penalties had an offset (very Yen/Yang). So not only would we learn that we helped create this world, but also learned how to pray using Adamic Language (Pay-lei-El) but there was Deep doctrines taught/learned. Now it's nothing more than secret handshakes and signs, no penalties, no 5 points of fellowship, no warnings of "this man lies and is the father of lies, etc..." In the movie, Lucifer had power and priesthood but gave it up when he was kicked out and lost the first estate.
The temple used to be a real haunted house. You were in the presence of spirits, you spoke in ancient languages, you swore blood oaths, Lucifer appeared with his priesthood symbols.
Whatever you don't wear tan colored nylons to the temple. That really gets Stan excited. It can drive the Holy Ghost straight out of the temple.
Sometime back a temple matron got after my elderly Mom for wearing the wrong color stockings into the temple. I'm surprised that temple walls didn't come tumbling down for such a serious if not unpardonable sin. -Who the hell is able to see one's feet when looking at women's white robes that sag on the floor?
In true good Mormon passive aggression- the temple worker told my Mom that she could buy a cheap pair of white hosiery down the street at the Dollar General store.