What exactly are the fiery darts of the adversary?
- J Tate
- Mar 13, 2019
- 7 min read
What exactly are fiery darts?
I have many friends who are struggling, or have already left the church for various reasons. Through pondering about my friends, and how this apostasy is happening like an epidemic, I was led to a verse about "fiery darts of the adversary." I used to passively assume that fiery darts are just temptations of the devil. With deeper study, I have come to a much greater understanding.
Fiery darts of the adversary are the lies which cause us to doubt and question the gospel (AKA:anti Mormon material).
These darts are lethal, meaning that they are meant to cause spiritual death in anyone they hit. In this technological age we live in, there is a constant barrage of darts coming at us around every corner. We have access to these deadly poison darts in our pockets and at our fingertips. It is in our homes, and within the community of church members. It is no longer possible to shield your home completely from these things unless you live as the Amish, with no electricity. There is only one way to protect yourself from the fiery darts of the adversary. You must put on the armor of God. More specifically, the shield of faith, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:16 teaches us that the shield of faith is able to stop the fiery darts. 1 Nephi 15:24 says that if we hold to the Iron rod, the word of God, that when the fiery darts of the adversary hit us, we will not be overpowered by their poison. We will not be lead away. These two scriptures clearly tell us that it is possible for us to protect ourselves from falling away due to anti Mormon arguments. We can block these darts with faith, and we can vaccinate ourselves with the word of God, so that when we are hit by a dart, it will not overpower us. Also, with the word of God being the Sword, realize now that this is your weapon. You have other armor to protect yourself, but your only weapon is your sword, the word of God. Read the Word, study the Word, know the Word, live the Word, and have the Word written on your heart. This is your weapon. If you are struggling with doubt because of something negative you heard about the church, please recognize that this thing causing your doubt is one of the fiery darts spoken of above.
Anti-Mormon arguments are designed to shock you. They sound unthinkable when presented a certain way, but in reality, there is a good explanation for all of them. Most of them are old recycled arguments that were refuted decades ago, but Satan knows what tricks work the best so he reuses them generation after generation. He knows very well how to shake a church members testimony in a few short words. He's been doing it for 6,000 years so he better be good at it by now. He makes it sound so convincing that it seems as if it must be right and true. Remember Prov. 12:15 says the“way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” What we think is right from our perspective may be completely wrong from Gods perspective. Always trust God, never trust man over God. Satan uses some truth mixed with a lot of lies to shake people. Sometimes he mixes lies with truth and sometimes he makes up complete lies on there own. Don't fall for it.
I'll give you an example. There is an anti-Mormon claim that Joseph was inspired by the Rosicrucians and copied the first verse of the Book of Mormon straight from the Book of Madoc. (I Madoc having goodly parents, etc...) Many people have lost their testimonies due to this claim. The way it is presented is very confident so that you logically come to the conclusion that Joseph must be a fraud because he copied that verse from a book while the Book of Mormon was supposed still be in the ground.
Let me fill you in a bit on the truth about this claim. The quote is absolutely non-verifiable, because there is only one person in the world who claims to have seen it. There were a few prominent writers who wrote pieces on the mythical legendary Prince Madoc of Wales discovering America 300 years before Columbus. To this day, nobody knows if this legend actually happened because there is no evidence of it. The Queen of England wanted to claim America under British rule, so she had these men write stories about the legend of Prince Madoc in order to have evidence that America belonged to Britain. These writings are known, and in reality, the secret book of Madoc doesn't exist. There never was a book by that name. This anti-Mormon argument is resting on one mans word that he saw a quote from a book that doesn't exist. To give him even less credibility, he has been in prison for decades, for murdering his wife by beating her to death. His daughter speaks out against anyone trying to free him because she witnessed her father beating her mother and herself in a very abusive home. This is the man we are supposed to trust when he says that Joseph copied the first verse straight from the secret Book of Madoc which doesn't exist. Sound very convincing now? This is very typical of Satan. Most of these arguments are not worth your time, and they will only hurt you if you enter the rabbit hole trying to figure them out. Don't do it.
This is just one example of how ridiculous these anti-Mormon arguments are. Now most of them sound very convincing, and they cause members of the church to feel sick with doubt. I again say that these are the fiery darts spoken of in the Holy Scriptures. Don't let yourself be spiritually killed by one of these darts. Put on the Armor of God. Wear the Shield of Faith to stop the darts from hitting you, and hold fast to the word of God so that if a dart does hit you, you will not be overtaken by it. Do not underestimate the power of these darts. John says that Satan can overcome us if we are not holding fast to the scriptures. “It was given unto him [Satan] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them” (Rev. 13:7).
Be aware that these darts do not always come from outside sources. They often come from within the membership of the church. In Acts 20:29–30, Paul warns the people, just before leaving,
“I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
“Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them”
“They [anti-Christs] went out from us, but they were not of us” (1 Jn. 2:19).
Apostasy has been prophesied to occur in our latter day. (2 Tim. 3:1–5, 7.)
And it will happen quickly “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Gal. 1:6). Many times the Nephites and Lamanites became wicked "in the space of not many years."
Paul says of the people who are overtaken by these anti-Mormon darts, they “depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.....Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron"
They are not afraid to lie to you because their conscience has been seared and they lose the Holy Ghosts influence.
“Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats” (1 Tim. 4:1–3).
They act like they are righteous and good, even though they are living in wickedness. "Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. From such stay away." (2 Tim. 3:5; see also 2 Tim. 3:1–4).
Don't think you are immune to these darts. Remember that even Lucifer was a "son of the morning, was an angel in authority in the presence of God" D&C 76:25–26 Moses 4:3–4
"And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice." There it is again, holding to "[his] voice," AKA the Word of God/Scriptures will protect us from falling away as a result of these darts(doubts).
I leave you with some of the Words of God on this subject. There is a way to avoid being overtaken. Have Faith, and hold tight to the Word of God.
New Testament
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Doctrine and Covenants
Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;
Book of Mormon
And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.
Doctrine and Covenants
Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.
An apostle of the Lord, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said the following about every member of the church:
"I say to all and especially the Youth of the Church that if you haven't already, you will one day find yourself called upon to defend your faith... Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don't live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them."
He guarantees every single one of us, that we will one day, if not already be called upon to defend our faith. It's not a maybe, it's a guarantee it will happen. Make sure you are wearing the armor of God when these occasions arise.
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