Gramps,

A member of the Mormon Church once told me that Satan can’t read. Is this true?

Susan, from Winfield, Kansas

Now, Susan, that seems pretty dumb. Satan has been around for a long, long time. In the preexistence, before his arrogant fall, he was known as a son of the morning, in authority before God. Would you think that one of the preeminent spirits before God would not be able to read?

Here’s what the scriptures and one of the Prophets of God had to say on the subject–

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Isa.4:12).

“From all that we have received pertaining to the pre-existence, we learn that there was a time when Lucifer held great authority and was known as the light bearer.” Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5, p 31

We should give no credence whatsoever to any of the off-the-wall ideas that some people come up with. If they don’t square with the scriptures and with God’s prophets, they should be labeled as idle tales and discarded. And that certainly goes for anything that I would say, as well as anyone else. As mentioned in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians,

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Eph 4:11-15)

Gramps