Voices

President Faust said, “The Spirit’s voice is ever present, but it is calm. Said Isaiah, ‘And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever’ (Isaiah 32:17). The adversary tries to smother this voice with a multitude of loud, persistent, persuasive, and appealing voices” (see here).  I think we see in the scriptures these kinds of negative voices that come from the adversary, and they serve as a warning for us as we are faced with similar voices that try to get our attention.  For example, when Korihor was among the Nephites, “he did rise up in great swelling words before Alma, and did revile against the priests and teachers” (Alma 30:31).  His voice was exactly what President Faust described: “loud, persistent, persuasive, and appealing,” and it was those who knew the voice of the Spirit who could see through the messages from Korihor. 

Similar voices were sent forth among the Lamanites when Amalickiah was trying to gain power: “He did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites” (Alma 48:1).  At the time of the sign of Christ’s birth, there were similar voices among the Nephites from those of the wicked who “began to rejoice over their brethren” and who “did make a great uproar throughout the land” because of those who believed in the prophecies of Samuel (3 Nephi 1:6-7).  A few years later we read of the persistent voices of the rulers of the Jews who wanted to get rid of the Savior: “And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed” (Luke 23:23).

                Of course the devil himself is one example of these kinds of voices.  We see this especially in his encounter with Moses,  We read, “And now, when Moses had said these words, Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me? … And it came to pass that Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth” (Moses 1:19, 22).  Later when Enoch saw the adversary he “beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced” (Moses 7:26).  These kind of loud, mocking voices come from the devil, and we have to learn to separate them from the voices that are the most important.  Our task is to hear the “still small voice” that is ever present but always more quiet than these voices of the world.  The world will shout at us with their messages, but we must learn to hear God’s voice in the still, quiet moments that we have.