Initially we will examine the general plight of those who are born into faithful LDS families. This style of upbringing can present a formidable barrier to awakening to the realities of the World and the quality of evil therein. Many testify of the advantage it is to be raised by loving, faithful LDS parents who taught them with patience, longsuffering, and unfeigned love. Such parents often allow their children to make small mistakes in judgment in order to learn about consequences and life-course corrections. Children raised in this parenting style, (which is, of course, scripturally advocated), learn 1) positive results from righteous and uncoerced obedience, 2) the value of hard work both alone and alongside others, 3) to forego personal aggrandizement to aid in another’s need, and 4) to develop a recognition and relationship with the Spirit of the Lord. All these are good things to be cherished. The recognition later in life that we were taught these things is why Mother’s and Father’s Days bring tears of joy as we realize the enormous gifts given by this parenting style.

There is a downside, however, if additional education is withheld. Those raised in such an environment are often sheltered from a realization of the horrors and depravities of mankind. They will certainly learn in history classes about the Hitlers and Maos of the world. But they will only generalize about easy-to-recognize bad guys like these. They will, for the most part, be sheltered from the notion that there are those in the World who would purposefully betray a trust for gain. This is arguably the most difficult notion for a Latter-day Saint to understand at a gut level: That there are actually those who would publically proclaim to believe one thing while privately working toward the opposite end in a calculated pattern of betrayal for gain.

We are warned about the motives for this treachery in plain words in the 121st Section of the D&C. The Lord provides three main behaviors or goals which keep man from exaltation, 1) gain from substance (money, property, etc.), 2) glory and position (the honors of men), and 3) coercive power (unrighteous dominion). Often two or more of the three are combined. We learn about the roots of such basic betrayal from the beginning of the history of man. Able trusted Cain. They were, after all, brothers. And, yet for gain and jealousy, Cain dispatched Able and then tried to lie his way out of it. Hence we embark on a journey to learn of the origins of betrayal for gain or worse.

The Book of Moses provides details unfamiliar to many Latter-day Saints but which teach origins valuable to our understanding. Beginning in Chapter 5 we are made aware of the details of Cain’s adventure in evil. We often forget that this is only marginally the story of Cain and his brother. More importantly this is the tale of the relationship of Cain and Satan. It is this relationship that foments Able’s murder. This is where understanding begins. The great Satan of our pre-mortal life was cast out for attempting to usurp Heavenly Father’s power. Satan wanted to take Heavenly Father’s place and have all of creation obey him as it did Heavenly Father. What those who jealously seek that which belongs to another fail to recognize is the work required to gain such belongings or position and the value of that work which causes an individual’s growth and increase. Clichés abound regarding this topic: “There is no free lunch,” “You can’t get something for nothing,” and You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” are just a few. The Lord even taught several notable parables on the subject. Notwithstanding this common understanding, the World continues to teach that effort to succeed is not required or even desirable, lunches are free from the government, and consuming your cake won’t destroy it.