Trust me, I'm lying...

How do you protect yourself against an adversary who is not afraid to lie, distort truth and deceive? How do you honestly tackle difficult questions about your faith without falling into his traps? You have to know the tactics he will try to use against you and how to defend yourself. With this card game, you'll explore the vast playbook of the Adversary and how to prevail against it.

Play by Play

All is Well is Zion

Pacify them to believe things are fine as they are so they don't need to be "anxiously engaged" in good causes.

Henry doesn't do his ministering because his assigned families appear to be doing well.

Antidote

Exercise our agency to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause” to “bring to pass much righteousness” and not be “compelled in all things.”

#1

Beyond Hope

Convince them that they've gone too far into "forbidden paths" for Christ to save them.

Sarah no longer prays. She feels beyond hope because of the mistakes she's made.

Antidote

Remember "it is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines." (Holland)

#10

Church = Cause

Persuade them to believe that the Church and its teachings are the cause of their unhappiness and life problems.

Braxton’s been feeling down lately. He thinks it’s because the Church’s teachings restrict him from doing what he wants to do with his life.

Antidote

There is usually more than one reason we feel like we feel. Solely blaming the Church is shortsighted and separates us from God and the saints.

#39

Commandments Are Handcuffs

Trick them into thinking the commandments restrict us from living a fun, exciting life.

Mandy believes that attending Church on Sunday prevents her from having fun with her friends.

Antidote

Learn "to see obedience not as a punishment but as a liberating path to our divine destiny." (Uchtdorf)

#14

Concrete Restoration

Trick them into thinking the Church's principles are set in stone and changing them proves the Church isn't true.

Warren is alarmed by the changes to the temple endowment and wonders how the Church can still be true if God is considered unchangeable.

Antidote

Remember that the Restoration is a process, not a single event. Otherwise, why would we need a living prophet?

#40

Confess Not His Hand

Persuade them to rationalize away the blessings of God and "less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven."

Anders has been blessed with a wonderful family and great friends, but instead of being grateful he complains about what he doesn't have.

Antidote

Choose to live in a way that brings the Spirit in your life so you can see "the hand of God more clearly."

#20

Crippling Questions

Scare them into thinking that questions are wrong and proof of a weak testimony.

Fredrick has a question about church history, but keeps it to himself because he doesn't want to sound like a doubter.

Antidote

Remember that "questions are good" and that the Lord has promised us that he will "give liberally to them that asketh."

#15

Culture Is Doctrine

Convince them that the culture of church members in a given area is doctrine, making it easier to attack.

Edith doesn't want anything to do with Church because it's a "Republican Church" since most members in her ward identify with that party.

Antidote

Recognize that 'Church Culture' where you live is not Gospel Doctrine, it can be wrong. Rely on the teachings of the scriptures and prophets instead.

#45

Discounting the Spirit

Convince them that their spiritual experiences were not real, but simply the "effect of a frenzied mind."

Rachel decides that the good feeling she felt at girls camp was not the Spirit, but simply the result of having a fun time with friends.

Antidote

Remember that "the adversary's design is to distract us from spiritual witnesses, while the Lord's desire is to enlighten and engage us in His work."

#17

Easy Spirituality

Make them believe that a testimony should come easily with minimal effort.

Samuel doesn't believe in the power of the Book of Mormon, but hasn't read it for himself.

Antidote

Remember that "the Lord loves effort" and in order to gain a testimony, we need to "exercise a particle of faith."

#25

Eat, Drink and be Merry

Deceive them into thinking that their actions don't have eternal consequences.

Vanessa decides to start smoking since life is short anyways and it won't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Antidote

Remember that "belief in (life after death) encourages one to obey the commandments, repent of sins...and do the other things that bring joy."

#7

Everyone is Doing it

Tempt them to sin by rationalizing that everyone is doing it.

Rachel decides to drink a beer because all her friends from church are also doing it.

Antidote

Hold fast to eternal truths and remember that "50 million people can be wrong--totally wrong."

#5

Faith vs. Science

Convince them that Science and Faith are wholly incompatible.

José starts to doubt God could've created the Universe when learning about the Big Bang.

Antidote

"Embrace all and every item of truth, without limitation." Remember the scientific method and revelation are complementary.

#4

False Objectivity

Trick them into believing that they are being unbiased by looking at antimormon sources.

Rachel has doubts about the church so she views anti-mormon literature to get a fuller understanding.

Antidote

Remember that "you don't have to wonder about what is true...through personal revelation you can recieve your own witness."

#32

False Prophets

Blind them to the true prophet by directing their attention to false prophets.

Jill join's Gary's study group that looks for evidence that Jesus will return next year and describes the current prophet as deceived.

Antidote

Remember that priesthood authority is crucial to receiving revelation. Be weary of people who claim to receive revelation for you without proper authority.

#37

God is Dead

Trick them into thinking that God does not exist because a loving Father wouldn't allow awful things to happen.

Ava doesn't see how God is real if he allowed her mother to die in a car crash.

Antidote

Remember that "mortal life is inherently unfair" but "Jesus Christ came to earth and 'absorbed' all unfairness" so we can feel peace even in difficulty.

#28

Look for the Offensive

Encourage them to find offensive comments from church members and leaders by looking beyond their intended meaning.

Pauline decides to leave the church after her Relief Society teacher suggested that a mother is less valiant if she works outside the home.

Antidote

We can choose to focus on good intentions and the positive fruits of living the gospel, while minimizing slights and imperfections.

#36

Loving the Sin and the Sinner

Convince them that in order to love the sinner, they need to embrace the sin.

Lauren doesn't say no to smoking with her friend because she doesn't want to seem judgemental.

Antidote

Remembert that "our religion is not one of rationalization..but a religion of redemption."

#35

Men are Superior

Teach them that women are inferior in the church because they do not hold priesthood keys.

Noah uses his priesthood keys to justify abusive behavior on his wife.

Antidote

Remember that "the powers of heaven cannot be..handled only upon the principles of righteousness." Doing otherwise is against God's commands.

#27

Miracles have Ceased

Explain that miracles, prophesies, and gifts of the Spirit are a thing of the past and no longer happen today.

Dmitri decides not to ask for a blessing of healing because miracles only happen in the scriptures anyways.

Antidote

Remember that "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever," and "it is by faith that miracles are wrought."

#9

Mistaken Identity

Convince them that their divine identity is surpassed by worldly identifiers which will "stymie [their] progress."

Jane rejects the Prophet's advice because it is contrary to the beliefs of her political party.

Antidote

Avoid adopting any identity that displaces, replaces, or takes priority over your true identity.

#3

Neglecting Nineveh

Convince church members and missionaries that some people cannot be saved or are simply unreachable.

Malohi and his companion avoid a particular neighborhood because they think no one there will be open to hearing their message.

Antidote

We cannot (and should not) control the choices of others, but as disciples of Christ, we are responsible for sharing the truth of His gospel with everyone.

#42

Odd One Out

Persuade them that all church members need to be the same and they are the one that doesn't belong.

Sarah feels like an outsider in her YW class because she is the only one without a priesthood holder in the home.

Antidote

Remember that "it is by divine design that not all the voices in God's choir are the same. It takes variety to make rich music."

#30

Out of Context

Persuade them into taking historical quotes out of context and view them with their 21st century perspective.

Sam doesn't see how Brigham Young could have been a prophet of God since he said such racists comments.

Antidote

It's easy to judge those who have come before us because we can see the clear consequences of their choices, but they, like us, couldn't see the future.

#31

Overwhelm with Criticisms

Persuade them to leave the church by overwhelming them with every attack ever stated against the church.

Antonio is starting to doubt the gospel because he doesn't have an answer to every accusation his friend throws at him.

Antidote

Remember that it's okay to not "know the meaning of all things" but that answers will come "line upon line, precept upon precept."

#33

Perfectionist Mindset

Tell them that God expects them to do all the things and live a perfect life in order to be worthy of his love.

Kari won't watch General Conference because she feels she can't live up to every piece of counsel given.

Antidote

Remember that "men are that they might have joy—not guilt trips!" and that "the Lord will bless us according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts."

#11

Prophets are Out of Touch

Convince them that the prophet is old and uninformed so their counsel is outdated.

Katie doesn't believe the prophet's advice is applicable to her because he is too old to understand her problems.

Antidote

"man of judgment who isn't blown about by every wind of doctrine" "whoso receiveth prophets receiveth me"

#23

Riches are Righteousness

Distract them from humility and the gospel with the flashy riches of the world.

Caleb loves wearing brands his friends can't afford because it makes him feel cool. He thinks being rich comes from being righteous.

Antidote

Avoid giving "highest priority to the riches, power, and the praise of the world" because those will never last.

#19

Seeds of Doubt

Persuade them to question the validity of the Book of Mormon

Drew doesn't understand how the Book of Mormon could be true when it doesn't match our current understanding of ancient American history.

Antidote

Remember that your testimony of the Book of Mormon should come from the Holy Spirit, not geographical or linguistic evidence.

#34

Sheep-like Faith

Persuade them to think that they are blindly following the Church like sheep.

Ruby questions whether the church is really true or if it just feels familiar because she was born into the faith.

Antidote

There's nothing wrong with having faith and following Christ, he's supposed to be our Shepard after all.

#38

Show Me a Sign

Convince them that the gospel isn't true unless God shows them a miraculous sign according to their own timing.

Rebecca decided she will believe that God is really there only if he heals her little sister from her sickness.

Antidote

Remember that in order for miracles to happen, "first we act in faith; then the power comes--according to God's wil and timing."

#21

Sin Now, Repent Later

Reassure them that they can sin now since they can always repent later.

Thomas disregards the law of chastity during high school because he'll just repent before his mission.

Antidote

Choose to repent daily with "real intent" to experience the full power of Christ's atonement.

#6

Spiritual Comparison

Have them self-compare their own spirituality and character with the perceived spirituality of others.

Cynthia feels bad when Carol is called to the YW presidency, knowing that Carol doesn't dress as modestly as she does.

Antidote

Avoid being competitive in your spirituality and recognize that we are all on the same team.

#43

Spirituality is Enough

Teach them that organized religion is corrupt and a hinderance to their own spirituality.

Nathan doesn't attend church because he thinks that all the rules and traditions in organized religion are completely unneccessary.

Antidote

Remember that the Lord has commanded us to "meet together oft" because "where two or three are gathered... there am I in the midst of them."

#18

Splitting the Flock

Convince church members to see specific groups of people as incapable of being true disciples of Christ.

Jacob is contentious towards Tahi because he doesn't see how someone from that political party could be a faithful member of the church.

Antidote

We can realize that everyone is a child of God. We can try to find common ground with those that disagree.

#41

The Church is Sexist

The Church is sexist because only men have the priesthood and leadership roles.

Olivia is antagonistic to the church because of the small represation of women in general conference.

Antidote

Remember that "all are alike unto God" and "the heavens are just as opened to women endowed with God's power...as they are to men who bear the priesthood."

#29

The Future is Hopeless

Scare them into thinking that there is no hope for the future and that society is beyond saving.

Paul is paralyzed with fear and finds it difficult to move on in his life when he sees how wicked the world is becoming.

Antidote

Even though wickedness is increasing, our prophet "is optimistic about the future" and the righteous will have "the power of God in great glory".

#22

Trust in the Arm of Flesh

Teach them to rely soley on their own strength because "every man prospers according to his own genius."

Ava has a busy schedule and has little time for spiritual things. She fails to notice the daily blessings from God.

Antidote

Remember that when we depend only on ourselves, we are left to our own srength, but through Christ we "can do all things."

#16

Turning a Moat into a Beam

Blind them to church leaders' strengths by directing their focus to their imperfections and mistakes.

Harry disregards the prophet's counsel because of mistakes prophets have made in the past.

Antidote

Remember that "imperfect people are all God has to work with" and that we should choose not to "condemn" others because of their imperfections.

#12

We Need No More

Convince them that they "have got a bible" already, so no added scripture is needed.

Ralph doesn't believe in the Book of Mormon because the Bible is all he needs.

Antidote

God gives "continuous revelation" to those who seek. Additional books of scripture show His love for His children in "every nation of the world."

#13

Wickedness is Happiness

Trick them into finding "happiness in doing iniquity."

Jessica is feeling down and turns to alcohol to cope with her challenges.

Antidote

Remember that "wickedness never was happiness" and that the commandments lead to a "blessed and happy state"

#8

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Trick them into trusting a hostile critic of the church who frames attacks as innocent questions.

Sam trusts that John is a well-intentioned seeker with doubts, when in reality John is benefiting financially from destroying others' faith.

Antidote

Avoid those who "cause divisions [...] contrary to the doctrine". Consider their ulterior motives, and seek to "recognize them by their fruits".

#2

You are the Exception

Convince them that the commandments don't apply to them because of their unique circumstances.

Taylor knows she should love her neighbor, but doesn't believe that charity should extend to the rival high school sport teams.

Antidote

Remember that right now "we see through a glass darkly" but that someday we will "see that His laws are a manifestation of His love for us."

#26

Your Suffering is God's Punishment

Trick them into thinking that when bad things happen to them it is a punishment from God.

Tyler has been struggling with depression for the last year and worries he's being punished for mistakes he's made in the past.

Antidote

Remember that suffering is part of our fallen world but that Christ "suffered what you suffer so that He would know how to lift you up."

#24