Computer Virus – Spiritual Viruses

As I mentioned at the beginning of my last post, for the last 7 months we've been dealing with a computer bug, virus, worm, cough due to cold (whatever you want to call it) that locked up our Windows programs.  I’m not sure what happened exactly—one day all the Windows programs became constipated and didn’t work properly.  I ran a malware program and I think it rooted out the virus, but by then it was too late.  One by one, each Windows program locked up L.  I attempted to reset my computer to an earlier time frame, but the virus wiped out any times previous to its introduction.  I was stuck and could do nothing but watch helplessly as our Windows programs continued to seize up and stop working.

First, Internet Explorer went down, then the PowerPoint program became inoperable (thankfully, Ben had already completed and presented his senior project).  Next we lost our access to our Word documents.  At first, we could still access the program, but we couldn’t save anything to the Word folder; we had to save them to the desktop.  Any emailed Word documents would not open on our computer.  Also, we could copy and paste Internet information to a Word page, but we couldn’t copy anything from the page to the Internet (like me writing posts on a Word document and then trying to paste them into my blog).  Eventually, we lost access to the program.  Several other systems locked up along the way.  Finally, half way through the Temple Preparation lessons with Ben and Alana, the Windows Media Player died.

The virus appeared only to attack Windows programs.  In some cases, we were able to use alternate programs to overcome the loss of the Windows program.  We used Google Chrome to surf the web.  Downloading Real Player and modifying the remaining temple lesson clips to that format allowed me to continue to use them in the Temple Prep lessons for Ben and Alana.  We adapted, but we were still without half our programs.  Alana’s dad, who works with computers for a living and is way more expert in their workings than I am, asked if he could take a run at our problem; two days later he admitted he had never seen anything like our situation.  He had been able to restore Word in order for us to use it and had other things working on a very rudimentary level, but said that was the extent of what he had been able to unlock.

Since we had not been given an operating systems disk when we purchased our desktop tower, he suggested we purchase such a disk and reboot the operating system to see if that would wipe out the aftereffects of the virus.  Getting Ben on his mission and adjusting to the economic impact prevented me from immediately doing so, but I was finally able to purchase a Windows 7 disk for half price on Amazon and take our computer “back to formula” (to quote from the 2002 Spider-Man movie).  The reboot worked and now things seem to be working quite well once again.

As I’ve thought about this situation within the context of my comments about the seer stone I can’t help but wonder if this situation can serve as a modern parable of sorts.  Elder Kevin W. Pearson testified: “Two of Satan’s most powerful tools are distraction and deception” (Ensign, May 2015, 114).  In my previous post, I discussed the deception side of the equation.  In this instance, I believe the distraction side is manifest.  I am presently recovering from a recent cold virus that knocked me out.  I had to take two days off from work and had the weekend and MLK day to recover.  During this time, my focus was on the part of myself that was not well.  Because my energy was turned inward, I wasn’t as cognizant of things outside my own sphere—I was distracted from many of the things around me and grouchy at times.  Satan attempts to introduce viruses, Trojans, or worms into us to lock us up spiritually.  Viruses such as anger, envy, jealousy, covetousness, pornography, rationalization, are just a few maladies that the “the enemy of [our] soul[s]” (2 Nephi 4:28) uses to turn our operating systems inward and render them ineffective.

Concerning anger, President Hinckley stated: “So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way.  Grudges, if left to fester, can become serious maladies. Like a painful ailment they can absorb all of our time and attention” (Ensign, Nov. 2007, 63).

Of envy Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught: “It has been said that envy is the one sin to which no one readily confesses, but just how widespread that tendency can be is suggested in the old Danish proverb, ‘If envy were a fever, all the world would be ill.’ The parson in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales laments it because it is so far-reaching—it can resent anything, including any virtue and talent, and it can be offended by everything, including every goodness and joy” (Ensign, May 2002, 63).

President Henry B. Eyring had the following to say about jealousy: “Discord or jealousy inhibits the ability of the Holy Ghost to teach us and inhibits our ability to receive light and truth” (Ensign, May 2011, 63).

Counseled Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin concerning covetousness: “Beware of covetousness. It is one of the great afflictions of these latter days. It creates greed and resentment. Often it leads to bondage, heartbreak, and crushing, grinding debt” (Ensign, May 2004, 40).

Many in Church leadership have discussed the ills of pornography, and I will turn to President Boyd K. Packer: “Pornography is like unto a plague sweeping across the world, infecting one here and one there, relentlessly trying to invade every home … Pornography will always repel the Spirit of Christ and will interrupt the communications between our Heavenly Father and His children and disrupt the tender relationship between husband and wife” (Ensign, Nov. 2010, 75).

And of rationalization, Elder Richard G. Scott warned: “Satan would have you rationalize—that is, twist something you know to be true into a pattern that appears to support your deviation from truth. Rationalization leads you down blind alleys in life. It drains spiritual power. It barricades the path to happiness because it distorts your understanding of truth” (Ensign, May 1990, 75).

What I notice about each of these viruses is how they can distract the infected individual from the Spirit and from those who could help him or her overcome the spiritual illness.  It is better for us to do all we can to prevent such viruses by strengthening our spiritual immunity through daily recommended doses of prayer, the scriptures, and “pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20).  However, at those times when viruses creep in despite all our preventative measures, repentance is the elixir that can take us “back to formula” when a spiritual virus knocks us off course from the “strait and narrow path” (2 Nephi 31:18; additional posts on this important principle here and here).

Satan will try to make us think that once we have succumbed to his viruses, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will reject us.  What we need to remember, however, is the statement Jesus made to the scribes and Pharisees: “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick” (Luke 5:31).  Yes, Father has decreed that “no unclean thing can inherit [His] kingdom” (Alma 40:26), but He isn’t treating our lives as a one and done NFL football playoffs or the NCAA basketball tournament.  Through the Atonement of Christ, there is an opportunity to play our way back into life’s tournament.  Jesus took upon Himself the role of Savior because He loved all of us in a way no Older Brother ever has.  God’s only begotten Son will not forsake or abandon us, but will seek for us even when we are “Wandering from the fold of God” (“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Robert Robinson).  We can be healed; we can be rebooted.  I am so very grateful to know that when I stumble, the hand of Jesus “is stretched out still” (Isaiah 10:4).