Dear C.S. Lewis

I just completed, CS Lewis', The Screwtape Letters for Choice and Accountability #8.

This was a personalized value experience, and when I learned what the work was---I felt it fit the choice and accountability theme. CS Lewis is one who President Monson quotes again and again, and I love his words.

Uncle Screwtape in this work is a pro Devil. His nephew, Wormwood, is a young new tempter, who was given his first patient to tempt, a young adult human, male. Wormwood is to tempt his patient and secure his soul for feeding hell. (Devils feed on human anguish.)

This human character is representative of all human kind, and therefore has no name. The work brings to view the subtle ways the adversary works to bring a man (or woman) down. For example, being a habitual church goer but while there, judging shoes, clothing bags, word preached, ignoring some, while embracing others, or getting puffed up at being a good church goer, and other goodly doings.

Later, Wormwood works on attitudes toward parents, leaders, neighbors, dwelling in the past, preying on human tendencies of thinking one isn't good enough, and that message that laziness, mediocrity, commonplace existence is enough. Screwtape shows us how insecurity takes away faith, and how the devil causes one to except prayer, quick, just an act, but far in purpose and or heart. To accept the shell of religion but not the soul of it. Virtues become vice. And human agency decides fate.

Step by step, day by day, the young apprentice tempter works ever guided by his master uncles letters of encouragement, explanation, and advice, and the end---the ending held great surprise. All along CS Lewis's masterful work shows us the good and evil of things, we see the patient flounder and get caught up in his world of choices---toward the end Screwtape's letters are less happy because the human is discovering what really makes him happy, not shallow flighty short lived pleasures, but real joy---more and more Wormwood is losing and battling for the soul, as man discovers his divine nature, and then--it happens, at war (WWII) the man falls. He dies--and for the first time when the human actually sees Wormwood, Wormwood sees the others. Just as Wormwood worked his vile works trying to tempt this man--so other spirit beings appear beside the man. The man sees them and knows it was them all the time, and heaven claims his soul.

Then Screwtape's clear venomous strike comes against his own nephew and we see clearly that nature of hell, and no devotion at all. Indeed, a telling work inside hell's lair and lure.

I find CS Lewis to be genius, and well versed as Devils worked ever so determined--without the patient ever suspecting or seeing him--the tiniest things showed our valnerabilities and weaknesses using the nature of the natural man.

This work brought evident to my mind, that all day, everyday, we make choices-- I'm now pondering the readings--realizing that every second we make a choice, and of the great power of agency that line upon line can add to us, or take away. And the fact that it's important not to be asleep in brain, but aware and in control of our own thoughts and attitudes.

I saw how virtues could so easily become vice. In a word, genious. CS Lewis is one man I wish I could talk with for hours.