Salty Popcorn

 

Years ago, while serving as PTO President at my children's elementary school, I was tasked with cleaning out and updating the files.  

And there were more than 80 years of files! 

It was a bit of a treasure hunt and took me way longer than planned because I spent so long walking through the memories told by the files crammed full of receipts, meeting notes (with parliamentary procedure ensured), photos, news clippings and more.

The scrawled cursive writing turned to typewriter notes, than mimeo blue, then more typewriting complete with telltale blobs of white out and finally the early computer printouts, floppy disks and then memory sticks.  

In the midst of this I found a particularly intriguing fundraiser plan from a time which predated not only water bottles, but also water fountains.....

Here was the plan.  They would serve "extra salty popcorn" for free at the meeting and then charge 5 cents for a dipper of water. 

It proved to be a profitable fundraiser.

Some could say it was also a bit underhanded, others might say it was targeted marketing by creating a need. After all no one FORCED them to take the popcorn or to buy the water.

I was reminded of this as I spent my day working the concession stands to help raise funds for my daughter's high school athletic department.   In between selling  Spirit Nachos, cotton candy, ice cream, Powerade and of course salty popcorn to an amazing number of people before 9:30 in the morning, I thought about Satan's intentional marketing schemes.  

Elder John H Vandenberg stated, "The ratio to which people are subjected to evil influences versus good influences is high in favor of the evil. Satan will use his agents in every way that he can cunningly to lure individuals into his web. His agents are represented by people. And people influence the lives of other people."  

This warning was in 1965!  Do you think that ratio has increased or decreased since that time? 

He continued, "I would remind young people to remember that God is the author of all truth and to disregard any teaching that conflicts with the word of God."

Thank goodness for the scriptures and revelation which help us to recognize those lures and plans of deception! That draw us to his "buckets of water" but which never come without a price. 

Elder Vandenberg finished with this reminder.  "In every segment of society, there are those influences which elevate and those which deteriorate the human soul."

Sometimes it's not water he is directly offering....but the "free" popcorn or sins which seem not to matter but which always come with enticing promises but in the end leave us thirsting for more.  

But we can be aware, have the protection of the Spirit and refuse to step into his traps.