“Unicorns, Soul Mates, and Other Mythical Creatures,” New Era, July 2017

Here’s your field guide to fantastical fauna that, though unreal, can actually harm you.

Throughout history, humans have envisioned creatures that don’t actually exist in the natural world. Often, people come to actually believe in these inventions of human fantasy to some degree. This usually happens through a combination of misunderstanding, ignorance, and plain old imagination. Take the unicorn, for instance:

The Unicorn Illustrations by Marija Tiurina; background textures by Getty Images A creature (usually a horse) with a single horn on its head. The horn was said to have magical, healing, or medicinal properties. The word unicorn is mentioned in the King James Bible, but that is a mistranslation; the animal referred to is actually some kind of wild ox or other form of Bovidae. Where they live: Deep in the (enchanted) forest What they feed on: Grass, oats, absorbed sunshine, or rainbows

Creatures like this may be fun and interesting to think about (and perhaps psychologically revealing), but they still have no basis in reality.

There are other mythical creatures that a lot of people nonetheless believe in nowadays. But these are not the kind that are fun and interesting to believe in. In fact, believing in them can be spiritually and emotionally harmful.

Some of them are things people believe exist out there somewhere; some of them are things people believe themselves to be. In either case, believing in them diminishes joy and growth. So, in a way, though they’re not real, they feed off of you. See if you’ve heard of any of them.

Creatures of Perfection The Soul Mate Also known as the One-and-Only. A particular person of the opposite sex you are meant to be with.1 Where it lives: Out-There-Somewhere What it feeds on: Deferred happiness, unrealistic expectations The Flawless One Also known as the No-Need-to-Repent-er; a perfect person; one who never makes mistakes.2 Where it lives: The Kingdom of Aboveyall What it feeds on: Ignorance, insecurity, pride

Creatures of Ease The Pure Talent Also known as the Lazy Success. A person whose obvious and consistent success comes entirely from inborn qualities that they have never had to work hard at developing, maintaining, or improving. Where it lives: The Plains of Effortlessness What it feeds on: Lack of motivation to improve The Life Cruiser A person who never has to face any trials or failures. Special powers include the innate ability to avoid all pitfalls, calamities, tragedies, accidents, pain, and loss. Where it lives: The Isle of Ease What it feeds on: Avoiding reality; when we look at others and think it’s unfair that their lives are so much easier than ours, this creature feeds on self-pity, envy, and resentment The Unscathed Limit-Pusher Somebody who always walks to the edge of moral danger but never experiences any spiritual harm. Where it lives: The Cliffs of Zero Consequence What it feeds on: Moral risk The Aimless Achiever Somebody who doesn’t make or pursue concrete goals but who nonetheless achieves all kinds of success. A cousin of the Life Cruiser. Where it lives: The Invisible Sky-Castle of No-Goal What it feeds on: Low achievement, wasted time The Once-and-Done Scripture Genius A person who has read the scriptures once and doesn’t need to go back and read or study them again, having obtained the full benefits of them in one go. Where it lives: The So-Low Plateau What it feeds on: Minimal effort, spiritual complacency, a “been there, done that” attitude The No-Prayer-No-Scripture-Study Lifelong Testimony Holder A person whose special gifts make it so that they don’t need to pray or read the scriptures in order to maintain a strong testimony. Where it lives: The Dense Hollows What it feeds on: Spiritual complacency The Direct Conduit Somebody who always has crystal-clear answers to their prayers and never has to struggle because the Spirit always speaks to them and makes decisions for them.3 Where it lives: The Floating Island of Yield What it feeds on: Misguided expectations, lack of spiritual self-reliance; can also feed on spiritual insecurity and despair when people believe they ought to possess these powers but don’t No Shortcuts “Success will not come immediately because it requires preparation and hard work. There really are no shortcuts to success.” President James E. Faust (1920–2007), Second Counselor in the First Presidency, “Message to My Grandsons,” Apr. 2007 general conference.

Creatures of Impossibility The Island A person who never needs help from anyone for anything. Also known as a 100 Percent Do-It-Yourself-er or Do-It-All. Special powers include skills, intelligence, emotional equilibrium, and resourcefulness beyond any human. Where it lives: The Ocean of Noman What it feeds on: Social and emotional isolation, unrealistic expectations, pride The Believer-Not A person who is able to have great faith in basic gospel principles while at the same time having deep doubts about those same gospel principles.4 Where it lives: The Gray Area What it feeds on: Doubt, insecurity, worldliness The Ungifted A person suffering from a curse that leaves them permanently without any talents or gifts. Where it lives: No-Good Grotto or the Desert of Dull What it feeds on: Lack of self-worth, insecurity, fear of failure Stop Comparing “We must stop comparing ourselves to others. We torture ourselves needlessly by competing and comparing.” Elder J. Devn Cornish of the Seventy, Oct. 2016 general conference.

Creatures of Social Fantasy The Beloved Meanie Someone, often popular, who does and says unkind things to others and who is also truly loved for doing so. Where it lives: Statusville, in the Bog of Belittlement What it feeds on: Social anxiety, putting down others The Frempter (Friend/Tempter) Someone capable of being a person’s “good friend” while also being the one who tempts them to break standards and commandments. Where it lives: The Frenemy Territory What it feeds on: Social anxiety

Creatures of Habit The Exception An extraordinary being whose unique circumstances make it so that commandments and standards do not apply to them as they do to other, less special people. Where it lives: Special-Special Land What it feeds on: Excuses, pride, unwillingness to change The Just-the-Way-I-Am-er Once this species reaches a certain age﻿—usually in their teens﻿—they will never be able to change any personal attributes (never get better grades, never be more kind, keep all bad habits, etc.). Where it lives: The Swamp of Sameness What it feeds on: Pride, unwillingness to change, insecurity, fear of failure