My favourite talk of the October Conference was by Elder Richard G. Scott entitled "Personal Strength Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ". I absolutely loved the way he used the story of the people of Ammon to demonstrate the principle that entitled his talk. Never before had I given the fathers of the stripling warriors a second thought, how they must have felt to send their young sons out to battle instead of themselves, because of the sins they have committed in the past which necessitated the covenant they entered into to bury their weapons of war. What faith it would have taken for those fathers who had keenly felt their responsibility to protect their families to allow their young sons to fight in their stead, not knowing if they would ever come back alive. And how would they have felt if their sons had died because of them? Herein lies a great lesson for us. So often we think 'this is my life and I'll do what I want' not suspecting that what we do has a profound effect on those around us and more often than not our loved ones bear the brunt of our sins as well as ourselves. Not only did the Ammonite fathers have to send their teenage sons off to war because of them but they also had to rely on Nephite's mercy to provide them with protection they could no longer enforce themselves. If you are not familiar with this story, read Alma chapter 53 of the Book of Mormon.
I was equally impressed with Elder Scott's insight into how incredibly important it was for those fathers not to break the covenant they had made because that would have left them exposed to Satan's power. He pointed out that had they broken their covenant, they would have become vulnerable to Satan's attempt to exploit their memory of any previous guilt and would by this lure them back into his influence. I think guilt is one of his greatest tools because by it he stands the chance of making us believe that we will never be better than the sins we have committed, that it is useless to try to forsake them. He will tell you that this is who you are and you can never hope to be better. He loves to beat us up with it and discredit the worth of our souls. Guilt is a useless emotion, once we have repented, that prevents us from moving forward and keeps us stuck in the past we cannot change. The Saviour has atoned for our sins to meet the demands of justice but the atonement cannot remove the consequences of our sins. It is these consequences that keep us in remembrance of our past sins to ensure we do not return to them, rather than guilt. Guilt just keeps us stuck where the Saviour does not want us to be. He desires to forgive us and he requires of us to forgive each other and ourselves. If we cannot forgive ourselves, we most likely cannot forgive others for any offence they have caused us. Forgiveness is central to the Saviour's character. If we do not develop this characteristic, we cannot become like Him. Each time we exercise forgiveness, we purge from ourselves feelings of hatred, resentment, anger, animosity and guilt and in turn we are filled with love, another characteristic without which we cannot become like our Saviour. If you want to be like Him, learn to forgive. If this essential trait eludes you and you feel it is beyond you, seek for the spiritual gift of forgiveness. For steps to do this read my blog on spiritual gifts and weaknesses.
Had the Ammonite fathers broken their covenant and succumbed to their previous sins of murder, all would have been lost. Any spiritual headway they had made up to then would have been in peril, and not just for them but for the generations to come. Elder Scott said that 'their humble, lifelong commitment to forsaking their sins did more to protect their families than anything they could have done on the battlefield'. The positive ripple effect of not breaking the covenant they made is felt even today amongst countless people who have studied the Book of Mormon and have been edified by the example of the 2,000 stripling warriors who fought so valiantly and were so firm in their faith in God that He would deliver them if they did not doubt. And this He truly did for not one of them was lost. What an amazing example they are to the youth of this Church, an example that is so badly needed in our world. Had these boys' fathers broken their covenant and regressed in their spiritual journey, we would not have this example to draw on today.
I also loved the way Elder Scott made a distinction between open rebellion against God and weaknesses. Sometimes the legacy of past sins is short or long term consequences and more often than not we are left with weaknesses born out of those sins. Regarding this Elder Scott says:
"The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion. Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment, when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy".
What great comfort it is to know that. I guess it all boils down to the intent of your heart and God knows what that intent is. I believe we will be judged on the intents of the heart more than on our behaviour. The Lord knows our capabilities and He knows how much we can do, His grace is sufficient for the rest. He has felt what it is like to be you for that one split second in the moment of His greatest suffering and because of that experience He is able to be merciful enough to forgive the sin and still have mercy towards the weaknesses that originated from it.
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