Repentance
I’ve read this one somewhere else before, but it’s worth repeating:
“As far as the guilty “getting away” with their sins, my colleague Larry Dahl has offered an illustration worthy of repetition here. A young, unmarried couple he knew had become sexually involved. After some time, an unexpected pregnancy, and no small scandal, they repented, were married civilly, and a year later were sealed in the temple. But some of the local sisters were indignant at how “easily” this pair had gotten off. One sister was overheard to say, “Well, if it’s that easy to get away with it, why don’t we all just have our fun and then repent when we get caught?”
The mistake this sister makes, as Brother Dahl points out, is in thinking that sin is something desirable and that those who sin and repent somehow enjoy an advantage over those who do not sin. Her reaction was not one of moral superiority—it was the envy of a carnal nature positively drooling over the goodies others got to enjoy and anger because she couldn’t have them too. In short, she was green with envy. In her case, sexual misconduct was something she wanted to do but didn’t “get” to do, and she felt cheated.
Of course, the correct view is that the righteous who have kept the commandments “get” to live faithfully, “get” to have the companionship of the Spirit, and “get” to become more Christlike, while the poor sinners around us are stuck in the mud until they repent. The recently repentant should envy us our uninterrupted service to the Master rather than us envying their recent bondage to the adversary. The proper perspective is that I “got” to enjoy a relationship with Christ for thirty years, while that poor soul has enjoyed life in Christ only for thirty days. I am way ahead of him or her, not behind. I think I’m behind or at a disadvantage only if my hidden value system puts a higher desirability on wickedness than on righteousness! It’s a matter of which you really feel is best—the life of sin or life in Christ. If the former, then letting sinners off the hook bothers you, and you want them to suffer (to balance out all that extra fun and pleasure they had and you didn’t). If the latter, then you know that their sinful lifestyle was already its own punishment, and you rejoice with the angles over those who have repented and been redeemed.” (Following Christ, Stephen E. Robinson, p. 88-89)
“As far as the guilty “getting away” with their sins, my colleague Larry Dahl has offered an illustration worthy of repetition here. A young, unmarried couple he knew had become sexually involved. After some time, an unexpected pregnancy, and no small scandal, they repented, were married civilly, and a year later were sealed in the temple. But some of the local sisters were indignant at how “easily” this pair had gotten off. One sister was overheard to say, “Well, if it’s that easy to get away with it, why don’t we all just have our fun and then repent when we get caught?”
The mistake this sister makes, as Brother Dahl points out, is in thinking that sin is something desirable and that those who sin and repent somehow enjoy an advantage over those who do not sin. Her reaction was not one of moral superiority—it was the envy of a carnal nature positively drooling over the goodies others got to enjoy and anger because she couldn’t have them too. In short, she was green with envy. In her case, sexual misconduct was something she wanted to do but didn’t “get” to do, and she felt cheated.
Of course, the correct view is that the righteous who have kept the commandments “get” to live faithfully, “get” to have the companionship of the Spirit, and “get” to become more Christlike, while the poor sinners around us are stuck in the mud until they repent. The recently repentant should envy us our uninterrupted service to the Master rather than us envying their recent bondage to the adversary. The proper perspective is that I “got” to enjoy a relationship with Christ for thirty years, while that poor soul has enjoyed life in Christ only for thirty days. I am way ahead of him or her, not behind. I think I’m behind or at a disadvantage only if my hidden value system puts a higher desirability on wickedness than on righteousness! It’s a matter of which you really feel is best—the life of sin or life in Christ. If the former, then letting sinners off the hook bothers you, and you want them to suffer (to balance out all that extra fun and pleasure they had and you didn’t). If the latter, then you know that their sinful lifestyle was already its own punishment, and you rejoice with the angles over those who have repented and been redeemed.” (Following Christ, Stephen E. Robinson, p. 88-89)
posted by FeatherSky at 1/09/2007 11:38:00 AM
4 Comments:
Interesting points. I will post soon.
I love Stephen E. Robinson. He puts things so clearly for me!
I totally agree with what he has said about this point. I had a dear friend who was in this very predicament. He dated a girl before his mission, dated when he got back, got her pregnant, married civily and then sealed in the temple. I was so disappointed and then pleased for him. However, now his wife has left him and their two daughters for some guy she met in a chat room. My heart continually breaks for my friend. He has worked so hard to make things right and then he gets slammed with this. I'm sure that he would testify to all that it is much better to have the Spirit as a CONSTANT companion, than it is to sin!
I really think that this is a point that should be stressed a lot. I know I have a hard time with it, myself. I never really thought that I was envious of others for "getting to sin" and I didn't get to, but maybe that's what it was.
I think a lot of us see ourselves as working hard and trying to do all that is right, then still having trial after trial. We look at others and see these glaring sins (such as premarital pregnancy) and while the sinner repents and everything, we only see how "easy" their life is.
Of course we don't think that perhaps we are making it through our trials, and they didn't, which is precisely why they had to go through the repentance process anyway. We also don't know what other trials they may be having in their personal lives, in their homes, because of this sin. We don't know how they felt as they didn't have the Spirit as that constant companion.
Just some thoughts I've had about this post. Perhaps I should have made my own post?? I don't know.
Well, SOMEONE needs to post, it's only me out there so far!!! ;)
I've had a hard time with this principle in the past. Rarely any more. Although justified in my head in different ways, I'm sure in the end it all boilded down to exactly what was said: jealousy. The old "the grass is greener on the other side" mentality.
Now that i've gotten older I'm capable of realizing how excellent the grass is on my own side of the fence :)
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