Notwithstanding, what he was presenting in the discussion was quite pertinent to the whole concept of change and repentance.
When we make the changes in our lives, turn around from that which draws away from God, repent and receive forgiveness, how much do we really endeaver to turn from that for which He has forgiven us?
It had not really occured to me how the following particular scripture passage really does liken unto us in our day:
Alma 24:15-17
15 Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.
16 And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.
17 And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.
If you are not entirely familiar with the scriptural context and story this painting is based on, please refer here for more information.
God is indeed merciful to us! And do we all not go through great effort to have the stains of our sins taken away from us when we repent? So, do we -- as this group of people who converted to living the Gospel over two millenia ago did -- actively work at removing from our life the sins and temptations that we have repented of? Or do we risk falling back into those sins by keeping some sort of physical or emotional or mental vesting of them?
I doubt any of us (those who are reading this and are members of His Church) are guilty of murdering others. But the actions and habits which we have repented of or are in the process of repenting of have indeed been the source of spiritual wounds to others, let alone causing the flow of blood from The Savior. Don't you agree? Those things that we work at casting aside that are unholy and ungodly, impure and unrighteous in any aspect, how much are we really casting them off?
You know, it can be hard to let go. It can be hard to let go of music or TV shows or other things that are not appropriate. After all, maybe we paid hard currency for them. It can be hard to let go of the verbal sparring and feelings of empowerment that come putting someone else in their place. After all, maybe we had classes in debate and think it is all just in fun. It can be hard to give up thinking bad thoughts about others. After all, maybe that is where we feel comfortable and secure about ourselves.
And after all, shouldn't there be some sort of contingency allowance in case this gospel living thing just doesn't work out, right?
It is a lot easier to consider that these ancient people could easily give up their physical swords and weapons of war... probably because it isn't us and I doubt any of us own firearms or knives or the such for the purpose of fighting.
But they did so, even at peril of their mortal life. And a fair number of them willingly let their enemies slay them rather than take up their arms again as the way to defend themselves against those who sought to do them harm.
We are not so different from those people who lived in the times of Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah. We need to see that those who wish to do us harm do not necessarily do so with weapons, but with pop culture and attitudes and other "things of the world" that are all geared to move us ever so slightly one or two degrees off course.
In the long and short of it, there is no room for contingency in repenting of our sins. Let us repent, seek forgiveness, and be done with that thing which takes us from God and the great reward and bounty He wishes to bless us with.
I encourage you, dear reader, look at what your personal modern day equivalent of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis swords and weapons of war are. Look hard and deep at what you can cast into the depths of the earth and covenant with God not to take back up again as a sign of your gratitude for His forgiveness and to keep yourself clean. Will you take courage and rely on His strength to do this, even in the face of open (and perhaps even hostile or worse, subtle) ridicule and scorn from those who are of the world and in the Great and Spacious Building?
