It is easier to maintain the course than to correct it

Today I read Alma 59, a very short chapter in which Moroni becomes angry with the government because of the fact that the city of Nephihah is taken over when it should have easily been fortified by the government. Mormon makes the statement in this chapter that Moroni knew it was easier to maintain a city than it was to retake it.

To me that is a type and shadow for repentance. It is much easier to maintain the course of righteousness than it is to correct it. I remember hearing talks from church leaders cautioning against young men purposefully sinning with the intent that they can repent and serve an honorable mission. I remember such a concept was very, very foreign to me. Who would willingly suffer the agony of true repentance on purpose?

Yes, repentance is a gift from God that we should all take advantage of, but the best way is to never have to use it! I have seen people in my life who made big mistakes and how truly hard it was for them to fully repent. I think of Alma's description to his son Helaman about his own experience with sin and repentance. I think people that have the mentality above, have never had to repent for anything very serious, or they do not truly understand the repentance process.

This type of thought always brings to mind something I heard as a teenager. I believe it was my dad, but I am not for certain, but I remember once having a conversation with someone who made the statement that the true effect of sin in the church is the loss of privileges. Think about it. We don't whip people, we don't mock people, and unless they do something so horrible that we have no choice or don't repent for a long, long time, we don't kick people out of the church. The real punishment in the church is the loss of privileges.

If you sin you cannot enter the temple anymore, if you sin enough you cannot partake of the sacrament or enjoy the use of the priesthood. You also miss out on opportunities to serve and any other blessings the Lord may have given you if you had been worthy to receive them. Now, the Lord can still bless you even while you are sinning and repenting, but it is totally up to Him.

Now, to the natural man, they may say so what? Who cares if that is all that happens to me. They say this because they do not understand the things of the Spirit. They do not have eyes to see or ears o ear as the Savior puts it. They are much like the 16 year old who think they have it all figured out only to find out 10 years later that they knew next to nothing and deeply regret not listening to their parents more. Interestingly enough, even though I never clashed with my parents and never out right rejected their counsel ever, I STILL wish I had listened to them more.

I am positive that is how we will feel when we reach the other side and realize all our Heavenly Father was trying to do for us and we wouldn't let Him. The Lord is prepared to do wonderful things for us if we will only let Him. That is yet another reason it is easier to maintain the course, we won't be unworthy for potential blessings and isn't life so much easier with God's help? Until tomorrow.