Sunday, April 21, 2013

Moses 6:55-56 -- On Sin and Self-Mastery

"And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.
And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment."
Moses 6:55-56


This is interesting.  I don't think that "conceived in sin" means at all that sex is inherently evil.  I think it probably just means that we're conceived in mortal bodies, and our bodies (the "natural man") have desires that conflict with our spiritual natures.  That is why Paul talks to the Corinthians in the new Testament about mastering ourselves. 

We have to learn to control these bodies... that's part of what we came to earth to learn.  Another part of it is just to "prize the good" as the rest of the verse says.  If we didn't experience tough things in our lives, we wouldn't know how to appreciate things when they aren't as tough.  And we wouldn't learn some of the things that we need to, in order to become more like God.

The second verse reminds us how much God values our free agency.  We have mastery over our own wills.  He never, ever forces us.  He warns us, and he reminds us... and if we listen, that is usually enough.  But sometimes we don't listen, and we go our own way, and make life a lot tougher on ourselves.

Today, let's listen to God, and learn to master our bodies and our desires.  Let's learn from him how to do that, and practice safe free agency. :)

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