What's the Big Deal about Commandments and Repentance? - 9 May 2022

 

Why do God and the leaders of His Church constantly invite us to repent? Why do they put so much weight on His commandments?

The Lord explained why in our day: "Repent, lest... your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent" (D&C 19:15-16).

Because we are short-sighted and lack understanding, we often "know not" all of the reasons behind God's commandments--or the possible consequences of violating them. However, our loving Heavenly Father "has all wisdom, and... man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend" (Mosiah 4:9). And because He chose to experience all that we can experience, Jesus Christ understands the reasons behind these commandments perfectly and viscerally.

I believe that the "price of our sins" that we so often talk about Christ paying is not an arbitrarily assigned value (10 licks for a lie, 100 strikes for a stolen good, etc.) that is roughly associated with the seriousness of each sin. It is the real physical, emotional, and spiritual pain and suffering that we and others experience as a result of our making choices "contrary to the nature of happiness" (Alma 41:11), whether we intended or foresaw all of this suffering or not. Thankfully, Christ's choice to descend below all things and stand in our place allows Him to lift our burdens and relieve and heal us and others from that suffering. But we each have to allow Him to do so--and let this amazing gift change us in the process.

God's only motivation in inviting us to repent (and the only motivation of His servants today) is love and concern. The invitation to repent and live His commandments is merely an invitation to steer clear of suffering that He knows will inevitably come if we choose to live any other way.