Are you really willing? Am I?

Back to religious themes.

This has been rolling around in my head, since I read it a few weeks ago, but it came home to me while teaching last week.

Of course, the usual disclaimers, and since there may be new people to read, I will be pulling my thoughts from the Book of Mormon, Another Witness to Jesus Christ.  Don't be scared off by using this scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as it is probably thought that most Christians would recognize.

In the Book of Alma, a part of the Book of Mormon, Chapter 22, is the history of the sons of Mosiah teaching the Lamanites.  note- At the time, the Nephites were generally the ones that followed God, and the Lamanites were those who fought against them.  Not sure how to detail more than that.  (other than reading it, of course)  Specifically, Aaron was teaching Lamoni's father, who was king of all the lamanites.  Teaching the idea of a loving God, and His plan of redemption of mankind, Aaron convinces the King that he needs to pray, to know for himself the truth of his words.  His prayer is in verse 18:

18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.

I want to highlight the phrase "I will give away all my sins to know thee"  And this came up in my class last week.  I asked the question: "How fair is that trade?  That we give away ALL our sins to know Christ, and Christ gives us Eternal Life."  Of course, it seems very lopsided, but is it?

How hard is it to "give away ALL our sins", and are we REALLY willing to do that?  That is a completely different question, and it is a lot harder than we think.

It means to truly and COMPLETELY forsake those sins.  Not just turn away, not to just stop doing them, (how many times have you heard "I can quit smoking anytime I want.  I have at least a dozen times."), but to utterly reject them, to leave them behind.  If you look at it from that aspect, then maybe the trade of sin for eternal life isn't nearly as easy as it seemed..

No matter how small the sin, the truth is that sin is sin.  It is an offense to God.  Our purpose in life is to improve ourselves, to truly rip the natural man out of us, to be Saints.  We work towards perfection, no matter how long that may take.  Can we achieve it in mortality?  No.  Should we try?  absolutely.  That is what is required.  As we lay those sins on the altar, one by one, and as we receive the cleansing spirit of forgiveness, it is enough.

So, let me ask.  Are YOU willing to give away all your sin to know God?

If you would like to read the story of the Sons of Mosiah, and their mission, it starts in Chapter 21, and the link is here. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/21?lang=eng

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