I've been thinking all week about something meaningful to contribute to this blog, and hadn't come up with something that seemed to fit all week. Tonight, however, I had the opportunity to listen to a fireside that was very well done. The speaker outlined for us the difference between sin and weakness. The booklet "True To The Faith" defines sin as willful disobedience against God's will. You know that you're doing something wrong, yet you do it anyway. Every person who has come to this earth (with one exception) has committed sin.
For a member of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, worshiping in the holy temple is one of the most sacred experiences on this earth. To ensure that one is ready for the experience, an interview is conducted with a member of both the Bishopric and the Stake Presidency. In the interview one of the questions asked is if you feel that you are doing everything you can to be worthy to enter into the temple. Many members feel a little uncomfortable answering this question because we are intimately aware our many shortcomings and weaknesses. Perhaps we had been a little too short-tempered and had said unkind things about another. Perhaps we had a thought pop into our mind that is not conducive to promptings from the Spirit. Although we try everyday to remember and keep our covenants, we fall short on a regular basis. As mortals we all make plenty of mistakes. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni teaches us that God gives men weaknesses that we may be humble, and if we humble ourselves before Him and have faith in Him, that He can make weak things strong for us (Ether 12:27). It's an interesting thought that our loving Father in Heaven gives us weaknesses. Why? Does He want us to sin?
First, it's important to understand the difference between sin and weakness. The definition for sin has been given already. Weaknesses, in my opinion, are the inherent predispositions that we are all born with. There are many weaknesses that we all deal with and all are unique to the individual. Some may be born with a short fuse and are quick to anger, others have a genetic predisposition to alcohol abuse or drug addiction. Whatever the case may be, we all have things that the adversary will use to tempt us and try us throughout our lives. We learn that even Christ was not born with all knowledge, and that he was tempted as we all are. In Luke 2:52 we read, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Although sinless, is it possible that the Son of God was born with mortal weaknesses and predispositions? To me this doctrine is beautiful. In the book of Alma (in the Book of Mormon) chapter 7 versus 11-12, we read, "And he shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people...and he will take upon him their infirmaties, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know, according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmaties."
We all have weaknesses, and we will have those weaknesses for the rest of our lives. We will struggle and wrestle with opposition throughout our mortal existance. These weaknesses don't have to be our stumbling block, though. We need to recognize our weaknesses with humility and try to avoid temptation, but we also need to realize that there is a difference between weakness and sin. We need to exercise our faith and hope in the Redeemer and understand that he has the power to blot out our sins (Alma 7:13) and that through our faith and his grace, he will enable us to have power over our weaknesses. I find it liberating that we don't have to be bogged down by our human frailties, but we can, with confidence move forward and leave mistakes in the past.