Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever. (Mosiah 2:38)I thought it was very significant that the demands of justice awakes a lively sense of guilt in unrepentant spirits; even though they have done their best to put their conscience to sleep and quell feelings of guilt during their mortal life and bury the memories in oblivion, they will get hit with a divine justice in the end, with a clear, awakened memory of everything they did and then guilt will attack. (Yikes!)
Which is why we need to repent in this life.
Don't buy society's "just move on with your life and forget about it" mantra. Guilt has to be dealt with and healed through the Atonement of Christ. Whether it is our conscience legitimately reproaching us or whether it is Satan trying to buffet us by imputing guilt where none exists, it needs to be dealt with and healed through the Atonement of Christ.
1 comments:
This is a particularly painful truth when we consider our loved ones who have abandoned their faith and trample under their feet the gifts of faithful family and heritage. In actuality though, we LONG for them to be "awakened" to that "awful sense of guilt" because we KNOW it is the ONLY path to turning around and living in the light again. I believe they actually left behind their testimonies, some "dwindling in unbelief", some in outright rebellion, because they want so desperately to shake off the oppressive guilt and shame that they have carried around for so long. It's the old "if there is no sin"...there is no need to repent and thus no more guilt.
The reason their guilt failed as a catalyst to progress though, is because it was an UNHEALTHY guilt. They never really comprehended, or acknowledged, how their transgressions hurt our Heavenly Father and how those sins were taken upon the Savior in the Garden. Until we comprehend THAT divine aspect of "guilt", it remains little more than unproductive shame.
Great post! Keep us thinking! There is nothing I'd rather do than think (and write!) about the scriptures and the Plan of Happiness!!! Please drop by Mona's Musings this week, which is on the light side, but teaches many a lesson (I hope) nevertheless. I'm giving away CD's in celebration of my 50th birthday!
Your fan,
Mona
http://monasgospelmusings.blogspot.com
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