Lay Aside Sin

This verse was just a powerful one when I read it, so I thought I'd mention this one too.

"15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.
16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me." (Alma 7:15-16)

This is just neat, and encouraging, for someone like me who isn't perfect. Sometimes it is out of fear that we don't "lay aside every sin". We are afraid of what life would be like without it, or we are afraid of the effort it will take to lay it aside. We could be afraid of the repentance process, or maybe afraid of the consequences of our actions.

But the truth is that our sins bind us. We become less free when we sin. We become less able to make our own decisions (or at least we feel that way).

Here's the thing, though. It's worth it. I mean, whoever does it, shall (not can, but shall) have eternal life. And just like Alma, I can say that the Holy Spirit testifies in me that these things are true. Just lay aside sin, and you will have eternal life, to live forever in a blessed state, with our Heavenly Father.