Entangled in Sin

Last week, Sister Nealy and I went berry picking for our workout in the morning. As we were picking blackberries, I began to notice a few things. It seemed that the ripe, juicy blackberries were always just beyond reach and required me to step into the thicket just a bit. Though I was not very far in, I quickly realized that I was entangled in blackberry thorns that had lodged their way into my clothes. At first I ignored it and continued to pick these sweet treats. When it came time to move on, I would have to stop and take time to painstakingly remove each thorny vine. As I repeated this process over and over again I began to think how this applies to sin.

We live in a time when Satan has placed so many temptations just out of our reach that require taking one small step into the thicket. Upon obtaining our "sweet treat" we are able to move around just a bit, snacking on the delicious treats around us. But when it comes time to move onward and upward, our progress is hindered, slowed down by the briers lodged into our clothing. Thankfully, we have the miracle of forgiveness and repentance that allows us to remove the thorns and move onward.

Our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, leaves us with this inspired counsel:

We live in a world where moral values have, in great measure, been tossed aside, where sin is flagrantly on display, and where temptations to stray from the strait and narrow path surround us. We are faced with persistent pressures and insidious influences tearing down what is decent and attempting to substitute the shallow philosophies and practices of a secular society.

Because of these and other challenges, decisions are constantly before us which can determine our destiny. In order for us to make the correct decisions, courage is needed—the courage to say no when we should, the courage to say yes when that is appropriate, the courage to do the right thing because it is right.

Q: How have you used the atonement to become 

untangled from thorns in your life?