Graph of Progress

Sometimes I get discouraged with the mistakes I make. I know that it's part of learning and that through the Savior's atonement I can overcome it, but I'd just been making so much progress! I've realized though, that with progression comes set backs.

Even Nephi, a prophet, encountered such setbacks. He recognized the joy he felt from the spirit, so much that he says his "soul delighteth in the things of the Lord." (2 Nephi 4:16) But his "heart exclaimeth...because of the temptations and the sins that do so easily beset [him]." (2 Nephi 4:17-18)

A prophet even recognizes that as much as he loves the spirit and the Lord, he sometimes falters and has to work to once again progress and have the spirit with him. He cries out "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul." (2 Nephi 4:28)

So when we make a mistake, we can't give up or get disheartened. The key is to pick ourselves back up, with a new determination to serve God and be worthy of His Spirit. Making our peaks a little higher than our last peak, and then when we falter, not falling as far as we did before. That will be the key to our progression in returning to live with our Father in Heaven.  

...With Caramel Apples

When I was in high school I had a young woman's leader who was a great cook! Many Sundays she would bring with her a treat to share after teaching us a lesson. One particular Sunday she brought beautiful caramel apples. They were coated with sprinkles and candy. You could smell the thick caramel from across the room. My mouth watered, and my stomach grumbled with anticipation for the sweet juices I'd soon be biting into.

As we all sat down to begin the lesson she passed the tray around and told everyone to go ahead and take an apple to enjoy while she taught us. Each of us greedily took one of the large coated apples and smacked our lips. I watched as everyone closed their eyes and took a great big bite. Excitedly I sunk my teeth into my apple as well. My teeth first sunk through soft, sweet caramel and then came in contact with a bitter onion. Gagging I spit it into my hand and turned to see all the other girls doing the same.

As the lesson went on I'd occasionally see a girl peel off a part of the candied caramel and try to enjoy at least a bit of the caramel onions. Although we all knew what was behind the caramel, it couldn't stop us from trying to enjoy at least part of it. However, it wasn't the same, there was a lingering onion taste to every piece of caramel.

Satan often tempts us with appealing things. He sugar coats the bitter temptations and presents us with what appears to be a great treat. Deceived, we don't examine what he puts in front of us and bite into trouble without realizing it until it's too late. Sometimes the sugar coating is thick and it takes a while before we realize the danger we've put ourselves in. We may try to dapple in sin, and say we're just having fun, only scraping off the good stuff, but the sin is still there. We must remember that "no man can serve to masters." (Mathew 6:24) We can not eat candy coated sin and say we're on the Lord's side. We need to examine our choices closely and choose God's way.