Today’s gospel doctrine lesson covered the ten commandments. While we did discuss what they meant on the surface, we also went into a little more depth on some of them.
For example, we discussed how the first two commandments could cover more than blatant idolatry or idol worshipping. We discussed how past-times and status could also be forms of idolatry.
We discussed how taking the Lord’s name could also refer to taking the sacrament unworthily; after all, we covenant to take Jesus’ name upon us when we take the sacrament.
We also discussed how the thou-shalt-not-kill commandment could also refer to spiritual killing?¢‚Ǩ‚Äùbeing responsible for the sinning, or spiritual death, of others. A good example of this is Corianton, the son of Alma the Younger.
how can one person possibly be responsible for someone else sinning?
Well, leading people astray, there is some sort of responsibility, not full necessarily.
how can one person lead another person astray if they do not want to be led in the first place? I can see if someone held a gun to a grandchilds head and said smoke that cigarette or I shoot I would smoke it.. but otherwise you can’t lead someone to sin…
Which itself, Sally, poses the question:
If one can not be led to sin, can one be led to glory?
no in my opinion one can not be led.. it all leads back to agency.. people call it FREE agency but there is nothing free about it. We can be told here are some choices for you but we are all responsible for our choices we make. Our prophets can tell us the blessings we will receive if we choose to follow say the Words of Wisdom or pay tithing etc but they can not lead us to do these things. Satan can tell us hey if you don’t pay tithing you will have ALL this money left over at the end of the month but he can’t lead us into sin. These things can only be done by ourselves.
It’s true, we are responsible for our own actions, but for example, what about a child who is raised in depravity and abuse? Who lives a life where he is constantly bombarded with negativity, neglected, who is unloved, rejected and abused, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually? True, when he grows up he can learn better. But what if his life is so destroyed, he has a struggle coming out of the mire? And repeats some of the behaviours and addictions he observed and was taught as a child? That is leading astray. True, he has to take responsibility for his own behaviour, but won’t those who raised him, who exposed him to the abuse and depravity have some responsibility for putting him in the place of such sin?
yes when you put it that way.. I guess I mis-read or misunderstood the question.. I was thinking more along the lines of an adult leading another adult along not an adult leading a child. An adult should (and I hope will) be responsible for leading a child down into depravity and will have to account for their actions on Judgement Day. But once that child becomes an adult AND knows there is a difference then they have to take some responsibilty to change. People can not keep using the “excuse” of a bad childhood as a reason for continuing bad bahavior.
“but otherwise you can’t lead someone to sin”
Alma the Younger thought otherwise:
” Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing; suffer not the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots. Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words. And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me: Command thy children to do good, lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction; therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities;” (Alma 39:11-12)
Mormon said something similar in Mosiah 27:
“And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king”
“therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities;â€
yes that you REFRAIN.. we are told what we should and should not do.. but no one can force us to do it
“and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the kingâ€
I stand by my original comment. Mormon states that the sons of Mosiah sought to destroy the church and to lead astray the people but they can not be led if they do NOT choose to be.
In 2nd Nephi 2:27:
27 Wherefore, men are free• according to the flesh; And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life•, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable• like unto himself.
Plain in simple in my books… Only God can give you choices.. only you can decide which path you choose.. not even Satan can lead you astray..
1 Nephi 22:31 “….Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the acommandments•, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is.”
“yes that you REFRAIN.. we are told what we should and should not do.. but no one can force us to do it”
The point I was making was that Alma was telling Corianton to refrain so that he would stop leading people away to spiritual destruction.
“Lead” isn’t the same as “compel.” The fact that a follower isn’t forced to follow doesn’t mean he isn’t being led.
I disagree wholeheartedly ltbugaf.. you can follow but you can not be led without your consent
I believe that if I cause, through my scheming or pleading or whatever, someone else to sin then I am partly responsible for that sin. I believe that I will have to account for my part of it. In that way I can lead them to commit sin.
But they still have the choice to follow me or not. But even if I try and they don’t follow: I am still just as guilty. “Yea Our thoughts will condemn us”
Sally, how is what you said in #12 a disagreement with what I said in #11?
are you still not saying that one can still be led even if he doesn’t follow?
I am not saying that at all which is why I disagree with your comment.
If I put a collar on my dog when we had him and attempted to lead him and he did not want to go there is no way I would be able to force him to follow me
No. I’m saying that although one chooses to follow, the one he follows is still leading him. The fact that the follower is choosing to follow doesn’t mean the leader isn’t leading. Otherwise, the only kind of leadership would be complete coercion.
In other words, “lead” is not the same as “force to follow.”
If one can not be led to sin, or led to glory, what would the purpose of the missionaries be, exactly?
The Missionaries are there to help people want to be led to God
So they help people ‘want’?
They are cheerleaders of envy, then?
Only if you believe every form of desire is envy.
However, the premise of the question isn’t true: One CAN be led to sin, and one CAN be led to glory. One can’t be FORCED to sin or glory, but one can certainly be led.
So you can lead a gentile to glory, but you can’t make him drink?
;)
Yup. That’s what those who proclaim the Gospel do—they offer leadership and let their listeners choose whether to follow.