Repentance and Consequences.

There is a story that is told of a young man that spent a great deal of his time as a young man sowing his wild oats so to speak. He was one that bathed himself in the iniquities of the world. He had many relationships and one night stands with multiple partners over that period of time.

However one day this young man came to the realization that his life was not complete, that there was something missing. After a few more years of searching he found himself back within the walls of the church in which he grew up. While he had abandoned what he had been taught in primary, sunday school, young mens and priesthood some time ago; he now found that those truths were what gave hime hope. Sure he had sinned; some of the most grievous of sins; but yet he wanted to be forgiven. He wanted to be whole again.

so he began the journey called repentance. Over the next year or so that followed he knew that he had to change his desires from what he wanted to do to what the Lord wanted him to do. As he made these changes on the outside he also noticed that how he saw others, his feelings for life and his love for the Savior grew as well. He literally became a new person as he knew at the end of the process that he had indeed been forgiven. He was grateful beyond belief. No words could express his gratitude.

As a few more years went by he found that he was falling in love with a beautiful young woman. She was pure and perfect in every way. She was obedient to every command of God and better yet she was beginning to fall in love with him as well. AS time passed they decided to get married in the house of the Lord. Both were worthy to be sealed together for time and for all eternity.

AS a few more years passed they had a baby girl, and then another baby girl and then a little baby boy. It was at the birth of the young baby boy that there were complications. The baby was born with a few birth defects and it made it very difficult for the young couple. While the doctors and the nurses did all that they could do to try to save the baby - there was not much that they could do. And so after a few short months on this earth the baby passed away. As the tests were run on this little infant baby boy it was discovered that he had been born with aids. Such a tragedy. As further tests were conducted it was discovered that this beautiful righteous woman had contracted aids , as well as both of the little girls from the dead of their father many years ago. It was dormant within waiting to destroy.

Now some may ask - where is God in this? But we must look to the lesson. That while we can as this young man was; completely forgiven of his sins; those things which he had done did bring along consequences. There are the laws at work in our lives of both the atonement as well as the laws of consequences. While sin can remove, wipeout, vanish all trace of guilt and purge our souls completely of sin - it may not remove the consequences associated with the sins themselves.

Remember this: You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice.