God hates the sin, not the sinner.

Think about a time. When you felt the Holy Ghost. Whether it is the very first time, or a time you really needed to feel him. 

Think about how it made the situation so much better. Then think about how the Holy Ghost is always with you. Don't you always feel good? Isn't every day a good day? 

Now, I'm going to refer to one of my favorite passages in the scriptures.

2 Nephi 2

" 11 For it must needs be, that there is an ^aopposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

 12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no ^apurpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the ^bjustice of God.

 13 And if ye shall say there is ^ano law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not ^bthere is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away."

Now, this makes sense. We have to know sadness to know true joy. 

But, what about we have to know true joy to know when we don't have it? Let me explain.

Before I was introduced to the church, and was baptized. I didn't know true joy. But, I needed to experience another event to truly understand.

Last week, something happened. I committed a sin. 

So, you're thinking, "Oh, that happens to everyone! Just repent and learn from your mistake."

Well, no, you're wrong. You can't just, JUST repent. Like it's easy. 

After I sinned, I had the worst feeling in the world. I remember that I was sitting on my bed. And I just started crying. I felt empty. I felt as though there was no purpose for me. I felt as though I was nothing. 

And in an instance I knew what was wrong. I didn't have the Holy Ghost anymore. I felt absolutely horrible.

My boyfriend, Richard, saw what was happening and he said, "Don't worry. God loves you. Everything will be ok."

I knew he was right, but, not even that could console as to how I was feeling. He then encouraged me to go to bed. And that I would feel better in the morning. Before I went to bed. I prayed. I prayed so hard. Harder than I ever did. 

I then decided to go to bed. 

The next morning, I prayed harder than I did the night before. I also read the scriptures as much as I could that day. I did whatever I could to be as Christ-like as possible. I also talked to some Elders in Morgantown, and they gave me some great counseling. 

One of them said that, when you sin, you are separated from the Holy Ghost. That it does not want to be in the presence of someone who we are not supposed to be. And it will also stay away for a time that we do not know. And it made sense. 

I then continued to do whatever I could to regain the Holy Ghost. 

After a couple of days, I felt as though he was with me again. I felt relief. 

But, then I realized. I shouldn't stop trying to be more Christ-like. I realized that we need to be working to be better people in a sense of panic as though the Holy Ghost were not with us. We shouldn't be doing that just when things are bad. 

And, of course I'm striving to be better. 

I also realized that sometimes we need to sin to learn something. Why else were we sent to Earth? We were sent here to sin and then learn from that. So, don't have an attitude that we should not ever sin. No, we need to. Just like the Fall was essential. Our own personal Fall is essential in our growth. 

We learn from our mistakes, and by Jesus Christ making it possible for us to repent, that is how we learn.

2 Nephi 25:26

26 And we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins.

It is okay to sin, just learn from it. And in turn, become more Christ-like. 

Please comment on your experiences and what you have come to learn.

xoxo, Nicola.