Traveler

This may be of interest to you: Hugh Nibley, The World and the Prophets, Chapter 8: "Prophets and Gnostics":
 

Isaiah has been a scripture that the more I study the better I understand but at the same time – the more I realize that I have not understood correctly and the more I realize how insufficient and lacking my understanding is concerning the revelations of G-d.  I have 5 different versions of the Bible in my personal library plus an additional direct translation of the Isaiah scroll found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.   Here are some of my thoughts:
    1. There are some scriptures that I call synoptic variant style revelations covering the same divine concept.  For example, Abraham Chapter 3 and Doctrine and Covenants Section 88 – referencing how the order of the universe testifies that there is a G-d.  What is interesting with these scripture is the scientific basis of how the universe is ordered according to different views or traditions of science.  @Vort and @Anddenex  made reference to how Isaiah and the Book of Revelation are difficult to understand.  It is my understanding that Isaiah and Revelation are another example of synoptic variant style revelation covering the same divine concept.  In short Isaiah is critical in understanding Revelation and vise versa.
    2. Last night I was reading the Book of Mormon in the Book of Mormon.  Moroni finishes his father’s book and in Chapter 8 talks about prophesies concerning the last days and how such prophesies are pointed directly to the saints in the latter-days living on the American continent.   In verse 23 Moroni declares that to understand how the L-rd fulfils his promises we must “Search the prophecies of Isaiah” – I assume this is a particular reference to the parts of Isaiah not included by Nephi in the plates created by Moroni’s father Mormon.
    3. Isaiah is a revelation of the works of G-d from the beginning to the end.  (See Isaiah 46:10).  If someone understand Isaiah and gets a lot out of it – nothing concerning the Saints that happens will be a surprise to them – they will know in advance and understand how the unfolding events fulfill G-d’s promises.    If most of you are like me – you only understand a little of all this and only after it has happened – the great surprise for me is how exact and precise Isaiah’s prophesies are.
    4. The best single help for me in understanding Isaiah is becoming educated from a scholastic understanding of the Ancient Hebrew poetic structures – especially the Chaism and Bifid structures.
    5. It is my understanding that Isaiah will be an enigma or illusive symbolic confusion without the covenant of the Gift of the Holy Ghost and the person being loyal to their covenant with G-d.  In our King James version of Isaiah 7:9 (end of verse 9) reads “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.”  A direct translation of  the same from the Dead Sea Scrolls reads, “If you do not believe [understand] it [it is] because you are not loyal to [your covenant with] him.”
 
The Traveler

The Book of Mormon was written specifically for our day. It quotes extensively from Isaiah.
The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ quoted from Isaiah as part of his precious few hours and days he spent with his disciples in the Americas. I think that says something.
We certainly do not understand Isaiah as well as, say, Nephi did. We do not understand Isaiah as well as we ought to. So Isaiah is not as important to us as it might be. But that is an indictment of us, not of Isaiah.
I believe we will yet find that the book of Isaiah is vitally important to us, perhaps as important as any scripture we have.

I will attempt to give insight to your question with what I have learned.  Repentance is a journey that is a process of learning to become one with G-d.  It has already been mentioned that repentance is not a check list of things as much as changing one’s heart, core and sole.   I have suggested that one does not have to sin to become involved with and take advantage of repentance.  But I have discovered that this is an idea I cannot communicate – especially to someone that is agnostic and unwilling to consider such an idea.
In general I think being free of sin is more than a focus on not sinning anymore.  I believe it is also a love and appreciation of light, truth, holiness and becoming complete and whole.   I believe covenant to keep and love G-d is the central theme of repentance.  The idea is not so much to stop sinning as it is to become a saint and disciple of Christ – like the prodigal son – coming to one’s senses, willing to be a servant – dedicated to forgetting our will and determined to serve.
Essential to repentance is sorrow for sin but to become free of sin we must free ourselves not just of our sins we commit to injure others but the sins they commit that injure us.  The only way to be free of the sins of others is to forgive them – thus not only must we seek forgiveness of our sins but we must also seek the forgiveness of the sins of others as well – then and only then can we be free of sin.
 
The Traveler

@zil
Because we are fallen beings incapable of avoiding the wages of sin (death) we start to think that the purpose of repentance is to overcome the devastation of sin.  I do not want to dissuade the need of overcoming sin – but there is something more important.  My father taught me that changing one’s life requires a two-phase process.  The first phase is to quit doing something we have always done.  Often, we think this is the purpose of repentance – a road to stop committing sin.  But there is another process – that is to start doing something we have never done before.   His point is that we do not change until we not only stop doing something but we start doing something else.  Just stopping sin is not complete – we must start something.
Thus, repentance is not just a desire to stop something or remove it from our lives – Repentance is not complete until we start behaving like a saint.   Some may think that all that is necessary to become a saint is to stop sinning – but that is not the end game.   A saint has replaced a proclivity for sin in their lives with a desire to become “perfect”, “whole” or “complete”.  If we fail to replace an act of selfishness with an act of unselfishness – we will remain selfish even though we no longer do a certain act of selfishness – at our core there is still a selfish desire for something else.
In short repentance is incomplete until we become a saint in love with keeping the commandments.  As long as we struggle with righteousness to any degree - our repentance is not complete - we may overcome a particular sin but we are not whole, holy or complete - nor or we "one" with G-d.  The problem is that if we are honest (at least in my personal experience) any success in repentance to stop a sin will only uncover more struggles with sin.
 
The Traveler

From Approaching Zion, Chapter 3: "Zeal Without Knowledge", by Hugh Nibley (emphasis mine).  This seems pretty close to your thought above.
 

I will attempt to give insight to your question with what I have learned.  Repentance is a journey that is a process of learning to become one with G-d.  It has already been mentioned that repentance is not a check list of things as much as changing one’s heart, core and sole.   I have suggested that one does not have to sin to become involved with and take advantage of repentance.  But I have discovered that this is an idea I cannot communicate – especially to someone that is agnostic and unwilling to consider such an idea.
In general I think being free of sin is more than a focus on not sinning anymore.  I believe it is also a love and appreciation of light, truth, holiness and becoming complete and whole.   I believe covenant to keep and love G-d is the central theme of repentance.  The idea is not so much to stop sinning as it is to become a saint and disciple of Christ – like the prodigal son – coming to one’s senses, willing to be a servant – dedicated to forgetting our will and determined to serve.
Essential to repentance is sorrow for sin but to become free of sin we must free ourselves not just of our sins we commit to injure others but the sins they commit that injure us.  The only way to be free of the sins of others is to forgive them – thus not only must we seek forgiveness of our sins but we must also seek the forgiveness of the sins of others as well – then and only then can we be free of sin.
 
The Traveler

I would say we are judged by both. "For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God. And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such."
Source: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7.6,8-9,12,16?lang=eng&clang=eng#p5
However, the intent of this verse might emphasize praying without action is not profitable. In this case, then it confirms more what you are saying.

@prisonchaplain 
Not all scripture is intended as a blueprint of individual salvation – G-d also gives revelation to his children as a map to navigate through the challenges or mortality they face.  Just as there is a time to build and a time to tear down there are many things that if our emphasis is incorrect we will suffer consequences.   This is one reason I appreciate the LDS theology of living oracles in balance with written scripture.   Historically Traditional Christians have not done well with challenges of any particular era and it is my observation that are more driven by the winds of time than by divine enlightenment.
I believe that the Book of Mormon is a most important document to help navigate the map piacular to our time but I do not believe it is enough – without living oracles in balance with scripture – the good of our society will not survive any more that the many forgotten societies (including Christian societies) of the past.
 
The Traveler

In general humans tend to be rather unkind to anything they perceive to be a threat to their existence.
 
The Traveler

The dot in the center of the yin and the yang.

Interesting response – you may like to know that in general kids raised on a farm are much easier to teach river rafting skills than kids raised in cities.  Because of my chosen profession, I ended up living a city life for raising my family.  As a scout master I was stunned with how many parents were willing to send their kids off camping for the first time (without one of their parents) and without even been taught the skill of making their own bed when they get up in the morning.
Something else I thought was interesting – from time to time we would invite a family on church welfare to join our river expeditions  - without any exceptions in my experience such families always did better than the well to do families – often (not always – just often) well to do families expect others to be of service to them and have some difficulties being of service to others.
 
The Traveler

One of our (my wife and I) best parenting choices was to invest in white water river running (rather than other boating like water skiing).   I liked white water rafting because it requires team work – which also requires the lessons of guiding (learning to guide – understanding the river and control or leadership of a team).  Mistakes could cause injury or even death.    We would outfit 60 for a week expedition and camping white water trip.  I could provide so many lessons and examples teaching examples.  I remember one teenager and a friend of my oldest son both of who were not sterling examples of good citizens as teenagers.   I have always required that life vests are worn at all times on the river (one of many unbreakable rules).  The teenager was unbuckling his vest because he thought it was too uncomfortable.   I turned to him a said, “keep your life vest on and tight – if this is too difficult for you we will pull over to the side and you can hike out by yourself or with anyone that wants to go with you.  You will not have another chance and if there is a problem with this or any other rule – you will not be invited ever again.  My son leaned over and said, “I told you not to mess with the rules – but the choice is yours – I won’t be getting out with you.)
Many times, I have told my children while training them to guide – that how a person was raised is most evident - from their laziness (work ethic) to responding to instructions.  I admit to prejudice but in many cases (not all) but often polite kids often are lazy and will not wear themselves out doing their part.  Some kids are two anxious and overwork themselves trying to be better than everyone else (usually raised with more physical methods).   Blending as a team to balance and keep a boat on the straight course is the most difficult thing to teach young kids (and even adults) in our society for running the river.
 
The Traveler

One of our (my wife and I) best parenting choices was to invest in white water river running (rather than other boating like water skiing).   I liked white water rafting because it requires team work – which also requires the lessons of guiding (learning to guide – understanding the river and control or leadership of a team).  Mistakes could cause injury or even death.    We would outfit 60 for a week expedition and camping white water trip.  I could provide so many lessons and examples teaching examples.  I remember one teenager and a friend of my oldest son both of who were not sterling examples of good citizens as teenagers.   I have always required that life vests are worn at all times on the river (one of many unbreakable rules).  The teenager was unbuckling his vest because he thought it was too uncomfortable.   I turned to him a said, “keep your life vest on and tight – if this is too difficult for you we will pull over to the side and you can hike out by yourself or with anyone that wants to go with you.  You will not have another chance and if there is a problem with this or any other rule – you will not be invited ever again.  My son leaned over and said, “I told you not to mess with the rules – but the choice is yours – I won’t be getting out with you.)
Many times, I have told my children while training them to guide – that how a person was raised is most evident - from their laziness (work ethic) to responding to instructions.  I admit to prejudice but in many cases (not all) but often polite kids often are lazy and will not wear themselves out doing their part.  Some kids are two anxious and overwork themselves trying to be better than everyone else (usually raised with more physical methods).   Blending as a team to balance and keep a boat on the straight course is the most difficult thing to teach young kids (and even adults) in our society for running the river.
 
The Traveler

It appears to me that parents that teach by example are the most successful.  Some people read something and make up what they want to believe.  I believe that example is more important in raising children than any other single factor.    Parents that are not a consistant example of behavior for children - I believe are the most likely to create confusion and chaios.   I would add it is not just the example they show in how they treat their children but how they treat their parents, their neighbors, their inlaws and even their enemies.
 
The Traveler

It appears to me that parents that teach by example are the most successful.  Some people read something and make up what they want to believe.  I believe that example is more important in raising children than any other single factor.    Parents that are not a consistant example of behavior for children - I believe are the most likely to create confusion and chaios.   I would add it is not just the example they show in how they treat their children but how they treat their parents, their neighbors, their inlaws and even their enemies.
 
The Traveler

I don't disagree with any of that. But whatever the witch's brew of events that led to my state of mind, I was "heterosexual" long before I was consciously aware of sexuality. I do not see why the same might not be true of some homosexuals. That doesn't justify homosexual activity, any more than a natural tendency from infancy toward aggressive physicality justifies temper tantrums or bullying later in life. But to dismiss the idea that homosexuality has any inborn component seems unwise and probably unfair to those who claim such a link, especially those who feel they struggle with the topic.
Now, I don't know that you have claimed that. Honestly, I'm not following the discussion very closely. My comments were made in response to very specific statements, largely ignoring the overarching themes. In this case, my remarks might better be understood in the very narrow context in which they were offered rather than in the wider contexts of this thread.

This has been my experience as well.  

It has been my observation as well as understanding that children learn differently than adults.  Adults are capable of complex logic as a method of learning.  Children are more see and do kind of learning.  I think the point I am trying to make is that regardless of whatever method of teaching a parent may be thinking they are utilizing – what children learn will be more what parents do and how parents behave than what parents may be thinking they are teaching – especially by lecture or force.
The adage of; do what I say and not what I do is – at least in my mind and observations – is a failed teaching method before it is finished.  I believe children are designed to learn by watching the behaviors of adults. 
The other observation is that each individual is exactly that – an individual.  No one can be forced to always behave kindly and considerate nor to always behave selfishly.   I believe that at some point a person will become what they are.
I have two older brothers that followed two very different paths of parenting.  One was very much involved in reward and punishment methods – the other as this thread somewhat recommends – gentle parenting.   In both cases the end results has been purity much indistinguishable with one caveat.  Up through adolescents the children of the reward punishment method were much better behaved and obedient.
 
The Traveler

Sounds good.
At best, this is a typical redirection strategy. A darker view would paint this as open manipulation. Because in fact, the child is required to brush his teeth and put on his pajamas (or pyjamas, or pwjamas, or pγjamas, or generally p[X]jamas where [X] is replaced with the vowel, semivowel, consonant, or other letter, symbol, rune, or emoji of your preference). The "choice" you are offering is trivial, and amounts to tricking the child into thinking he's doing things of his own volition. Why not just be honest and say, as the parent, "Do these things"?
Sounds good.
To what end? Why must a child's emotions be acknowledged? Children are not short adults. They are savages. The purpose of parenting is primarily to convert these beautiful little savages into functional people capable of interacting in society.
Sounds good.
I have no problem with this.
Agreed.
I agree, but only with great reluctance. This is a consequence of the "boundaries" movement of the last two generations, which has some reasonable points but is defective in that one of the ways we help civilize our precious savages is by teaching them the correct forms of social expressions of affection. And yes, that might well mean giving Uncle Ray a hug, even though you barely know him and he hasn't shaved.
Hippy crap. Of course bad behavior is evidence of an unmet "need", where the "need" can be (and often is) as trivial or selfish as they want to do something they shouldn't or don't want to do something they should. Honestly, this is entirely self-evident to any honest adult with an IQ exceeding 75, and should not need to be explained.
A very useful idea.
So my takeaway from this ten-point list is that it's a mixture of dead obvious things and stupid or even harmful crap, with perhaps an actual gem of insight thrown in at some point.

Do you really believe that the only way we learn is if someone sat down and taught us something?

It is my impression that G-d does not reveal stuff to us (by commandment or advice or information or whatever) just to get his way.  I am convinced that his warnings are for our benefits and not so much that we can avoid his punishments.  I believe he loves us and therefore his intent is for our benefit.   Thus, I believe his warning concerning same sex marriage (sex) is not so much so we can avoid his punishment as it is to avoid the damage such things do to our eternal soul
 
The Traveler

I just wanted to point out that degrees in behavior are a solid sign that such behaviors are cognitively controlled behaviors.  This means learned or acquired.  Acquired and learned behaviors can be modified or overridden with intelligence – that is assuming a species is intelligent. 
My personal main objection to many “homosexuals” is this innate insistence that anyone so disposed is void of will or agency in the matter but a slave unable to cope beyond some level of compliance with something that has been “imposed” upon them and they cannot do, think or consider otherwise.
I have come to understand in life that there is a very big difference and a vast wilderness between "I can not" and "I will not" even thought the result is exactly the same - Also there is no real exercize of  freedom or will with either.   But with one there is no will and the other will that is abandoned.
For myself I would rather fail exercizing my will than to succed without will or haveing to abandone my will and become a slave to succed.
 
The Traveler
 

1. Because he was both the law giver and the law proctor.
1a. The curse of Adam is the curse of man.  The title of "Adam" is symbolic of all mankind.  The curse was death and it was death that had no bearing on Jesus - rather he and he alone has power over death.
1b.  Because the Father of Jesus was G-d, Jesus was given power over death. 
2. Because he progressed that far before the foundations of the earth were laid.  What was involved in order for him to obtain such has not been revealed.  Never-the-less, I believe that his livel of intelligence (light of truth) played into it.
2a. The Father gives unto his children commandments and covenants through his grace.  Therefore, it is because of grace that Jesus (as we all) were able to receive of the covenants and commandments.  I believe we are to understand that Jesus was the most obedient to the covenants and commandments.  This is not to say he never had difficulty but that he was able to overcome any difficulties and obtain a higher level of obedience than anyone else.
Jesus did not need anyone else to be exalted.  He took upon himself the role of Messiah as a sacrifice and gift to us that we also could be exalted like him and the Father.
Because it was a title and position given him by the Father.  If one understands kingdoms, then they understand that the supreme Suzerain can give such titles to a subordinate governor (sometimes called a vassal) in any part of his realm.  We do not know the extent of the Father’s kingdom but we do know that Jesus is our “Mediator” and “Advocate” with the Father.  Mediator and advocate are both terms used to designate a subordinate governor for associated subjects with the supreme Suzerain of a Kingdom.  It is also important to note that with the Fall of Adam that mankind became exiles to the divine kingdom of heaven and are under Jesus in a lesser exile kingdom until we can be restored to full citizenship in the kingdom of the Father.
 
The Traveler

1. Because he was both the law giver and the law proctor.
1a. The curse of Adam is the curse of man.  The title of "Adam" is symbolic of all mankind.  The curse was death and it was death that had no bearing on Jesus - rather he and he alone has power over death.
1b.  Because the Father of Jesus was G-d, Jesus was given power over death. 
2. Because he progressed that far before the foundations of the earth were laid.  What was involved in order for him to obtain such has not been revealed.  Never-the-less, I believe that his livel of intelligence (light of truth) played into it.
2a. The Father gives unto his children commandments and covenants through his grace.  Therefore, it is because of grace that Jesus (as we all) were able to receive of the covenants and commandments.  I believe we are to understand that Jesus was the most obedient to the covenants and commandments.  This is not to say he never had difficulty but that he was able to overcome any difficulties and obtain a higher level of obedience than anyone else.
Jesus did not need anyone else to be exalted.  He took upon himself the role of Messiah as a sacrifice and gift to us that we also could be exalted like him and the Father.
Because it was a title and position given him by the Father.  If one understands kingdoms, then they understand that the supreme Suzerain can give such titles to a subordinate governor (sometimes called a vassal) in any part of his realm.  We do not know the extent of the Father’s kingdom but we do know that Jesus is our “Mediator” and “Advocate” with the Father.  Mediator and advocate are both terms used to designate a subordinate governor for associated subjects with the supreme Suzerain of a Kingdom.  It is also important to note that with the Fall of Adam that mankind became exiles to the divine kingdom of heaven and are under Jesus in a lesser exile kingdom until we can be restored to full citizenship in the kingdom of the Father.
 
The Traveler