Things We've Done. Things We Didn't Do

[Guest Mores]

Growing up I always heard the line from a wizened older person,"As you get older you realize that you regret the things you didn't do, more than the things you did do."

With all the emphasis on keeping the commandments, I never really understood this as a kid.  I knew about sins of omission vs sins of commission. I always figured that sins of commission were worse than sins of omission.  And for the most part, I'm still of that opinion.

Well, I AM a wizened older person now.  And an interesting thing happened.  I was pondering the parable of the talents (we recently read it for our Come Follow Me assignment).  It is clearly (to me) talking about sins of omission.  I began looking back at my life in this frame of mind.  Although I never actually committed any grave sins in my life, I realize that I have some grave sins of omission in my life.

It was then that I recognized something.  That phrase people have said, and continue to say, usually was in the background of taking risks.  Go out there and fall in love just to have your heart broken.  Break some rules so you know what living really is.  Take a chance on a business.  Take that vacation to an exotic location that you've always wanted to go to.  And maybe that has some value.  But the things I've been regretting lately have been more along the lines of spiritual (not necessarily gospel) things.  It really hit home.

Edited April 25, 2019 by Mores

[mnn2501]

I suggest your  read or watch some talks by President James E Faust - he talked of sins of omission a lot as it applied to him. Mainly it was about the times he was asked to do something that would help others that he did not do. I remember one where he did not bring in wood for his grandmother (for the stove) and she had to go out and get it. He counted this as a sin of omission. 

 

Heres one:  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1997/10/the-weightier-matters-of-the-law-judgment-mercy-and-faith?lang=eng

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by mnn2501

[unixknight]

The title of this thread made me think of Ahmad ibn Fadlan's prayer at the end of The 13th Warrior.

Quote

Merciful Father, I have squandered my days with plans of many things. This was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only to live the next few minutes well. For all we ought to have thought, and have not thought; all we ought to have said, and have not said; all we ought to have done, and have not done; I pray thee God for forgiveness.

 

[Lost Boy]

Did you treat those around you too poorly or not well enough.

Christ did not really focus on what we shouldn't do, but more on what we should do.  My big take away from Doctrine and Covenants 58 is that we need to be actively seeking to do the good things in life.

I am a firm believer in that if we are always actively seeking to do good, you really don't have to worry about breaking the commandments because you just won't.

It is when we aren't seeking the good that we fail.

Do you dwell on not failing or do you dwell on succeeding?

I think the real difficulty in modern day is that in many respects we really have it easy and as such it lets us lower our guard.  Let's us be lazy.  We coast along thinking all is fine and we don't press forward like we should.