Anyone who has ever raised children knows the dilemma created when it's time to give the eldest child additional responsibility- especially when they are old enough to stay home alone with younger siblings. It has been said by a prophet (and therefore by God) that "We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion." You know what I mean- threats are made, punishments doled out, grounding promised, duct tape used...... There is, of course, the defense that younger siblings never take an older sibling as seriously as they would an adult. That could be considered justifiable on their part because the older sibling invariably uses their authority to bully, unload undesirable chores, create opportunities to brag, and all sorts of irregular behaviors. The older sibling will often not be fair or consistent. That is understandable because they are still a child (as opposed to an adult over about 30 years of age) so they lack the maturity and wisdom to try to rule over others. To add to their confusion, they can get in trouble for NOT interfering when a problem could be averted but they can also get in trouble for being unduly bossy. Since they're just a kid, they sometimes aren't sure how to proceed.
In Sunday School, we were reviewing the story in the Old Testament of Joseph. We briefly went over the defilement of his sister Dinah and the totally inappropriate reaction of her brothers (Genesis 34). I thought about when the children of Israel, led by Joshua, later returned to the "promise land" and were commanded to slay people, heathens, because God was concerned they would be a bad influence on the people- which later proved to be true. Then I thought of Nephi who was commanded to slay Laban in order to obtain an important record. "Better that one man should perish than a whole nation dwindle in unbelief." Then I thought about Jesus saying that not only should we not kill, we should not even be angry or hate. Then I thought about radical Muslims who go about slaying infidels because they believe Allah would have them do that.
So I pondered, if God is just and unchanging, how can these conflicting commandments be reconciled? God is our Father and He loves us. He has said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." (That can be found in Romans, Deuteronomy, Doctrine and Covenants, and other scriptures.) He has always commanded His people to declare repentance to all people- all His children. He has even given His authority, through the Priesthood, to administer ordinances that will be recorded and in effect in Heaven. The problem comes when, like the older kid given "authority", we get caught up in exercising our position and rights, without specific assignments. True, He doesn't want to have to command in all things and we are to be anxiously engaged in good causes all on our own so we prove ourselves to not be slothful servants. However, ending a mortal life is a pretty major issue. Just as a parent doesn't expect an older child to spank or ground a sibling (the extended authority doesn't go that far!), God does not expect us to go around killing people that we decide- on our own and just by general principle- aren't doing what they're supposed to do. Just because He has told someone sometime somewhere to slay or punish others it does not mean that He has given free license for any or all of His children to do the same at our discretion. We simply lack the wisdom and maturity to know what punishment is justifiable or when. God can see what's in hearts but we can't. He knows when someone is "ripened in iniquity". We tend to interpret any sin as a sign of ripeness!
So, what conclusion have I drawn? First of all, it's important to have unfailing faith in God. Just because we don't see, at first glance, how or why God does something, that doesn't mean it's not possible. If it looks like God is not being consistent, it's only because we don't understand Him, but we can learn if we pursue understanding. Plus, we need to trust that He is unchanging in His love toward EVERYBODY because we are all His children and He would be happy if all of us repented and wanted to live with Him. Second of all, while it's true that we need to show Him that we are willing to do good things on our own, we need to be cautious about how we use any authority or even simply our God-given agency. Asking God for guidance and waiting for permission is always a good idea- especially when concerning anyone's mortal life or eternal welfare. (What to wear or eat or even what job to take are probably choices that don't fit in that category.) Last of all, when we make the effort to get to know God, we can learn a lot from Him about our everyday issues, like being a parent. He wants to help us but He especially wants us to grow up to be happy and good. Isn't that what we all want for our children?
