So, what is sin??

     There is a saying that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. It's not enough to just be aware of a problem. If you aren't working on how to fix it, you are simply another part of the problem. It's important for us to not only be aware of the problem of sin but to have an idea exactly what it is so we can avoid doing it. To many, the word conjures up murder or orgies or robbery. That is a very narrow definition of sin. God is pretty clear about not wanting His children to sin although He is also very aware that we do exactly that all day every day. A concise definition of "sin" could be anything that interferes with eternal progression toward being like God. That includes a LOT! The Ten Commandments were just the kindergarten level of what God expects of His children's behavior. Many Jews were dismayed (at least those who believed Jesus Christ was truly the Son of God) to hear that Jesus came to declare a higher law than the law of Moses. They were having a hard enough time trying to follow all the little rules their rabbis had developed over the centuries. God's expectations for His children are really not about how many steps you take on the Sabbath or how much effort you put into preparing your food on the Sabbath or what you eat or wear to church. Our Heavenly Father isn't as interested in what we do as who we are. We show who we are in our thoughts, words, and deeds. The intents of our hearts are what He is concerned about. He is aware that we lack a lot of understanding and we haven't yet learned the kind of self-control He has and wants us to have. That's okay. He wants us to be perfect------eventually. For now, we just need to make the decision that we want to head in that direction.
     Each of His children was born into mortality with the "light of Christ" which is also known as a conscience, a basic awareness (without being specifically taught) of right and wrong. Through our actions and experiences, we figure out what makes our conscience feel good and what makes us feel bad. He has given us the right as well as the responsibility to make our own choices as to which direction to take. There are consequences for every thought, word, and deed. We can't change the consequences but we can decide to change direction. That's what God calls "repentance". Repentance isn't just, "Gee, I'm sorry I didn't do that well." It's more like, "I recognize that I could do and be better and I will diligently try." Sin can be something we think, say, or do. It can also be neglecting to think, say, or do what we should! Sin can be a different thing for different people under different circumstances. God's expectations of each of us increases as we advance, similar to the way the exam for a doctorate requires more than a test to pass kindergarten. Just as the kindergarten teacher would not want the student to be overwhelmed and discouraged by a test he/she could not pass, God will not give us more than we can bear. He wants us to succeed, not fail. He says repeatedly that He delights not at all in the punishing of the wicked. He also says He doesn't delight in the meaningless show of piety when a person's heart is not in it. Lying is a sin. Hypocrisy is a kind of lie therefore a sin. Being slothful is a sin, most especially when we could and should have done good but chose to serve ourselves or seek pleasure instead. It's not that God wants us to endlessly suffer and never take delight in anything during our mortal years. Jesus enjoyed the company of friends. He ate, he slept, he admired the beauty of the earth. God knows that the things of this earth are temporary, except for our relationships and our character. He knows that if we only find pleasure in things of this earthly existence, we will never be happy with Him once we leave this existence. He also knows that there is a dark side to everything of this life. Whether it's addiction, greed, lust, or any other such thing, the things of "Babylon" will only bring momentary pleasure then endless suffering. He doesn't want that for us.
     The greatest gift from our Heavenly Father is His only begotten Son. He allowed His Son to suffer  as an atonement for us, to die to be the first Resurrected, and to show us a perfect example to follow. We get to be forgiven for mistakes. We get to be comforted when injured by the mistakes of others. We get to be guided by the Holy Ghost (if we want and seek it) so we can try to avoid some of the pitfalls. However, some things like patience, long-suffering, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, and self-sacrifice can only be learned through some form of discomfort on our part. God has done all that He could for us. He loves us beyond our ability to comprehend. Now He is giving us the chance to make our own choice as to whether we want to accept His invitation to spend eternity with Him----  or not.