It is unfortunate that so much of the counsel from the prophets must be directed against sin, must be a stinging rebuke of those who have great need to repent.
“Behold, if ye were holy,” Jacob said, “I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin. Behold, my soul abhorrent sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness.” (2 Nephi 9:48-49.)
Many come to church “to hear the pleasing word of God,” are eager to learn the doctrines of salvation, to be instructed in the mysteries of the kingdom, to feast on that bread that nourishes the soul.
The counsel to repent, however, has universal application. To those wandering in sin it serves as a sobering warning-a call to return to the strait and narrow path. To the pure in heart, the Counsel to repent serves as a reminder to stay clean, to be vigilant, and to navigate the strait and narrow path with care and caution.