To Cover Our Sins
Elder Scott D. Whiting spoke in general conference last year about what he called “the second temptation” based on the story of Adam and Eve. He related how after Adam and Eve transgressed in the garden, “ever the opportunist, Lucifer, knowing their exposed and weakened state, tempted them yet again—this time to hide from God. This temptation—I will call it the ‘second temptation’—is the temptation that may bring the greatest consequence if we succumb.” I thought of this today as I read about what David did to Uriah. His first sin with Bathsheba was certainly terrible, but somehow Satan convinced him that he could cover up the sin and so what followed was far worse. David seemed to think that if he got rid of Uriah, he would somehow be absolved of guilt: “And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be ...