And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God. (D&C 82:7)
Sometimes, critics will point to this verse, especially the highlighted portion, as LDS soteriology being “mission impossible.” The following quotation from perhaps the best commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants helps provide some context:
When those who have sinned repent and are baptized, or, if already baptized, repent and renew their covenants by partaking of the sacrament, then their sins are forgiven them through the atonement of Christ. Even though a particular sin through weakness or other circumstances may recur, it is forgiven again upon further repentance. In the context of the gospel covenant, the Lord will continue to forgive and cleanse us as long as we sincerely repent (see Mosiah 26:30). The Atonement is a shield from all our guilt as long as we continue to repent and remain in the covenant.
Nevertheless, should we choose to break the covenant and refuse to repent, should we shift our loyalty and commitment from Christ to our sins, then the atonement of Christ can no longer shield us, and we become once again accountable for all our own sins. In the context of this verse, sinneth does not mean failing to be perfect; rather, it means to switch our loyalties, to break our covenants with Christ by choosing to serve sin (and, therefore, to serve Satan; see Romans 6:16). Doctrine and Covenants 82:7 must be understood against the backdrop of Mosiah 26:30: "Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me." Faithful Saints need not fear that their occasional weaknesses will put them outside the covenant and the power of the Atonement. On the other hand, those whose loyalty is to their sins first and to Christ second, third, or not at all, need not expect to be shielded from justice in any degree for all they may have done in this life. If we sin, we must repent. If we sin often, we must repent often. But we must never let go of the rod, never shift our commitment from Christ to our sins. Finally, should we repudiate our covenants, thus losing the shield of the Atonement, not only will our former sins return but they will bring with them a disposition to evil even greater than before (see Matthew 12:43-45). (Stephen E. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], 2:12-13).
Additionally, our Evangelical “friends” who like to raise this verse (in an eisegetical manner no less) should pay close attention to the biblical teachings on the nature of repentance and forgiveness as well as key soteriological texts such as 1 John 2:1-2 and Heb 6:4-9. Their soteriology, not ours, falls under the anathema of Gal 1:6-9.
