When I read the Book of Mormon regularly

When I read the Book of Mormon regularly I find that it strengthens me against temptation.  It builds hope and faith.  I appreciate the sacrifices of those who kept the records and compiled them, who had their eyes on our day.  I find more clear understanding of the political challenges and fallacies of today.  I gain an admiration of peoples long past whose example encourages me onward.  The love I have toward my Savior and brothers and sisters on earth grows, and I’m constrained to say, “My God how great Thou art!”

"Victim-less" Crimes

There are no "victim-less" crimes. The victim may not realize they are a victim however. This whole premiss is what brought us the "sexual revolution" in the 60's. The idea being that what two consenting adults did had no victims, and therefore should not be a punishable crime. Usually there are people close to them, including unwanted children that might result, who are harmed directly, but even greater is the harm done to those engaging in that behavior themselves. They become victims of Satan's lies and becoming deprived of what they could become had they not participated. It changes their mind-set and philosophy of life. This is definitely true with gambling as well as sexual sin.

When the Nephites first set up a government of judges, making it a government BY the people, their laws were based on God's laws, including the 10 commandments, as they had been taught by Kings Mosiah and Benjamin. Sexual sins were punishable crimes, as they used to be with us. Over time, as wicked men obtained judgeships, those laws got amended and changed. It became more enticing to engage in illicit behavior, because there was no punishment enforced, so more people began to participate. As victims of Satan's lies, more and more people began to go from one crime to another, changing the laws to allow them to be free from prosecution, as they were able to gain the voice of the people or their judges.

Eventually all the people became victims, because their government was destroyed. They were no longer free even to chose what was right, as they became "tribes and members of tribes," somewhat like gangs. Everyone had to have many friends and relatives to protect themselves. Every man had to conform to what the gang boss/chief wanted. Everything became political in a life-threatening way. And some gangs were worse than others.

My point in this historical comparison with our day is that there are ALWAYS victims when a crime is committed, regardless of whether we "decriminalize" them or not. And those behaviors and attitudes that evolve from those activities have consequences, not only to themselves, but to everyone else in the community as well.

We as a people are well on our way to being just like the Nephites. I've seen even many of the Saints out defending actions that harm others, because they want to engage in them without consequence. They are not converted to the fact that "Wickedness never was happiness." And we can't participate, even a little bit, without the stains obscuring our perspectives on life and blotching our souls. Thank goodness for repentance, so we can wash away those sins/crimes. But we have many who see no need to wash those wrong perceptions away today, and so they go on marching merrily toward their destruction.

We have already decriminalized too many sins. Hopefully fellow saints will not join those in the great and spacious building calling for the continued march to decriminalize that which harms themselves and others.