"As much as we could do"

Building a bit on the previous post, I had some thoughts about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies and their commitment after their conversion, particularly when faced with oncoming war.  I think most readers will be familiar with their burial of weapons, and their passivity when their enemies invaded and ultimately slaughtered more than 1,000 of them.



(Briefly, I'll mention that I like the imagery of burying "weapons," which I take as a symbol for sin here.  When repenting, we should bury our former sins deeply, and then leave them alone and underground, even when faced with strong opposition.)

But the most familiar aspects of this story aren't my point today.  Rather, I look at why the A-N-L's were so committed to living the Gospel.  They were recent converts, after all.  It's not like they had a lifetime of habit.  What they had was commitment, and that commitment was based on their hard-won repentance.  They say, "Since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us... (Alma 24:15)."

And that's the reason.  Repentance, particularly of serious sin, takes real effort.  Elsewhere in the scriptures, this work of repentance is equated with wrestling.  After putting in so much effort in the wrestle for repentance, the forgiven didn't want to give away their progress and the joy that comes with such repentance.

Doesn't that make you feel like any sin is just supreme folly?  Wouldn't it be better to not to give back the results of the work of repentance?