In these verses, “transgressing” is different from “being at fault,” and “to err” is different than “to sin.” I believe that in these scriptures sin and transgression mean the same thing. “And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent” ( D&C 1:25, 27). “Inasmuch as they erred it might be made known, … Succeeding verses clarify the difference between error and sin and give distinctly different directions for the correction of each: These verses follow the Lord’s explanation that he has given his servants the commandments in that book “after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding” ( D&C 1:24). The scriptures contain various directions for dealing with members, but the key direction is contained in two verses in the November 1831 revelation given as the preface to the book that is now the Doctrine and Covenants. The clear implication of this verse is that “transgressing” is different from being “overtaken in a fault,” but that either type of action is to be dealt with as the scriptures direct. It contains one verse giving this important direction: “Any member of the church of Christ transgressing, or being overtaken in a fault, shall be dealt with as the scriptures direct” ( D&C 20:80). The 20th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, given the same month the Church was organized, is the basic revelation on Church government.
The scriptures do not change, but we do, and so the same scriptures can give us new insights every time we read them. That is the way with prayerful study of the scriptures. Their direction came to my mind with such freshness and impact that I thought they might have been newly inserted in my book. I had never pondered these verses until about one year ago when I was reading the Doctrine and Covenants for the 15th or 20th time.
Three verses of the Doctrine and Covenants identify an important contrast between sins and mistakes. It is especially important for parents with teenage children. This principle was given to guide us in our relationships with one another. I wish to reason about a basic principle given in modern revelation but not as well understood or applied as it should be.
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