The Book of Mormon teaches us that part of the test of mortality is overcoming our evil desires. An angel told King Benjamin:
The natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.
Mosiah 3:19
Abinadi said, “He that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state” (Mosiah 16:5). And Alma taught his son Corianton that because we have become “carnal, sensual, and devilish by nature,” this life is a “preparatory state” for us, a time to prepare to return to the presence of God (Alma 42:10; see also Mosiah 16:3).
Do these scriptures say that we are naturally bad? Yes, but they also say something else. It’s possible for us to “put off” our evil tendencies. It’s possible for us not to remain in our fallen state. So our negative tendencies do not define us, and with God’s help, we can let them go and be better than we are today.
In Peter’s second epistle, he marvels at God’s willingness to share His nature with us, if we are willing to accept His help:
His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1:3-4
The Greek word translated “partakers” in this passage, koinonoi (κοινωνοὶ), could also be translated “partner” or “sharer.” God invites us to escape the corrupting influences of this world and to become more like Him. He can change our hearts, as He did for the people of King Benjamin, so that we have “no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2).
There’s another way to think about “divine nature,” not just as something that God is willing to share with us, but something that is already within us, albeit in embryonic form, because of our divine parentage. The apostle Paul affirmed, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17).
Children make mistakes through inexperience and have not yet developed the skills and attributes of their parents, but we all understand that they have the ability to do so over time. The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have declared:
All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” 23 September 1995
And young women in the church memorize a theme that begins with these words: “I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny.”
Commenting on this theme, Elder Dale G. Renlund taught:
This [divine nature] is intrinsic to who we are. It is spiritually “genetic,” inherited from our heavenly parents, and requires no effort on our part. This is our most important identity, regardless of how else we choose to identify ourselves. Understanding this profound truth is important for everyone but especially for individuals belonging to groups who have been historically marginalized, oppressed, or subjugated. Remember that your most important identity relates to your divine nature as a child of God.
“Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny,” General Conference, April 2022
So not only is God willing to share His nature with us and help us overcome our worldly selves, but we already have within ourselves a divine nature because we are children of God.
Today, I will remember that we are all children of God, and that He can help us overcome the negative parts of ourselves and become more like Him.