“Like the Dog to His Vomit”

By the twenty sixth year after the birth of Jesus Christ, the people of Nephi had repented of their sins, defeated the Gadianton robbers, and begun to rebuild their cities and their roads. The narrator rather ominously tells us, “There was nothing in all the land to hinder the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into transgression” (3 Nephi 6:5).

And so they did. First they divided into economic classes. Then, they began to persecute one another. Finally, they began to thwart the rule of law. When injustice became pervasive, the government collapsed, and the people separated into tribes. (See 3 Nephi 7:2.) What a tragedy! The narrator mourns their unhappy state by quoting a passage from the book of Proverbs:

And thus six years had not passed away since the more part of the people had turned from their righteousness, like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow to her wallowing in the mire.

3 Nephi 7:8

Proverbs 26:11 says, “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” It’s a vivid illustration of the folly of falling back into sins and bad habits which we have overcome.

Peter quoted this proverb in his second epistle. After condemning false teachers who lead people away from righteousness, he concludes, “It is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:22).

Once you’ve been cleansed, why would you roll around in the mud again? Once you’ve tasted the joy of purity and cleanliness, why would you sully yourself again? Perhaps bad habits regain control during stressful times. Perhaps our conversion wasn’t as complete as we had thought. Perhaps we become complacent and fail to do the things which are necessary to retain our conversion. (See Mosiah 4:11-12, 26.)

Regardless of the reason, we can all relate to these regressions. Our progress is not linear, and we will have periods where we lose some of the ground we have gained. When that happens, we need to remember that God remains eager to welcome us back as quickly as we are willing to turn to Him again. “As often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me,” He assured Alma (Mosiah 26:30). And Moroni explained that in the church established by the Savior, “As oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven” (Moroni 6:8).

It’s worth remembering that some of these people, who had ridden this roller coaster of righteousness and wickedness over a few short years, would see and interact with the resurrected Savior just a few years later. After spending time with Him, there was no regression. “They were blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land” (4 Nephi 1:18). They found their reliable righteousness as they drew closer to “the fountain of all righteousness.” (See Ether 8:26, Ether 12:28.)

Today, I will remember the folly of regression. I will strive to appreciate the progress I’ve made with God’s help and to maintain the habits which will help me to build on those gains. I will also remember that, even when I regress, God is always ready, even eager, to help me overcome my sins again as soon as I’m willing to turn to Him.