O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.
The guilty take the truth to be hard. Unless the light of Christ is extinguished, they know they are wrong, and when their transgressions are pointed out to them, they become doubly uncomfortable.
Guilt is like pain to our spirits. It warns us of danger. It motivates us to stop doing the thing that causes the pain. If we put our hand on a hot stove, we do not debate the philosophy of heat; we move our hand. Yet how many times do we debate the morality of our sins, which are hurting us, instead of stopping the harmful behavior. Would we justify burning our hand because it is such a small part of our total body mass? Or because we can take a painkiller and forget about it? Or because we figure it will heal eventually, so there is no permanent damage? Or because everyone else is doing it? Do we ignore the warning indicator that says the cook top is hot, with the attitude that no silly red light is going to stop us from doing what we want? The natural man goes to great lengths to protect the physical body but cares not at all for the spirit within it.
When we hear someone say they have heard enough talks and lessons about the word of wisdom or chastity or tithing or Sabbath observance, it is likely that they are taking the truth to be hard because it is sharpening their guilt.
The righteous, on the other hand, or at least those who strive for righteousness, love to hear the truths of the gospel taught, discussed and reiterated. They are validated by the truth, rather than convicted by it. They grow in their desire for righteousness. They feast on the truth and drink it in like a thirsty person.
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