Conscience

All people are born with the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong. This ability, called conscience, is a manifestation of the Light of Christ (see Moroni 7:15–19).

Your conscience is a defense to help you stay away from situations that are spiritually harmful. When you obey the commandments and make righteous decisions, you experience peace of conscience.

When you sin, you feel remorse or guilt, just as you feel physical pain when you are wounded. This is the natural response of your conscience to sin, and it can lead you to repent.

Repentance and forgiveness renew your peace of conscience. On the other hand, if you ignore your conscience and do not repent, your conscience will be impaired as if it has been “seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2).

Learn to follow your conscience. This is an important part of exercising your agency. The more you follow your conscience, the stronger it will become. A sensitive conscience is a sign of a healthy spirit.