When we sin, we feel bad and know it’s wrong, but sometimes we do it anyway. Why do we do things we know are wrong?

Because of our fallen nature, we are prone to be shortsighted and forgetful. Often we don’t see the long-term effects of our choices, or we forget the consequences of choices we’ve made before.

King Benjamin said, “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). By continually rejecting our natural impulses and embracing the Atonement, we can lose the desire to sin and gain the desire to do good continually (see Mosiah 5:2).

One of the most frequent injunctions in the scriptures is “remember.” Both ancient and modern prophets frequently remind us where our choices will lead. Their words can help us realize that even if sin feels good at the moment, we will be much happier in the long run if we are obedient.