she wept for david-2 Samuel 11

David and Bathsheba-Artemisia Gentileschi 

Satan seems to work on the elect harder than anyone else. Over the course of our readings David was tempted with all manner of possible sins. He withstood them. That is until he was tempted to commit adultery with Bathsheba 2 Samuel 11:2. Like Joseph who fled for Potipher's wife,  David should have got himself out of there. Unfortunately, his lust t led him to sin with her? (See 2 Samuel 11:2–4.) Everyone has weaknesses and might be tempted to commit sexual or other sins. When we catch ourselves thinking improperly is the time to flee the situation. Like suggested by Boyd Packer, we should hum our favorite hymn. We can change the subject of our thoughts. We can pray for strength. We can do something physical like dig in the garden or go for a walk. 

“The mind is like a stage. Except when we are asleep, the curtain is always up. There is always some act being performed on that stage. It may be a comedy, a tragedy, interesting or dull, good or bad; but always there is some act playing on the stage of the mind.

“Have you noticed that without any real intent on your part, in the middle of almost any performance, a shady little thought may creep in from the wings and attract your attention? These delinquent thoughts will try to upstage everybody. If you permit them to go on, all thoughts of any virtue will leave the stage. You will be left, because you consented to it, to the influence of unrighteous thoughts.

“If you yield to them, they will enact for you on the stage of your mind anything to the limits of your toleration. They may enact a theme of bitterness, jealousy, or hatred. It may be vulgar, immoral, even depraved. When they have the stage, if you let them, they will devise the most clever persuasions to hold your attention. They can make it interesting all right, even convince you that it is innocent—for they are but thoughts.

“What do you do at a time like that, when the stage of your mind is commandeered by the imps of unclean thinking, whether they be the gray ones that seem almost clean or the filthy ones which leave no room for doubt? If you can control your thoughts, you can overcome habits, even degrading personal habits. If you can learn to master them, you will have a happy life.

“This is what I would teach you. Choose from among the sacred music of the Church a favorite hymn, one with words that are uplifting and music that is reverent, one that makes you feel something akin to inspiration. Go over it in your mind carefully. Memorize it. Even though you [may] have had no musical training, you can think through a hymn.

“Now, use this hymn as the place for your thoughts to go. Make it your emergency channel. Whenever you find these shady actors have slipped from the sidelines of your thinking onto the stage of your mind, put on this record, as it were. As the music begins and as the words form in your thoughts, the unworthy ones will slip shamefully away. It will change the whole mood on the stage of your mind. Because it is uplifting and clean, the baser thoughts will disappear. For while virtue, by choice, will not associate with filth, evil cannot tolerate the presence of light.

“In due time you will find yourself, on occasion, humming the music inwardly. As you retrace your thoughts, you discover some influence from the world about you encouraged an unworthy thought to move on stage in your mind, and the music almost automatically began.

“Once you learn to clear the stage of your mind of unworthy thoughts, keep it busy with learning worthwhile things. Change your environment so that you have things about you that will inspire good and uplifting thoughts. Keep busy with things that are righteous” (Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report, Oct. 1976, 99–100)."

This story goes from bad to worse, when David learned that Bathsheba was pregnant 2 Samuel 11:6–13. His cover-up plan failed, because Uriah was a dutiful man 2 Samuel 11:11.  When that failed, David murdered Uriah 2 Samuel 11:14–17. I remember discussing this with my sister once. she related that she wept for David the first time she read this. Nobody is above temptation or sin. We must be ever on our guard.

“Do not take comfort in the fact that your transgressions are not known by others. That is like an ostrich with his head buried in the sand. He sees only darkness and feels comfortably hidden. In reality he is ridiculously conspicuous. Likewise our every act is seen by our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son. They know everything about us...If you have seriously transgressed, you will not find any lasting satisfaction or comfort in what you have done. Excusing transgression with a cover-up may appear to fix the problem, but it does not. The tempter is intent on making public your most embarrassing acts at the most harmful time. Lies weave a pattern that is ever more confining and becomes a trap that Satan will spring to your detriment” (Richard G. Scott, Ensign, May 1995, 77).