Get Started On Your Custom Engraved Scriptures

What are the Differences Between Mistakes and Sin?

My son recently watched a movie where a young boy, after having made some extremely poor choices, responded simply, “Mistakes were made.” While we sat together watching the film, this tagline grated on my nerves. We all make mistakes, but we have to own them, or we don’t learn and grow.

Let’s be clear though. What is the difference between a sin and a mistake?

In a talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks regarding the subject, he said, “Sins result from willful disobedience of laws we have received by explicit teaching or by the Spirit of Christ, which teaches every man the general principles of right and wrong. For sins, the remedy is to chasten and encourage repentance. Mistakes result from ignorance of the laws of God or the workings of the universe or people he has created. For mistakes, the remedy is to correct the mistake, not to condemn the individual.” 1

One of the main purposes of mortality is to learn by our own experience. We do that by choosing for ourselves, making lots of mistakes and trying again. We shouldn’t be chastised for growth. What a great insight as we serve in callings, have children or interact with any human ever!

Sin is intentionally disobeying the Lord or widening the distance between Him and ourselves. When we are choosing to break away from our God, we must recognize it and bring ourselves back to Him through the atoning power of Jesus Christ. Our sins can be swept away. The Lord promised, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18) We can be renewed and made whole.

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. highlighted the distinction between an unintended act and an intended one in his famous observation that “even a dog distinguishes between being stumbled over and being kicked” (The Common Law [1963], 7). 1

Some mistakes may be as small as forgetting to wash the dishes on your night but as serious as stepping in front of a car. The consequences of a mistake may be lifelong. There are sometimes consequences that come along with sin that do not go away but the guilt and the pain of our disobedience can be taken by our precious Savior.

Simply put, we choose to sin but make mistakes by accident. The Lord knows the deepest desires of our hearts. He can identify whether we walk foolishly into something by error or by design. For this reason, it is imperative that we listen to the still voice of the Holy Ghost who will help us be right with our Father in Heaven through the perfect gift of His Only Begotten.

May we always be quick to forgive and slow to condemn as we experience growth through trial and error in our own personal journey of mortality.

“Sins and Mistakes,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1996 General Conference 

Share this post


Leave a comment

1619 comments

  • DO YOU REQUIRE TECHNICAL SKILLS TO SOLVE YOUR HACKING RELATED PROBLEMS?
    ●Hacking of all social media accounts
    ●Spying on a cheating partner
    ●Retrieving of lost Cryptocurrency
    ●Data alteration
    ●Finding lost phones
    ●Clearing/paying off of mortgage/loan
    ●Alteration of credit scores
    ●Bitcoin mining
    ●Location Tracking
    ●Hacking of cell phone/other devices
    ●Block out or track down hackers
    Secure yourself now!!!
    Contact: cyberhelpdesk88@gmail.com
    Telegram: +1 (313) 767-2294

    • Rita Gliner
  • How Cloudstrike Helped Me Recover $205,000 Worth of Ethereum

    After 25 years of hard work in public service, I thought I was finally financially secure. That changed when I fell for a fake online investment platform that promised high returns. It all looked legitimate — from the website to the “broker” who guided me through everything.

    Over time, I invested $205,000 worth of Ethereum, trusting I was building my future. But when I tried to withdraw my funds, everything disappeared. The platform went silent. My entire life savings — gone. I was devastated.

    Then I found Cloudstrike Cybersecurity Company. At first, I was skeptical — I had just been scammed, after all. But reaching out to them at [Clodstrikecyber@gmail.com ] turned out to be the best decision I could’ve made.

    They listened without judgment, explained the recovery process clearly, and immediately got to work. Their team was professional, responsive, and incredibly thorough. Within weeks, they managed to recover a large portion of my stolen ETH.

    I can’t thank Cloudstrike enough. They didn’t just recover my funds — they gave me back hope, peace, and a second chance. If you’ve been scammed, don’t give up. Contact Cloudstrike — they truly deliver.

    Email:[Clodstrikecyber@gmail.com]
    Whatsapp: +1 (260)408-3923

    • Amy Brown
  • I Want To Testify About Dark Web Blank ATM Cards. What’sapp : +2348159250336 (The Official Automatic Teller Machine) They Sell Automatic Blank ATM Cards That You Can Use To Withdraw Money At Any ATM Machine Around The World Wide. Order Your Blank ATM Card Now With The Official Automatic Teller Machine.

    What’sapp : +2348159250336

    Email Address : carolblankatmcard@gmail.com

    • Official carol
  • I lost $57,800 crypto trading platform after being promised 15% daily profits. It was a financial nightmare! Desperate, I turned to a trusted friend who introduced me to the amazing team at JetWebHackers. In just 48 hours, they tracked down the scammers and recovered my funds! Their exceptional service changed my life. If you’ve been scammed, don’t hesitate—contact JetWebHackers for a swift recovery!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Reach out to them today and turn your situation around!

    WEBSITE: jetwebhackers. com

    EMAIL: jetwebhackers@gmail.com

    WHATSAPP: +1 (505) 428-8792

    • sandra bernhard✅
  • I invested $86,000 worth of USDT into a stock market trading app, believing it to be a legitimate opportunity for me to make profit. It wasn’t until later that I discovered it was a Ponzi scheme. As a full-time investor, I was devastated by the loss and felt immense regret for trusting the marketing admin with my hard earned money. While grappling with the aftermath, I came across Reviews of jamesmckaywizard on GOOGLE while i was looking for ways to recover my stolen funds back. After researching, I found them to be a genuine and trustworthy crypto recovery team. I reached out to them, and they promptly guided me through the entire process via their email. Thanks to their expertise and dedication, my USDT was fully recovered. I highly recommend their Service to anyone seeking assistance in recovering their crypto or money lost to anyone online due to false pretense or whatsoever via Email: jamesmckaywizard at gmail dot com or what ’Sapp +31- 65-74-46-24-8.

    • Norman Meg