Avoiding temptation is a daily habit. We feel tempted and refuse to sin, again and again. Regular practice increases our strength and weakens our desire for unholy things. Some temptations persist throughout life, however. They are part of the Lord’s “resistance training” to steel our spiritual integrity. And it’s more difficult to maintain the daily habit of avoiding temptation when you don’t fully understand why you’re doing it. Alma said to Corianton: “Thou art in thy youth, and ye stand in need to be nourished. … I perceive that thy mind is worried” concerning points of doctrine (Alma 39:10; 40:1). Alma answered sin with doctrine. A superficial grasp on the doctrine of Jesus Christ allows gaps in understanding, and gaps allow doubts, and doubts make excuses for disobedience. So Alma filled the gaps in his son’s doctrinal understanding. He helped him see the gravity and consequences of sin by explaining God’s plan, how it works, and the damage that sin does to us. He knew th...