D&C 66

At the request of William E. McLellin, the Lord said -

"...Blessed are you, inasmuch as you have turned away from your iniquities, and have received my truths..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 66:1)

Obviously, William had repented and received the gospel. But then the Lord says -

"...you are clean, but not all; repent, therefore, of those things which are not pleasing in my sight, saith the Lord, for the Lord will show them unto you." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 66:3)

There seemed to be some lingering issue that that William was struggling with. Something that the Lord only knew about. Probably related to his thoughts. This seems to be brought out as the Lord said -

"Seek not to be cumbered. Forsake all unrighteousness. Commit not adultery—a temptation with which thou hast been troubled." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 66:10)

I sense the Lord is not necessarily saying William is presently guilty of adultery, but the temptation and thoughts thereof was that which he was troubled with. It seems thoughts and desires always precede any action.

Elder Spencer W. Kimball wrote -

"To want, to desire, to crave—that is to lust. So when the thought is born which starts a chain reaction, a sin has already been committed. If the thought is sown, then develops into lust, it is almost certain to bring eventually the full harvest of the act of the heinous sin, adultery. . . .

.. . adultery is not the result of a single thought. There first is a deterioration of thinking. Many sinful chain-thoughts have been coursing through the offender’s mind before the physical sin is committed.

Yes, as a man thinketh, so does he. If he thinks it long enough he is likely to do it, whether it be theft, moral sin, or suicide. Thus the time to protect against the calamity is when the thought begins to shape itself. Destroy the seed and the plant will never grow.

Man alone, of all creatures of earth, can change his thought pattern and become the architect of his destiny." (Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 113–14.)