1. In order to be cleansed from sin, we must exercise
faith in Jesus Christ unto
repentance. As we sincerely repent, we can receive a remission of sins, which brings
joy and peace of conscience to our souls. We can retain a remission of sins
throughout our lives as we faithfully keep God’s commandments and love and
serve one another.
2. D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine
Gift of Repentance,” Ensign Nov. 2011.
3. Neil L. Andersen, “Repent …
That I May Heal You,” Ensign , Nov. 2009.
4. Craig A. Cardon, “The Savior
Wants to Forgive,” Ensign, May 2013.
5. “We need a strong faith in Christ to be able to
repent” (DFUchtdorf, Ensign, May 2007)
6. Alma 34:15–17, In
order to receive the merciful blessings of forgiveness,
we must exercise faith in Jesus Christ unto repentance.
7. 3 Nephi
9:13–14, 19–22 If we come unto Christ with a broken heart
and a contrite spirit, He will receive us and redeem us from our sins.
8. “What are a broken heart and a contrite spirit? … The
Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a
broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken
heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are
completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for
all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice
of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter,
the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.
“A broken heart and a contrite spirit are also
preconditions to repentance [see 2 Nephi
2:6–7]. … When we sin and desire forgiveness, a broken heart and a
contrite spirit mean to experience ‘godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance’ (2 Corinthians
7:10). This comes when our desire to be cleansed from sin is so
consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace with
our Father in Heaven. Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are
willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance
or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way
instead. In such a condition of submissiveness, the Atonement can take effect
and true repentance can occur” (Bruce D. Porter, “A Broken
Heart and a Contrite Spirit,” Ensign , Nov.
2007)
9. How might you respond to individuals who want to know
how they can know whether they have been forgiven of a past sin?
10. Enos 1:4–8; Mosiah 4:1–3;
Alma 36:19–21-
As we sincerely repent and receive a remission of our sins, our guilt is
swept away, we are filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and we feel joy and
peace.
11. "For those who are truly repentant but seem
unable to feel relief: continue keeping the commandments. I promise you, relief
will come in the timetable of the Lord. Healing also requires time”
(NLAnderson, Ensign,Nov. 2009)
13. “Letters come from those who have made tragic
mistakes. They ask, ‘Can I ever be forgiven?’ “The answer
is yes! “The gospel teaches us that relief from torment and guilt
can be earned through repentance. Save for those few who defect to perdition
after having known a fulness, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no
transgression, no offense exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. “‘Come
now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool.’ That is, Isaiah continued, ‘if ye be willing and obedient’ [Isaiah
1:18–19]” (BKPacker Ensign, Nov.
1995).
14. Mosiah
4:11–12, 26- If we remember God’s love and goodness toward
us, stand steadfast in our faith, and love and serve others, we can retain a
remission of our sins.
15. “Repentance means striving to change. It would mock
the Savior’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross for us to
expect that He should transform us into angelic beings with no real effort on
our part. Rather, we seek His grace to complement and reward our most diligent
efforts (2 Nephi
25:23). Perhaps as much as praying for mercy, we should pray for
time and opportunity to work and strive and overcome. Surely the Lord smiles
upon one who desires to come to judgment worthily, who resolutely labors day by
day to replace weakness with strength. Real repentance, real change may require
repeated attempts, but there is something refining and holy in such striving” (DTChristofferson)
16. Repentance requires both turning away from evil and
turning to God. . . Initially, this turning reflects progress from telestial to
terrestrial behavior, and later on to celestial behavior. As the sins of the
telestial world are left behind, the focus falls ever more steadily upon the
sins of omission, which often keep us from full consecration. (NAMaxwell,
Ensign, Nov. 91)
2. Enos 1:4-8; Alma 34:14-18; Alma 5:12; Alma 5:54; Alma
12:15; 1 Nephi 12:10
3. 2 Nephi 2:7; 3 Nephi 9:20; Mormon 2:12-14; 2
Corinthians 7:10; Alma 15:3; 14:6; Alma 36:12-18
17. There can be
no repentance without recognition of wrong. Whether by provocation, introspection,
or wrenching remembrance, denial must be dissolved. As with the prodigal son
who finally “came to himself”, the first rays of recognition help us begin to
see “things as they really are”, including distinguishing between the motes and
beams. Recognition is a sacred moment, often accompanied by the hot blush of
shame.
After
recognition, real remorse floods the soul. This is a “godly sorrow,” not merely
the “sorrow of the world” nor the sorrowing of the damned,” when we can no
longer “take happiness in sin.” False remorse instead is like fondling our
failings.” In ritual regret, we mourn our mistakes but without mending them.
There can be no
real repentance without personal suffering and the passage of sufficient time
for the needed cleansing and turning. This is much more than merely waiting
until feelings of remorse subside. Misery, like adversity, can have its special
uses. No wonder chastening is often needed until the turning is really under
way! (Maxwell)
4. D&C 82:7; D&C 58:43; Ezekiel 18:30; Alma 30:55
All sins are to
be confessed to the Lord, some to a Church official, some to others, and some
to all of these. A few may require public confession. Confessing aids
forsaking. We cannot expect to sin publicly and extensively and then expect to
be rescued privately and quickly, being beaten with only a few stripes.
(D&C 42:88-93) (Maxwell)
5. “The voluntary confession is infinitely more
acceptable in the sight of the Lord than is forced admission, lacking humility,
wrung from an individual by questioning.” (SWKimball, Miracle of Forgiveness,
p. 181)
6. “A repentant heart will (a) voluntarily confess (b)
accept without question the decision of priesthood leaders. (Harold B. Lee)
7. Lev. 6:4; Helaman 5:52
8. Sometimes, however, restitution is not possible in
real terms, such as when one contributed to another’s loss of faith or virtue.
Instead, a subsequent example of righteousness provides a compensatory form of
restitution. In this rigorous process, so much clearly depends upon meekness.
Pride keeps repentance from even starting or continuing. Some fail because they
are more concerned with the preservation of their public image than with having
Christ’s image in their countenances! Pride prefers cheap repentance, paid for
with shallow sorrow. Unsurprisingly, seekers after cheap repentance also search
for superficial forgiveness instead of real reconciliation. Thus, real
repentance goes far beyond simply saying, “I’m sorry.” In the anguishing
process of repentance, we may sometimes feel God has deserted us. The reality
is that our behavior has isolated us from Him. Thus, while we are turning away
from evil but have not yet turned fully to God, we are especially vulnerable.
(Maxwell)
9. D&C 64:9
10. Ironically, some believe the Lord can forgive them,
but they refuse to forgive themselves. (Maxwell)
11. Mosiah 4:26; Moroni 8:25-26
12. Retaining a remission of sins depends on continuous
love and service to God and man.
13. “I do not believe that any man lives up to his
ideals, but if we are striving, if we are working, if we are trying, to the
best of our ability, to improve day by day, then we are in the line of our
duty. If we are seeking to remedy our own defects, if we are so living that we
can ask God for light, for knowledge, for intelligence, and above all, for His
Spirit, that we may overcome our weaknesses, then, I can tell you we are in the
straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal. Then we need have no
fear.” (HJGrant, Gospel Standards, p.
184-5)
14. “Repentance must involve an all-out, total surrender
to the program of the Lord. That transgressor is not fully repentant who
neglects his tithing, misses his meetings, breaks the Sabbath, fails in his
family prayers, does not sustain the authorities of the Church, breaks the Word
of Wisdom, does not love the Lord nor his fellowmen. A reforming adulterer who
drinks or curses is not repentant. The repenting burglar who has sex play is
not ready for forgiveness. God cannot forgive unless the transgressor shows a
true repentance which spreads to all areas of his life.” (SWKimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 203)
15. The ordinance of the sacrament is a holy and repeated
invitation to repent sincerely and to be renewed spiritually. The act of
partaking of the sacrament, in and of itself, does not remit sins. But as we
prepare conscientiously and participate in this holy ordinance with a broken
heart and a contrite spirit, then the promise is that we may always have
the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. And by the sanctifying power of the Holy
Ghost as our constant companion, we can always retain
a remission of our sins. We truly are blessed each week by the opportunity to
evaluate our lives through the ordinance of the sacrament, to renew our
covenants, and to receive this covenant promise. (DABednar, April 2016)
16. Too often we look at the offender the way we would
look at an iceberg—we see only the tip and not beneath the surface. We do not
know all that is going on in a person’s life. We do not know their past; we do
not know their struggles; we do not know the pains they carry. Brothers and
sisters, please do not misunderstand. To forgive is not to condone. We do not
rationalize bad behavior or allow others to mistreat us because of
their struggles, pains, or weaknesses. But we can gain
greater understanding and peace when we see with a broader perspective.
Certainly those who are less spiritually mature may
indeed make serious mistakes—yet none of us should be defined only
by the worst thing we have ever done. God is the perfect judge. He sees beneath
the surface. He knows all and sees all (see 2 Nephi 2:24). He has
said, “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required
to forgive all men” (D&C 64:10)
Forgiveness is the very
reason God sent His Son, so let us rejoice in His offering to heal us all. The
Savior’s Atonement is not just for those who need to repent; it is also for
those who need to forgive. If you are having trouble forgiving another person
or even yourself, ask God to help you. Forgiveness is a glorious, healing
principle. We do not need to be a victim twice. We can forgive. (Kevin R.
Duncan, April 2016)
Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after that,
that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for
commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues
and strive to the best of their ability to acquire
them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to
help you keep going. If you fall, summon His strength. Call out like Alma, “O
Jesus, … have mercy on me.”7 He will help you get back up. He will help
you repent, repair, fix whatever you have to fix, and keep going. Soon enough
you will have the success you seek.
“As you desire of me so it shall be done unto you,” the
Lord has declared. “… Put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do
good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously. … “[Then] whatsoever you desire of me [in]
righteousness, … you
shall receive.”8
I love that doctrine! It says again and again that we are
going to be blessed for our desire to do good, even as we actually strive to be
so. And it reminds us that to qualify for those blessings, we must make certain
we do not deny them to others: we are to deal justly, never unjustly, never
unfairly; we are to walk humbly, never arrogantly, never pridefully; we are to
judge righteously, never self-righteously, never unrighteously. (JRHolland, CR,
April, 2016)
