Repentance

This last weekend was the semiannual general conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Messages from apostles and prophets are broadcast from several sessions. The messages are comforting, inspiring, educational, uplifting, chastening, and very personal to anyone, church member or not, who desires to follow the path Jesus paved.

Repentance was a topic discussed several times. For anyone who would like to read or hear these messages, log onto LDS.org and follow the links for general conference. In a few days I believe the recent messages will be available to print, read, or hear. For the topic of repentance, three speakers come to mind: Reeves, Bednar, and Renlund.

Elder Bednar spoke of repentance and how we need to have faith in Christ to repent. To have faith that Jesus says to us “Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” Isaiah 1:18. Most of what he said was well-known doctrine, but at the end of his speech, he spoke of those who have a hard time ‘believing’ what they know. In other words, they have faith, but making it personal and applying it is a step more difficult to achieve. I guess that’s like getting knowledge from your head to your heart. Perhaps that’s why some of us sincerely repent, and yet, keep reminding ourselves of past sins and follies and don’t allow ourselves to shed the guilt that has already been swept away. We do not draw upon the real power of the Atonement. Perhaps it’s easy to tell someone else that they are forgiven and should forget, but, when it comes to ourselves, we struggle. We need to be like the father who came to Jesus and asked him to heal his son. Christ asked if he believed that it was possible, and the father replied, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24

Repentance and forgiveness are a two-edged sword.
Once we repent and are forgiven, we must believe the Lord.
For only by true faith in Christ can we receive his joy,
The pure grace that comes from Christ to every girl and boy.

And when we find ourselves caught in sin’s dark snare,
We must repent each day we live. Forgiveness lifts despair.
We each fall short in many ways. Pure light casts out all fear.
Through guidance from the Holy Ghost, we grow and see more clear.

Forgiveness is the healing balm, we feel when we obey,
Only when we humbly seek for forgiveness every day.
He helps us live more Christ-like, as repentance brings us joy.
As we repent, forgive and serve, Christ’s grace we do employ.