I was asked to give a talk in the April 19 Sacrament Meeting in my ward. I thought I’d post it up here just for fun. I, of course, only nearly read it verbatim. I don’t remember where I changed it on the fly, so this is the version I was reading from rather than the version I gave. Changes were minimal and felt like a better flow as I was delivering it. I didn’t change any substance. I did observe before beginning that I had just realized that one of the disadvantages of giving a talk while ward clerk is that you get to know exactly how many people you are speaking to.
Repentance: A (Somewhat) Journalistic Approach
Introduction
Good morning Brothers and Sisters. I remember having been taught in one of my middle or high school English classes about answering the six “W’s” when telling a story. Who, what, when, where, why and how. It is my opportunity today to tell a story about repentance and I felt that the six “W’s” would be a good structure.
Who
There are a couple of “who” questions that I would like to address. The first is “Who needs to repent?”
Who needs to repent?
We can answer this question by turning to the scriptures. In Romans chapter 3 verse 23 we read:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
This is supplemented in Moroni chapter 8 where Moroni records a letter written to him by his father, Mormon, concerning a disputation among the Nephites about the practice of baptizing little children. Verses 10 and 11 read:
10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.
11 And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.
These scriptures help us to understand that no one makes it through their mortal life without sin; however, through the atonement of Christ, little children and those who are otherwise not accountable are exempted from the requirement to repent.
Who can repent?
The second “Who” question is “Who can repent?”
In Elder Packer’s talk from the October 2013 general conference titled, The Key to Spiritual Protection states:
Just as chalk can be removed from a blackboard, with sincere repentance the effects of our transgression can be erased through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That promise applies in every case.1
We all have the opportunity to repent. Although Satan can be very insistent in trying to deceive us into believing that our sins are too great or that we are just too weak to be successful, the Lord has already paid the price for all of our sins. We just need to accept that gift by repenting.
In that same conference talk Elder Packer reminds us that we can leave behind our sins and accomplish much good even if our sins are great. He says:
Those who stray will have the ability to return and, with help, can find their way back. The sons of Mosiah fought against the Church for a time but later repented and underwent a dramatic change. In Alma we read, “These sons of Mosiah … had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.”1
Alma the younger, who was also involved with the sons of Mosiah in trying to destroy the church, recounts the circumstances of his repentance in Alma chapter 36. There are also the accounts of Enos in the book of Enos and the Lamanite kings and people in Alma chapters 17-27 which I will leave for you to study on your own.
What
Now that the scriptures and our modern-day prophets have taught us that we all can and need to repent it is time to ask “What is repentance?”
Let’s begin with the fourth Article of Faith:
4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
So repentance is one of the foundational principles of the gospel. This is confirmed in 3 Nephi Chapter 27 by Jesus Christ during his visit to the Nephites after his resurrection. In verses 20 and 21 we read:
20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel
In a CES devotional, Russell T. Osguthorpe, who was the Sunday School General President at that time said:
When we really want to be good but slip and fall, we are yielding to the natural man or woman within us. When we find ourselves anywhere other than on the path of discipleship, we need to draw upon the powers of the Atonement by repenting, and we will once again be on the right path.
Repentance is the means by which we put off the natural man [see Mosiah 3:19] and align our will with God’s will.
In his talk titled Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ from the October 2013 general conference Elder Richard G. Scott says:
Remember, repentance is not punishment. It is the hope-filled path to a more glorious future.3
One of my duties as the Ward Clerk is to sit in disciplinary councils to take notes so that the proceedings can be accurately reported. I don’t remember how many councils I’ve sat in on, but it’s been more than a couple. My experiences have been in agreement with Elder Scott’s statement. The bishopric always conducts disciplinary councils with an attitude of love. The discussion is always about helping, never about punishing.
Repentance is the tool provided to us by which we can accept the atonement and leave our sins behind us.
When
The next question is “When should we repent?”
Elder Jörg Klebingat of the Seventy in a talk given in the October 2014 general conference titled Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence teaches:
Because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is very practical, you should apply it generously 24/7, for it never runs out. Embrace the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance as things that are to be welcomed and applied daily according to the Great Physician’s orders.6
I understand this to mean that we should repent immediately upon recognizing that we have sinned, which, for most of us, means that we will be repenting at least daily.
Where
The next question is “Where should we repent?” I didn’t find any references to proper places to repent but I imagine that just as we can pray wherever we are, we can begin the repentance process wherever we are when we recognize the need.
Why
The last question I have before getting to How we are to repent is “Why do we repent?”
From Doctrine & Covenants Section 1 verse 31
31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
And from Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk titled Free Forever, to Act for Themselves in the October 2014 general conference:
So God does not save us “just as we are,” first, because “just as we are” we are unclean, and “no unclean thing can dwell … in his presence.” And second, God will not act to make us something we do not choose by our actions to become. Truly He loves us, and because He loves us, He neither compels nor abandons us. Rather He helps and guides us. Indeed, the real manifestation of God’s love is His commandments.5
If we desire to return to live with our Heavenly Father we must repent to clean ourselves from sin. In his October 2013 conference address President Packer related this experience from the life of Joseph F Smith.
President Joseph F. Smith was five years old when his father, Hyrum, was killed in Carthage Jail. Later, Joseph crossed the plains with his widowed mother.
At age 15 he was called on a mission to Hawaii. He felt lost and alone and said: “I was very much oppressed. … I felt as if I was so debased in my condition of poverty, lack of intelligence and knowledge, just a boy, that I hardly dared look [anyone] in the face.”
While pondering his plight one night, young Joseph dreamed he was on a journey, rushing as fast as he possibly could. He carried with him a small bundle. Finally, he came to a wonderful mansion, which was his destination. As he approached, he saw a sign which read, “Bath.” He quickly went in and washed himself. He opened his little bundle and found clean white clothing—“a thing,” he said, “I had not seen for a long time.” He put them on and rushed to the door of the mansion.
“I knocked,” he said, “and the door opened, and the man who stood there was the Prophet Joseph Smith. He looked at me a little reprovingly, and the first words he said [were]: ‘Joseph, you are late.’ Yet I took confidence and said:
“‘Yes, but I am clean—I am clean!’”1
In the October 2014 conference President Boyd K. Packer said:
Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow. The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin, that all may have guilt erased and feel hope.4
One might wonder why our Heavenly Father allows us to sin and make repentance necessary if our spiritual cleanliness is so important. Speaking in the October 2014 general conference Elder Christofferson taught:
In spiritual matters some suppose that men and women need not strive for personal righteousness—because God loves and saves us “just as we are.”
But God intends that His children should act according to the moral agency He has given them, “that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.” It is His plan and His will that we have the principal decision-making role in our own life’s drama. God will not live our lives for us nor control us as if we were His puppets, as Lucifer once proposed to do. Nor will His prophets accept the role of “puppet master” in God’s place.5
How
Now that we have looked at the Who, What, When, Where, and Why we need to answer the final question, “How do we repent?” To answer this question I have relied heavily on the information available on the gospel topics area of LDS.org
Faith
Before we can begin to repent we must have faith. In Alma 34 verse 17 Amulek teaches:
17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
Our growing faith will lead us to repent. We see often in the scriptures, one example is 2 Nephi chapter 31, that we must have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Enduring to the end includes increasing our faith, and as our faith grows line upon line and precept upon precept [see 2 Nephi 28:3] our recognition of opportunities to repent will grow.
Sorrow for sin
The next step is sorrow for sin. In the priesthood session of the October 2013 conference President Uchtdorf said:
The Apostle Paul taught that “godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation … but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” Godly sorrow inspires change and hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Worldly sorrow pulls us down, extinguishes hope, and persuades us to give in to further temptation. Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ’s love. True repentance is about transformation, not torture or torment. Yes, heartfelt regret and true remorse for disobedience are often painful and very important steps in the sacred process of repentance. But when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance.2
Confession
In order to be forgiven of our sins we must confess them. Usually we only need to confess our sins to our Heavenly Father in prayer as President Packer teaches in the October 2013 conference:
Jesus Christ has prescribed a very clear method for us to repent and find healing in our lives. The cure for most mistakes can be found by seeking forgiveness through personal prayer. However, there are certain spiritual illnesses, particularly those dealing with violations of the moral law, which absolutely require the assistance and treatment of a qualified spiritual physician.1
The church’s website further clarifies that serious sins such as violations of the law of chastity might affect our membership in the church, and therefore need to be confessed to your priesthood leader, usually a bishop or branch president, so that they can be handled appropriately. Your priesthood leader will keep confessions confidential and assist you throughout the process of obtaining forgiveness from the Lord.
Abandonment of sin
The next step is abandonment of sin. We read in Doctrine & Covenants Section 58 verse 43:
43 By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.
Again from October 2013 conference President Packer says:
Repentance is individual, and so is forgiveness. The Lord requires only that one turn from their sin, and “[He] will forgive their iniquity, and … remember their sin no more.”1
It is inevitable that we will make repeated mistakes. Our Heavenly Father understands this and only requires that we make a real, honest effort to leave our sins behind and continue to repent, relying on the Lord to help us to finally overcome.
Restitution
Our sins rarely, if ever, affect only ourselves. Therefore, as part of the repentance process we must make every effort at restitution. In other words, we need to try to make things the way they would have been had we not messed up. If we have stolen an item we should either return it or compensate the rightful owner. If we have lied we should make the truth known. If we have committed a sin of omission, or not done what is expected of us, we need to do our best to make it right.
Righteous living
Finally, it isn’t enough to stop committing sin. We must replace our wrong behaviors with righteous behaviors. Reading from Doctrine &Covenants Section 1 verse 32:
32 Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
Replacing sin with righteous behavior such as scripture study, personal prayer, attending our meetings, gospel study, fulfilling and magnifying our calling, and giving service to others will help us to resist temptation, increase our testimony and bring us closer to Christ.
Bear Testimony
Sources
1) The Key to Spiritual Protection by President Boyd K. Packer, October 2013 conference
2) You Can Do It Now! by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2013 conference
3) Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ by Elder Richard G. Scott, October 2013 conference
4) The Reason for Our Hope by President Boyd K. Packer, October 2014 conference
5) Free Forever, to Act for Themselves by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, October 2014 conference
6) Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence by Elder Jörg Klebingat, October 2014 conference
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