Read:
D&c 58:41-43
Mosiah 4:9-12
Mosiah 2:38
Ponder : Have I truly sought forgiveness from the Lord? Do I really believe He will forgive me?
I learned about the great plan of happiness, that we are on earth to be tested. We will all make mistakes. The Apostle John taught, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Fortunately he added, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."4 I paid particular attention to that word cleanse.
I thought that repentance, like soap, should be used frequently. I found that when I apologized for mistakes, things were better. But for serious mistakes, an apology was not enough--sometimes not even possible. While these mistakes were, for the most part, not major ones, the spiritual pain called guilt invariably set in. Sooner or later they must be resolved, but I didn't know what to do. That happens when you break something that you alone can't fix.
Among you young people are those who are "vexed," as Peter said, "with the filthy conversation of the wicked."5 Some of you joke about standards and see no need to change behavior. You tell yourselves it doesn't matter because "everybody's doing it."
But that doesn't work because you, by nature, are good. How many times have you heard someone say, after doing some generous or heroic deed or simply helping others, how good it made them feel? Like any natural feeling or emotion, that reaction is inborn in you. Surely you have experienced that yourself! Happiness is inseparably connected with decent, clean behavior.
The prophet Alma bluntly told his wayward son that because he transgressed he was "in a state contrary to the nature of happiness" and that "wickedness never was happiness."6 Those who don't know how to erase mistakes often feel cornered and rebellious and lose themselves in unworthy living. If you travel with transgressors, you will suffer much more than I did in that restaurant.
It was through reading the scriptures, and listening, that I could understand, at least in part, the power of the Atonement. Can you imagine how I felt when finally I could see that if I followed whatever conditions the Redeemer had set, I need never endure the agony of being spiritually unclean? Imagine the consoling, liberating, exalting feeling that will come to you when you see the reality of the Atonement and the practical everyday value of it to you individually.
You need not know everything before the power of the Atonement will work for you. Have faith in Christ; it begins to work the day you ask! The scripture speaks of "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."9 We all pretty well know what it means to obey laws. But how are we to obey ordinances?
Generally we understand that, conditioned upon repentance, the ordinance of baptism washes our sins away. Some wonder if they were baptized too soon. If only they could be baptized now and have a clean start. But that is not necessary! Through the ordinance of the sacrament you renew the covenants made at baptism. When you meet all of the conditions of repentance, however difficult, you may be forgiven and your transgressions will trouble your mind no more.
From "Washed Clean"
President Boyd K Packer
As I have pondered "Repentance" today. I have kinda had a guilty feeling. That maybe I am not truly repenting and that I do not repent often enough. So my goal is to seriously every week before I partake in the sacrament to truly seek out what I need to repent about and put forth more effort.
I love that when we talk about repentance it seem as tho we talk about forgiveness. I love the ability to forgive. Forgiving has played a huge part in my life. I have had several people in my life that not matter what they have done and what they continue to do to me I can forgive. Sometimes you have to forgive for your self and move on. I know that by forgiving that I am following my Heavenly Father. He forgives us a million times. And for me to forgive is only asking one small thing. I wish everyone could do just that FORGIVE. I know so many people out there that hold all these negative feelings inside for years about people and it would only take forgiving the other person for what they may have done to them. In reality I think sometimes you are only hurting and torturing yourself. I have been there before and its not a pleasant feeling. But as I grow and learn more about the power to forgive I have come to realized it truly is a beautiful thing and I am grateful for it.
