The Miracle of Repentance ~ Part Two

  Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,
this post should take approximately five minutes to read from start to finish.

This post focuses on June 2013 BYU Devotional, and it is called "The Miracle of Repentance" by D. Kelly Ogden." This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. I hope that you would be able to learn something whilst reading through this post. 

Brother Ogden has mentioned "Even Joseph Smith confessed that during his youth he struggled, as he wrote, with all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. [JS—H 1:28]

... When you have fully repented of your sins and are converted to the Lord, you are born again—you become a new person. You don’t have to be concerned about your old sins because that old person who committed those sins is buried away. That is not you. You have become a new person who would not commit such sins. Therefore you can forgive yourself, forsake those sins, and forget your past.

... Jesus helps you become a new and different person who has learned the divine principles of forgiving and forgetting. The Hebrew word for atonement is kippur (as in Yom Kippur: the day of atonement), and the basic meaning of kippur is to cover up. The Savior has suffered for, and covered up, the sins of us all—pending our complete repentance.

The Good News of Repentance

The scriptures not only teach that there are awful consequences of not repenting but also that there are extraordinary rewards for repenting. ... The word gospel means “good news”; therefore it is the good news of repentance. We sometimes look upon repentance as a punishment—as a distasteful, negative thing. It does involve some pain, of course, but genuine repentance is a blessing—a happy, positive thing.

Two questions are often asked:
1. How can I know if I have been forgiven of my sins? .. (Mosiah 4:3). By that peace and the Spirit you will know.

2. If the Lord says He will forgive and forget, why can’t I forget? ... The Lord leaves the memory in your mind as an early warning system; it is protection against going back to the old ways, the old sins. Alma didn’t say he could remember his sins no more; he said he could remember his pain no more.

He could remember his sins all right, but he was not harrowed up by the memory of those sins because he had repented of them. When you fully repent you are born again and become a new person (see Mosiah 27:24–29), and the cloud of darkness that once overshadowed you is removed (see Helaman 5:11, 41).

Whatever your past has been, your future is spotless, so tie yourself to your potential, not to your past. One of the most beautiful truths of the plan of happiness is that the Lord ­forgives and forgets (see D&C 58:42). He chooses what He will remember. 

... Unless you have murdered someone (premeditated murder) or committed the sin against the Holy Ghost (as very few have), you can be totally forgiven of all your sins. That is indeed good news. But you must ask! The Lord said, “Thy sins are forgiven thee, according to thy petition” (D&C 90:1; emphasis added).

A Complete Cleansing Is Needed

... In Santiago, Chile, there are at least four ambulance companies in that city of more than six million people. One of the companies is called Rescate Total (“Total Rescue”), and every time I saw one of the ambulances driving by, I thought, “No, I know where total rescue comes from. His name is Jesus Christ.” And His is the only name under heaven whereby salvation comes, from whom a complete cleanse can come—again, because He is the One who paid the price. He can take away all our transgressions.

The Baptism of Repentance

Sometimes we look with envy on the new convert stepping out of the baptismal font; we feel almost jealous of the fact that there goes the cleanest, purest person on earth. ... If we go to sacrament meeting each week, and we go there having thoroughly repented of all our sins and then worthily eat that little piece of bread and drink that little cup of water, we may leave that meeting totally void of sin. We can literally be clean and pure as we walk out of sacrament meeting each week. We experience again and again the baptism of repentance.

True Repentance Requires More Than a Cleansing

Actually, the whole process of repentance requires more than just a cleansing, and we need to do more than just repair all damage done. ... So it is with repentance: we must cleanse ourselves of all that is wrong inside, repair the damage that has been done, and continually strengthen ourselves to become more and more resistant to sin and more and more capable of sustaining light and truth from Him who is our strength. 

It is through daily diligence to prayer and scriptures, along with exact obedience to all other commandments, and serving others and worshiping in the temple that we keep ourselves strong and avoid the sinning. Each of us will stand before our Father and look into His divine eyes and report on what we have done with this brief moment of time. 

We will all have photographic memories (and instant recall!), a perfect recollection of all we’ve done on earth and that perfect awareness will either send us into deep despair and remorse or fill us with happiness and gratitude. It is up to us. We will all live forever no exceptions. And we are determining each day exactly where and with whom we will live forever. 

Whatever has gone wrong in our lives that has tainted or darkened our souls can be erased, cleansed, removed, and purified by the power of sincere repentance. It is a miracle. Any evil words and deeds continue to reverberate through the universe until we pay the price of godly sorrow and total repentance; then they are completely obliterated. They are not there anymore, and we become a new person, full of light. ..."

If you would like to read the whole Devotional in your own time, here's the link below.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/d-kelly-ogden/the-miracle-of-repentance/

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Miracle of Repentance ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take approximately five minutes to read from start to finish.

This post focuses on June 2013 BYU Devotional, and it is called "The Miracle of Repentance" by D. Kelly Ogden." This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the Devotional. I hope that you would be able to learn something whilst reading through this post. 

Brother Ogden has mentioned the following; "There is no principle of the gospel more important than repentance. ... Driven by faith, repentance is the single most important principle to live in order to make the Savior’s Atonement effective and meaningful in our lives. 

Repentance is not just feeling guilty for having sinned, nor is it mere “forgetfulness,” pushing the sin way back in our mind to conveniently not be reminded of it. ... We repent not only of sins but also of sinning, and we are willing to do whatever is necessary to remove the stain and the pain. We turn to the Savior. He is the only one who can take away our sins because He paid the price for them.

Godly Sorrow and Suffering Are Necessary

In true repentance, godly sorrow and suffering are necessary. ... We have all been through the anguish. ... We hurt inside. And it is not just guilt for being caught or feeling the embarrassment for having to confess. It is godly sorrow we are feeling.

... Alma said, “Let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance” (Alma 42:29). Be glad to suffer the godly sorrow now so you won’t have to suffer the full effects of your sins later.

Confession Is Necessary

President Spencer W. Kimball taught: No one can ever be forgiven of any transgression until there is repentance, and one has not repented until he has bared his soul and admitted his intentions and weaknesses without excuses or rationalizations. He must admit to himself that he has grievously sinned. 

When he has confessed to himself without the slightest minimizing of the offense, or rationalizing its seriousness, or soft-pedaling its gravity, and admits it is as big as it really is, then he is ready to begin his repentance. [“Love Versus Lust,” BYU devotional address, 5 January 1965; ...] We have a worry these days. 

... But Elder Richard G. Scott warned, “The thought of intentionally committing serious sin now and repenting later is perilously wrong. . . . Premeditated sin has greater penalties and is harder to overcome” (“Making the Right Choices,” Ensign, November 1994, 38–39). We must confess and forsake our sins now and not put off our repentance. 

Alma warned us not to procrastinate the day of our repentance. As the old rabbis used to say: You cannot repent the day before you die, because you don’t know what day you will die. ... The fact is, none of us knows exactly when we will be departing this mortal sphere, so we should be ready always never procrastinating the day of 

our repentance but repenting daily and keeping ourselves prepared to meet God.

Don’t wait until the pressure situations of mission and marriage arrive to do your repenting. If the announcements and invitations have already been sent out and you have the interview with the bishop and a member of the stake presidency, and then you realize together that you are not ready for the sacred covenant-making in the house of the Lord then what do you do? 

It could be pretty embarrassing, couldn’t it? The embarrassment doesn’t matter; you don’t ever want to enter the holy temple if you are not worthy. To take upon yourself the most sacred covenants and make the most binding promises of your whole life when you are not spiritually prepared or worthy to do so would bring upon you serious condemnation.

Before going to the temple, before going to sacrament meeting, even before kneeling to pray, be reconciled to Heavenly Father and to the Savior and if there is any conflict or friction between you and any other person, get it resolved now.

REPENTANCE is both our path to FORGIVENESS
and the response that blooms from it."

Forsaking Our Sins Is Necessary

The scriptures teach that forsaking our sins is necessary. ... To forsake means to give up, abandon. Indeed, we must abandon all sin as soon as we can and it might require a lengthy and mighty struggle to rid ourselves of our toughest and most perplexing weaknesses. 

It is essential, as soon as possible, to expel sin from our lives. That is forsaking. ... Although the great majority of the missionaries were prepared and worthy to be there learning to represent the Lord Jesus Christ—I noticed that even among them there were some who caught themselves agonizing over past sins. 

They had fully repented, but they still had a bright recollection of their recent (and sometimes distant) sins, and they became depressed as they remembered the gross sins of their past. 

... Sometimes people will sincerely desire to repent and secure Heavenly Father’s complete forgiveness ... When you have totally repented, you must forsake those sins, forget about them, bury them away, and not bring them up again. ... In other words, when you have planted your life in a more spiritual furrow, keep your eyes straight ahead and don’t look back to the old sins, the old people, the old places. 

Someone has suggested that when Satan reminds you of your past, just remind him of his future! Keep your eyes looking ahead and on the Savior. ... Everyone has problems growing up some worse than others but it is imperative that we forget the shame of our youth. Repent, put it behind you, and move on. "

Stay Tuned until next time.

Let's Not Take the Wrong Way

  Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

this post should take approximately five minutes to read from start to finish.

I would like to encourage you to ask yourself, think about, and answer the following question either now or in your own time; "what does let's not take the wrong way means to you?" This post is based on a April 2014 General Conference talk and it is called "Let’s Not Take the Wrong Way" by Elder Claudio D. Zivic. 

I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk. Elder Zivic mentioned, "There are some mistakes that may be serious, and if we do not correct them in time, they can permanently lead us off the right path. 

If we repent and accept correction, these experiences will allow us to humble ourselves, change our actions, and once again draw closer to our Heavenly Father. I want to give an example of this concept by making reference to one of the most dramatic moments that the Prophet Joseph Smith experienced. 

Through this experience, the Savior has given us invaluable teachings regarding principles that we ought to keep in mind throughout our lives. It happened when Martin Harris lost the 116 translated pages of the first part of the Book of Mormon. After repenting for not following God’s counsel, the Prophet received the revelation that is found in section 3 of the Doctrine and Covenants. 

From what is written in verses 1 to 10, I wish to highlight three principles that we should always remember:

1. The works and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated.
2. We must not fear man more than God.
3. There is a need of constant repentance.

In verse 13, the Lord teaches us four actions that we should never do:
1. Set at naught the counsels of God.
2. Break the most sacred promises made before God.
3. Depend upon our own judgment.
4. Boast in our own wisdom.

"I pray that we will not lose sight of the way, so
that we may ALWAYS be connected with the 
heavens." - Claudio D. Zivic.

If any one of you reaches the point of abandoning the Lord’s way at any point along that way with great remorse you will feel the bitterness of having set at naught the counsels of God, of having broken the most sacred promises made before God, of having trusted in your own judgment, or of having boasted in your own wisdom.

If this is the case, I exhort you to repent and come back to the right way. During childhood and youth, people think they will never become old; the idea of death never takes root that is for very, very old people and reaching that point is still an eternity away. 

As time goes on, months and seasons go by until the wrinkles begin to appear, energy is reduced, the need for doctor visits becomes more frequent, and so on.

The day will come in which we shall again meet up with our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ. I plead that on that sacred and sublime occasion we can recognize Him because of the knowledge we have of Him and because of having followed His teachings. He will show us the marks in His hands and feet, and we will join together in a lasting embrace, weeping for joy at having followed His way."

I encourage you to read the whole talk in your own time and here is the link to the talk below.
www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/lets-not-take-the-wrong-way

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness ~ Part Two

 Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, 

this post should take approximately five minutes to read from start to finish.

This post focuses on a October 1995 General Conference talk and it is called, "The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness" by Elder Boyd K. Packer. This post is part two.I would like to share with you some highlights

while I was reading the talk.

Elder Packer has mentioned; 

"It is easy to understand how helpless and hopeless you then feel and why you might want to give up, just as Alma did. The thought that rescued Alma, when he acted upon it, is this: Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ.

When your desire is firm and you are willing to pay the “uttermost farthing,” the law of restitution is suspended. Your obligation is transferred to the Lord. He will settle your accounts. I repeat, save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the atonement of Christ. 

How all can be repaired, we do not know. It may not all be accomplished in this life. We know from visions and visitations that the servants of the Lord continue the work of redemption beyond the veil.

"Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself."
- Suzanne Somers.

 This knowledge should be as comforting to the innocent as it is to the guilty. I am thinking of parents who suffer unbearably for the mistakes of their wayward children and are losing hope.

... In the most tender of sermons in the revelations on kindness and long-suffering, on meekness, gentleness, on love unfeigned, the Lord instructs us to reprove “betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then [show] forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved.”

The Lord provides ways to pay our debts to Him. In one sense we ourselves may participate in an atonement. When we are willing to restore to others that which we have not taken, or heal wounds that we did not inflict, or pay a debt that we did not incur, we are emulating His part in the Atonement.

So many live with accusing guilt when relief is ever at hand. ... Do not give up if at first you fail. Often the most difficult part of repentance is to forgive yourself. Discouragement is part of that test. Do not give up. That brilliant morning will come. Then “the peace of God, which passeth … understanding” comes into your life once again. Then you, like Him, will remember your sins no more. How will you know? You will know!

... “‘Jesus had not finished his work when his body was slain, neither did he finish it after his resurrection from the dead; although he had accomplished the purpose for which he then came to the earth, he had not fulfilled all his work. And when will he? 

Not until he has redeemed and saved every son and daughter of our father Adam that have been or ever will be born upon this earth to the end of time, except the sons of perdition. That is his mission. We will not finish our work until we have saved ourselves, and then not until we shall have saved all depending upon us; for we are to become saviors upon Mount Zion, as well as Christ. We are called to this mission.’”

“There is never a time,” the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “when the spirit is too old to approach God. All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin.” And so we pray, and we fast, and we plead, and we implore. We love those who wander, and we never give up hope. ...."

If you would like to read the whole talk either now or in your own time, here is the link below.

www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1995/10/the-brilliant-morning-of-forgiveness

Stay Tuned until next time.

The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take approximately three minutes to read from start to finish.

This week's topics for this blog is "Forgive, Forgiveness, and Repentance." This post focuses on a October 1995 General Conference talk, and it is called "The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness" by Elder Boyd K. Packer. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights whilst I was reading the talk. 

Elder Packer mentioned the following; "...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 fullness, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. 

... Even that grace of God promised in the scriptures comes only “after all we can do.” You may tell yourself that your transgressions are not spiritually illegal. That will not work; neither will rebellion, nor anger, nor joking about them. You cannot do that. 

And you don’t have to do it. There is a way back. It will not help if, out of tender regard for your feelings, I avoid telling you about the hard part. ... Most mistakes can be settled between us and the Lord, and that should be done speedily. It requires a confession to Him, and whatever obvious repairs need to be made.

With sincere repentance as a pattern in our lives, measured by our willingness to “confess them and forsake them,” the Lord has promised that we may “always retain a remission of [our] sins.” ... The punishment may, for the most part, consist of the torment we inflict upon ourselves. It may be the loss of privilege or progress. 

We are punished by our sins, if not for them. There are some transgressions which require a discipline which will bring about the relief that comes with the morning of forgiveness. If your mistakes have been grievous ones, go to your bishop. Like the rescuers who brought John Breen down from the mountaintops, bishops can guide you through the steps required to obtain forgiveness insofar as the Church is concerned.

"When you FORGIVE, you don't change
the PAST, but you do change the
FUTURE."

Each one of us must work out individually forgiveness from the Lord. To earn forgiveness, one must make restitution. That means you give back what you have taken or ease the pain of those you have injured. 

But sometimes you cannot give back what you have taken because you don’t have it to give. ... There are times you cannot mend that which you have broken. 

Perhaps the damage was so severe that you cannot fix it no matter how desperately you want to. .. Your repentance cannot be accepted unless there is a restitution. If you cannot undo what you have done, you are trapped. 

Stay Tuned until next time.