Repentance

Repentance is an essential part to the Plan of Salvation. We must all come to Christ and repent for our sins. The Atonement makes it possible for us to repent and be forgiven.

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;
Alma 34:17

It is important to have faith and to pray to Heavenly Father to ask for counsel and forgiveness. He is ready to help us, but we can only be forgiven on his terms. When repenting, it is essential to have a sincere desire for change and to willingly submit to every requirement for forgiveness.

A good example of repentance and forgiveness in the Book of Mormon, is Mosiah 4:1-3, which says “1 And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them.

2 And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.
3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.”

As part of the repentance process, we must confess our sins, then abandon them and never commit the same sins again. When we keep that commitment, we will save ourselves from the pain of that sin, so that we may never feel it again.

And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled.
3 Ne. 12: 19

But after we repent, that is not all we must do. We must make right our wrongs to those we have hurt and live righteously so that we may have the Spirit to be with us. We must continue to be obedient to the Lord’s commandments and strive to build our testimonies.
18 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.
Isaiah 1:18

Scripture References: Alma 34:17, Mosiah 4:1-3, 3 Nephi 12: 19, Isaiah 1:18