Come, Follow Me
A Fresh Look at Repentance
Repentance is more than just being sorry for your sins—it’s becoming more like Jesus Christ.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we talk about repentance—a lot. Why?
We do this because repentance is one of the core principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Articles of Faith 1:4). It’s not just a nice thing to do or a way to have our sins “forgotten” (see Doctrine and Covenants 58:42). It’s completely essential to our becoming more like the Savior and to one day living with Heavenly Father and our families forever.
Repentance is a “change of mind and heart that brings a fresh attitude toward God, oneself, and life in general.” So, the point of repentance is to help us change and see God, ourselves, and mortality in a different, better way. But how do we do that?
Turning to Christ
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that the Swedish word for “repent” is omvänd, which literally means to “turn around.” He said, “Real repentance must involve faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith that He can change us, faith that He can forgive us, and faith that He will help us avoid more mistakes. This kind of faith makes His Atonement effective in our lives.”
Repentance is not just turning away from sin but a complete, deliberate, full-facing turn to Jesus Christ. Think about it this way: If you are trying to walk toward someone to talk with them, do you walk backward? Do you reach them by shuffling side-to-side? Those are pretty difficult ways meet someone. If you haven’t turned to fully face where you’re going (or whom you’re going to meet), it’s easy to steer off-course. Overall, it’s safe to say that the conversation will be easier and better when you approach the person while facing them.
The same goes for repentance. The Savior accepts and loves our efforts to repent, but they are effective only when they are focused on Him. The more we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, recognize our mistakes, apologize for them, and strive to remedy them, the more we become like Him.
The Savior’s Call to Us
Imagine how happy the Savior must be to see you trying so hard to improve! He has said: “For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. …
“And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:11, 13).
Jesus Christ suffered so that we could have the opportunity to repent. If we do not repent, we do not allow His atoning power to influence our lives. When we humble ourselves and rely on the Savior, we become better, and we become more like Him.
Just as the Savior rejoices when we repent, we can also feel that joy. Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Seventy taught, “As we repent of our sins, we must focus on the great joy that follows. The nights may seem long, but the morning does come, and oh, how exquisite is the peace and resplendent joy we feel as the Savior’s Atonement frees us from sin and suffering.”
And let’s not forget: Heavenly Father wants all of His children to return home to Him. We are called to repent, to share the gospel, and to invite everyone to repent and improve. That doesn’t necessarily mean we go around shouting, “Repent, repent!” to people on the street. Instead, when appropriate, we lovingly encourage those around us to come unto their Savior Jesus Christ and be better than they ever could be on their own.