Digital Only
3 Ways to Make Repentance Part of Our Daily Lives
Repentance is a joyful process that can take place over the course of your lifetime.
In 2019 I heard a talk that changed my life. President Russell M. Nelson said, “Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance.”
Daily? I definitely wasn’t perfect, but didn’t think I was making big mistakes every day. So what could repentance look like day-to-day? The last several years have been a journey to figure that out. Here are three principles I’ve learned along the way.
1. Turn to God
I had previously thought repentance was about saying sorry when I did something wrong. However, I began to understand that repentance is more than turning away from sin; it’s turning toward God. It’s not just stopping the bad. It’s also making the good better.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “The gospel of Jesus Christ encompasses much more than avoiding, overcoming, and being cleansed from sin and the bad influences in our lives; it also essentially entails doing good, being good, and becoming better.”
When I try to have more meaningful scripture study each day, that’s repentance.
When I pray to have more charity, that’s repentance.
Anytime we choose to follow Jesus Christ and seek to become more like Him, that’s repentance.
2. Take Small Steps
President Nelson reminded us that “repentance is not an event; it is a process.”
I learned that repentance doesn’t only happen when I pray for forgiveness or take the sacrament (although that is part of it). Repentance is something I do each day.
Elder Bednar said, “Small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take.” Sometimes, miraculous changes happen overnight. More often, change happens gradually as we strive to be better each day.
3. Invite the Savior to Help You
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that real repentance must involve faith in Jesus Christ.
He said, “Without the Redeemer, the inherent hope and joy evaporate, and repentance becomes simply miserable behavior modification.”
I’ve set a lot of goals in my life, but the ones that yield notable improvement are those I involve the Savior in by praying daily for His help. He helps me change not just my behavior but my heart as well.
I know that as we focus on the Savior and try to be like Him each day through repentance, He can change our hearts and help us experience increased joy, faith, and peace.