List of Doctrines on "Repentance: True Repentance"
625. We are to repent in our hearts.
626. Temporary suffering is an integral part of the process of true repentance.
627. Repentance must not be procrastinated.
628. Repeated repentance following the same repeated transgressions is not complete repentance.
625. We are to repent in our hearts.
Moroni, the Prophet General
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
President Lorenzo Snow
Moroni, son of Mormon
Charles A. Callis
King Benjamin
Mormon
President Harold B. Lee
Ezekiel
Jesus
Recorded in 1 Samuel
Jesus
Moroni, the Prophet General
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things? Behold I say unto you, Nay. Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also. (Moroni complains to Pahoran of the government's neglect of the armies, about 62 B.C.) Alma 60:23
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
In connection with repentance, the scriptures use the phrase, "with all his heart" (See D&C 42:25). Obviously this rules out any reservations. Repentance must involve an all-out, total surrender to the program of the Lord. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 203) TLDP:548
President Lorenzo Snow
Do not be discouraged, brethren. If you cannot become perfect at once; if you see that you have weaknesses which have brought you into some trouble, do not be discouraged; but repent of that which you have done wrong, by which you have lost more or less of the Spirit of God, tell the Lord what you have done, and resolve in your hearts that you will do it no more. Then the Spirit of the Lord will be upon you. CR1898Oct:56
Moroni, son of Mormon
But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven. (Moroni writes for the benefit of the Lamanites, A.D. 400-421) Moroni 6:8
Charles A. Callis
The reward of repentance is a new man, a new birth. Think of the sweet influence that repentance brings. It changes the heart. It makes us feel that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. Our Heavenly Father entreats us to be correct in manner, proper in our conduct, and an example and a light unto all mankind. Oh, the strength, the beauty there is in purity of heart CR1941Oct:83
King Benjamin,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
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. . . .
10. And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 4:2,10
Mormon
Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also. (The voice of the Lord to Alma, about 120-100 B.C.) Mosiah 26:29
President Harold B. Lee
When you have done all you can within your power to overcome your mistakes, and you have determined in your heart that you will never repeat them again, then you can have that peace of conscience by which you will know that your sins have been forgiven. ACR(Mexico City)1972:103
Ezekiel
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel preaches the word of the Lord) Ezekiel 18:31
Related Witnesses:
Jesus,
recorded in Matthew
recorded in Matthew
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. (Jesus warns the scribes and Pharisees) Matthew 23:25-26
Recorded in 1 Samuel
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. (The Lord through Samuel chooses David to be king; Samuel examines Eliab, son of Jesse) 1 Samuel 16:7
Jesus,
recorded in Mark
recorded in Mark
There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. . . .
18. . . . Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19. Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20. And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Jesus instructs the people) Mark 7:15,18-23
626. Temporary suffering is an integral part of the process of true repentance.
President Spencer W. Kimball
President Spencer W. Kimball
President Spencer W. Kimball
Abraham H. Cannon
Related Witnesses
Elder Harold B. Lee
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Marion G. Romney
Elder Joseph F. Smith
President Spencer W. Kimball
If a person hasn't suffered, he hasn't repented. I don't care how many times he says he has. If he hasn't suffered, he hasn't repented. He has got to go through a change in his system whereby he suffers and then forgiveness is a possibility. (Priesthood leadership meeting, Oct. 1974) (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 99) TLDP:548
President Spencer W. Kimball
Many people cannot repent until they have suffered much. They cannot direct their thoughts into new, clean channels. They cannot control their acts. They cannot plan their future properly until they have lost values that they did not seem to fully appreciate. Therefore, the Lord has prescribed excommunication, disfellowshipment, or probation. ("What Is True Repentance?" EN1974May:4; The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 97-98) TLDP:546-47
President Spencer W. Kimball
Suffering is a very important part of repentance. One has not begun to repent until he has suffered intensely for his sins. (Copenhagen area conference, Aug. 5, 1976) (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 88) TLDP:548
Abraham H. Cannon
Then we want them [men] to be filled with the spirit of repentance, which follows faith, and which is the natural result of faith in God; for if men are filled with faith in the Father and in the Son, they will naturally desire to place themselves in a condition to be fit associates for such holy beings, and they will look back upon their past lives with sorrow [Italics supplied]—with a sorrow which will prompt them to be more righteous, more God-fearing, more upright, in the future. Then repentance of sin will come upon them; . . . a repentance that prompts men to make restitution, as far as it is possible for them to do so, for the sins which they have committed, and to restore four-fold, if necessary, in order to obtain pardon for the wrong done. (Millennial Star, July 18, 1895, p. 453) TLDP:546
Related Witnesses:
Elder Harold B. Lee
And so it is when one has sinned so seriously that to hold further membership or to hold the holy priesthood would be as a stumbling block and burden rather than a blessing. In the wisdom of the Lord, these privileges are taken from him that he might be ground as "clay in the hands of the potter," again tried and tested, until he is again worthy to receive these holy blessings. (To Brigham Young University student body, Oct. 2, 1956) (Stand Ye in Holy Places, p. 119) TLDP:79
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
All sin, no matter what nature it is, is a violation of a constituted law or commandment and hence is worthy of punishment unless the price is paid. That price could be in physical or mental suffering or by otherwise paying the debt. The scriptures inform us that for every sin there must be compensation, either by repentance or punishment. (Seek Ye Earnestly, p. 151) TLDP:633
Marion G. Romney
[T]here are many among us whose distress and suffering are unnecessarily prolonged because they do not complete their repentance by confessing their sins. . . .
Repeatedly he [the Savior] says that he forgives the sins of those who confess their sins with humbleness of heart, " . . . who have not sinned unto death." CR1955Oct:124
Elder Joseph F. Smith
True repentance is not only sorrow for sins, and humble penitence and contrition before God, but it involves the necessity of turning away from them, a discontinuance of all evil practices and deeds, a thorough reformation of life, a vital change from evil to good, from vice to virtue, from darkness to light. Not only so, but to make restitution, so far as it is possible, for all the wrongs we have done, to pay our debts, and restore to God and man their rights—that which is due them from us. This is true repentance, and the exercise of the will and all the powers of body and mind is demanded [Italics supplied], to complete this glorious work of repentance. (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 100-01) TLDP:549
Author's Note: It appears that by our accepting temporary suffering in this life as part of the process of repentance, by accepting punishment now for our sins—such as the temporary loss of the blessings of the gospel through disfellowshipment or excommunication, the pain and sorrow of facing our sins and those we have sinned against, the sometimes agonizing endeavor of making restitution, the pain of abandoning sin (changing bad habits)—by going through the painful process of repentance now we can avoid ultimate divine punishment and exquisite and unbearable suffering in the afterlife for our wrongdoing.
627. Repentance must not be procrastinated.
Amulek
Joseph Smith
Melvin J. Ballard
James E. Talmage
James E. Talmage
James E. Talmage
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
Elder George Albert Smith
Alma, the younger
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Joseph B. Wirthlin
Recorded in Psalms
Joseph Smith
Amulek,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance.
31. Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
32. For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
33. And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
34. Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.
35. For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.
36. And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb. (Amulek teaches the people that this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God, 74 B.C.) Alma 34:30-36
Joseph Smith,
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
We should take warning and not wait for the deathbed to repent, as we see the infant taken away by death, so may the youth and middle aged, as well as the infant, be suddenly called into eternity. Let this, then, prove as a warning to all not to procrastinate repentance, or wait till a deathbed for it is the will of God that man should repent and serve Him in health, and in the strength and power of his mind, in order to secure His blessing, and not wait until he is called to die. (To a large assembly in the Grove near the Nauvoo Temple; the body of a deceased child of Mr. Windsor P. Lyon being before the assembly, March 1842) TPJS:197; DGSM:39
Melvin J. Ballard
It is my judgment that any man or woman can do more to conform to the laws of God in one year in this life than they could in ten years when they are dead. The spirit only can repent and change, and then the battle has to go forward with the flesh afterwards. It is much easier to overcome and serve the Lord when both the flesh and spirit are combined as one. This is the time when men are more pliable and susceptible. When clay is pliable, it is much easier to change than when it gets hard and sets. (Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 241) DGSM:39
James E. Talmage
As the time of repentance is procrastinated, the ability to repent grows weaker; neglect of opportunity in holy things develops inability. AF:104
James E. Talmage
Wilful persistency in sin may lead to the loss and forfeiture of the ability to repent; and for man to procrastinate the day of repentance is to invite and eventually to insure such forfeiture. HL:67
James E. Talmage
But, because there is hope of repentance beyond the veil, procrastinate not the day of your repentance; for, as the Prophet Alma has pointed out, you may find that the gift of repentance will be withheld from you a long, long time on account of your unworthiness. For repentance is a gift from God, and when man forfeits it he loses the power to repent; he can't turn away from his sins with a contrite heart and with a desire to forsake them, once and for ever. O, Latter-day Saints, ye men and women of Israel, listen unto the voices of those who speak to you under the inspiration of the power of God, and heed them; for by hearing we are condemned, if we follow not in the path that is pointed out to us as the path of our duty. CR1913Oct:121
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
It is true that the great principle of repentance is always available, but for the wicked and rebellious there are serious reservations to this statement. For instance, sin is intensely habit-forming and sometimes moves men to the tragic point of no return. Without repentance there can be no forgiveness, and without forgiveness all the blessings of eternity hang in jeopardy. As the transgressor moves deeper and deeper in his sin, the error is entrenched more deeply and the will to change is weakened, it becomes increasingly near-hopeless, and he skids down and down until either he does not want to climb back or he has lost the power to do so. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 117) DGSM:39
Elder George Albert Smith
What is our difficulty, brethren and sisters? It is that men refuse to hear what the Lord has said. They refuse to pay attention to His wise counsel. They absolutely neglect to give credence to the things that He teaches us, and He will not be mocked. He gives us the advice and the counsel that we need, but He will not compel us. But if we refuse, we lose our opportunity and it passes away from us, in many cases to return again no more forever. CR1933Apr:71
Alma, the younger,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance; (Alma preaches repentance to his brethren in the gospel, about 82 B.C.) Alma 13:27
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Living the standards set in For the Strength of Youth will make you feel good about yourself. Write those standards into your heart and mind, and live accordingly. Compare each of those standards with where you are today. Listen to the Spirit, who will teach you what you need to do to become more like Jesus. If you recognize a need for change, make the change; don't procrastinate. Use true repentance and the gift and power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to clear up those things that are keeping you from reaching your true potential. If this process appears tough, hang in there; it is worth it. (See the End from the Beginning, CR April 2006)
Joseph B. Wirthlin
Procrastination and indecision can hamper our efforts to prepare for the life after mortality. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said, “Procrastination, as it may be applied to Gospel principles, is the thief of eternal life—which is life in the presence of the Father and the Son.” In the Book of Mormon we read Amulek’s plea: “I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end. … For that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.” (CR 1998Apr; The Time to Prepare, Ensign, May 1998, p.14)
Related Witnesses:
Recorded in Psalms
I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. Psalms 119:60
Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord
receiving the Word of the Lord
And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts. (Revelation received during conference of elders of the Church, Nov. 1, 1831) D&C 1:33
628. Repeated repentance following the same repeated transgressions is not complete repentance.
Joseph Smith
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Hugh B. Brown
President Harold B. Lee
President Brigham Young
Joseph Smith
President Harold B. Lee
Joseph Smith,
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Repentance is a thing that cannot be trifled with every day. Daily transgression and daily repentance is not that which is pleasing in the sight of God. (Joseph instructs the brethren at a conference of the Twelve, June 1839) HC3:379; TPJS:148; DGSM:39
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
Those who feel that they can sin and be forgiven and then return to sin and be forgiven again and again must straighten out their thinking. Each previously forgiven sin is added to the new one and the whole gets to be a heavy load.
Thus when a man has made up his mind to change his life, there must be no turning back. Any reversal, even in a small degree, is greatly to his detriment. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 170) TLDP:548
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Now, when people come into this Church they should, by all means, subscribe to the regulations which the Lord himself has laid down by commandment. But does that mean that after we are in the Church, after we have confessed our sins and have forsaken them, that we can return to them after membership has been secured? That would not be consistent. Woe unto all those who are disobedient after they have made the preparation which is expressed in this commandment [See 2 Nephi 9:27.] which I have read to you—woe unto them. CR1941Oct:93
Hugh B. Brown
When we speak of the continual need of repentance, let it not be understood that we refer to a cycle of sinning and repenting and sinning again. That is not complete repentance. We must see the right and follow it, recognize the wrong and forsake it with a "Godly sorrow" if we would obtain the blessing of complete repentance. A growing conception of the good life must be accompanied by constant adjustment thereto if one would achieve harmony with the will of God. (Eternal Quest, pp. 99-102) DGSM:39
President Harold B. Lee
The miracle of forgiveness is available to all of those who turn from their evil doings and return no more, because the Lord has said in a revelation to us in our day: " . . . go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth [meaning again] shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God." (D&C 82:7) Have that in mind, all of you who may be troubled with a burden of sin. CR1973Apr:178
President Brigham Young
You cannot constantly be sinning a little and repenting, and retain the Spirit of the Lord as your constant companion. (In Tabernacle, Feb. 16, 1862, JD9:220) TLDP:546
Related Witnesses:
Joseph Smith
[G]o your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth [meaning again] shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God. (Revelation, April 30, 1832) D&C 82:7
President Harold B. Lee
When you have done all you can within your power to overcome your mistakes, and you have determined in your heart that you will never repeat them again, then you can have that peace of conscience by which you will know that your sins have been forgiven. ACR(Mexico City)1972:103
