List of Doctrines on "Repentance: Role of Repentance"
621. All people are commanded to repent.
622. Repentance is essential to salvation: we cannot be saved while we carry our sins with us.
623. Repentance is an ongoing process: whenever we sin—at any time in life—we are to repent.
624. We must suffer divine punishment for our sins unless we repent.
621. All people are commanded to repent.
Joseph Smith
President Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Jedediah M. Grant
Alma, the younger
Jesus
Jacob, brother of Nephi
Joseph Smith
Jacob, brother of Nephi
Peter
Moroni, son of Mormon
King Benjamin
Jesus
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord
receiving the Word of the Lord
Hearken and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen, ye elders of my church together, and hear the voice of the Lord; for he calleth upon all men, and he commandeth all men everywhere to repent. (Revelation given for the elders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nov. 3, 1831) D&C 133:16
President Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Jedediah M. Grant
(First Presidency)
To all the honest in heart throughout the world, both of high and low degree, we say "repent, and be baptized for the remission of your sins," obey the ordinances of the Gospel through the administrations of the servants of the living God, for the judgments of the Almighty are upon you, flee therefore from the sinks of iniquity and corruption, lest the fiery indignation of the Lord also consume you with the wicked, of whom He has decreed that He will empty the earth. (Twelfth General Epistle of the Presidency, Aug. 11, 1855) (Deseret News, April 25, 1855) TLDP:544-45; MOFP2:171
Alma, the younger,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people 2. Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. (Alma has an earnest desire to cry repentance to every people—even that he might be an angel to speak with a voice to shake the earth, about 76 B.C.) Alma 29:1-2
Jesus,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. (The resurrected Jesus Christ addresses his Nephite disciples, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 11:32
Jacob, brother of Nephi,
quoted by Nephi
quoted by Nephi
And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
24. And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it. (Jacob teaches the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 9:23-24
Joseph Smith,
translating the Book of Moses
Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore. . . .
14. And the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent;
15. And as many as believed in the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved; and as many as believed not and repented not, should be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree; wherefore they must be fulfilled. (Revelation to Moses given to Joseph Smith, concerning Adam and Eve after they were driven out of the Garden of Eden) Moses 5:8,14-15
Jacob, brother of Nephi,
quoted by Nephi
quoted by Nephi
O how great the holiness of our God For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.
21. And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
22. And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.
23. And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
24. And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it. (Jacob teaches the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 9:20-24
Related Witnesses:
Peter
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; (Peter preaches repentance) Acts 3:19
Moroni, son of Mormon
O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day. (Moroni calls upon those who do not believe in Christ to repent, A.D. 400-421) Mormon 9:6
King Benjamin,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
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 4:10
Jesus,
recorded in Matthew
recorded in Matthew
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Jesus eats with sinners to the consternation of the Pharisees) Matthew 9:12-13
Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord
receiving the Word of the Lord
Wherefore, I, the Lord, have said that the fearful, and the unbelieving, and all liars, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, and the whoremonger, and the sorcerer, shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
18. Verily I say, that they shall not have part in the first resurrection. (Revelation received at Kirtland, Ohio, Aug. 1831) D&C 63:17-18
622. Repentance is essential to salvation: we cannot be saved while we carry our sins with us.
President Joseph F. Smith
President Joseph F. Smith
Helaman
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Moroni, son of Mormon
President Brigham Young
Amulek
Richard G. Scott
President David O. McKay
Alma, the younger
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
James E. Talmage
Marion G. Romney
President Spencer W. Kimball
President Joseph F. Smith
No man can be saved in the kingdom of God in sin. No man will ever be forgiven of his sins by the just Judge, except he repent of his sins. No man will ever be freed from the power of death unless he is born again as the Lord Almighty has decreed, and declared to the world by the mouth of his Son in the meridian of time, and as he has declared it again in this dispensation through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Men can only be saved and exalted in the kingdom of God in righteousness, therefore we must repent of our sins, and walk in the light as Christ is in the light, that his blood may cleanse us from all sins, and that we may have fellowship with God and receive of his glory and exaltation. CR1907Oct:4
President Joseph F. Smith
You cannot take a murderer, a suicide, an adulterer, a liar, or one who was or is thoroughly abominable in his life here, and simply by the performance of an ordinance of the gospel, cleanse him from sin and usher him into the presence of God. God has not instituted a plan of that kind, and it cannot be done. He has said you shall repent of your sins. The wicked will have to repent of their wickedness. Those who die without the knowledge of the gospel will have to come to the knowledge of it, and those who sin against light will have to pay the uttermost farthing for their transgression and their departure from the gospel, before they can ever get back to it. Do not forget that. Do not forget it, you elders in Israel, nor you, mothers in Israel, either; and, when you seek to save either the living or the dead, bear it in mind that you can only do it on the principle of their repentance and acceptation of the plan of life. That is the only way in which you can succeed. CR1907Oct:6-7
Helaman,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
11. And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls. (Helaman preaches to his sons, 30 B.C.) Helaman 5:10-11
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
There can be no salvation without repentance. A man cannot enter into the kingdom of God in his sins. It would be a very inconsistent thing for a man to come into the presence of the Father and to dwell in God's presence in his sins. . . .
I think there are a great many people upon the earth, many of them perhaps in the Church—at least some in the Church—who have an idea they can go through this life doing as they please, violating the commandments of the Lord and yet eventually they are going to come into his presence. They think they are going to repent, perhaps in the spirit world.
They ought to read these words of Moroni: [Mormon 9:3-5 is quoted.]
Do you think that a man whose life has been filled with corruption, who has been rebellious against God, who has not had the spirit of repentance, would be happy or comfortable should he be permitted to come into the presence of God? (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:195-96) TLDP:544
Moroni, son of Mormon
Then will ye longer deny the Christ, or can ye behold the Lamb of God? Do ye suppose that ye shall dwell with him under a consciousness of your guilt? Do ye suppose that ye could be happy to dwell with that holy Being, when your souls are racked with a consciousness of guilt that ye have ever abused his laws? 4. Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell. (Moroni calls upon those who do not believe in Christ to repent, A.D. 400-421) Mormon 9:3-4
President Brigham Young
Now, my brethren, you who have sinned, repent of your sins. I can say to you in regard to Jesus and the atonement (it is so written, and I firmly believe it), that Christ has died for all. He has paid the full debt, whether you receive the gift or not. But if we continue to sin, to lie, steal, bear false witness, we must repent of and forsake that sin to have the full efficacy of the blood of Christ. Without this it will be of no effect; repentance must come, in order that the atonement may prove a benefit to us. (In Bowery, April 8, 1867, JD11:375) TLDP:544
Amulek,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins. (Amulek contends with the wicked Zeezrom, about 82 B.C.) Alma 11:37
Richard G. Scott
Peace is the precious fruit of a righteous life. It is possible because of the Atonement of the Savior. It is earned through full repentance, for that leads to refreshing forgiveness. Repentance opens the doors of enlightenment and aids inspiration. Repentance brings salvation through forgiveness, but it does not come automatically. Each step of repentance must be fulfilled. (CR 2000Oct; The Path to Peace and Joy, Ensign, November 2000, p.25)
Related Witnesses:
President David O. McKay
Every principle and ordinance of the gospel of Jesus Christ is significant and important in contributing to the progress, happiness, and eternal life of man; but there is none more essential to the salvation of the human family than the divine and eternally operative principle, repentance. Without it, no one can be saved. Without it, no one can even progress. (Man May Know for Himself: Teachings of President David O. McKay, p. 43) DGSM:38
Alma, the younger,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight.
20. I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round.
21. And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness. (Alma preaches to the people in Gideon, about 83 B.C.) Alma 7:19-21
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
You will arise about the way you die. You will not change very much. You cannot repent on the Word of Wisdom violation in the spirit world because you have no body which you must change. You can hardly change its urges and desires and its pleadings and pullings in the spirit world. This is the time to put your lives in order. (Brigham Young University stake conference) (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 41) TLDP:546
James E. Talmage
The Latter-day Saints believe and teach that repentance will be possible, and indeed required of the yet unrepentant, even after death; and they affirm that this doctrine is supported by scripture both ancient and modern. HL:67-68
Marion G. Romney
All have sinned. Each person is therefore unclean to the extent to which he has sinned, and because of that uncleanness is banished from the presence of the Lord so long as the effect of his own wrongdoing is upon him. CR1982Apr:9
President Spencer W. Kimball
Man can transform himself and he must. Man has in himself the seeds of godhood, which can germinate and grow and develop. As the acorn becomes the oak, the mortal man becomes a god. It is within his power to lift himself by his very bootstraps from the plane on which he finds himself to the plane on which he should be. It may be a long, hard lift with many obstacles, but it is a real possibility. (At Brigham Young University, Sept. 1974) (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 28) DGSM:52
623. Repentance is an ongoing process: whenever we sin—at any time in life—we are to repent.
Richard L. Evans
Mormon
James E. Talmage
Moroni, son of Mormon
Hugh B. Brown
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
Richard L. Evans
Repentance is part of the process of progress, of learning, of maturing, of recognizing law, of recognizing results; it is a process of facing facts. Every correcting of a mistake is a kind of repentance; every sincere apology is a kind of repentance; every improvement is a kind of repentance; every conquering of an unhealthful habit. ("Repentance—a Foremost Principle," IE1965Jan:43) DGSM:38
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.
30. Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. (The voice of the Lord to Alma, about 120-100 B.C.) Mosiah 26:29-30
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
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
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
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
Author's Note: But repeated repentance following the same repeated transgressions is not complete repentance. The prophet Joseph Smith said: "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. " (HC3:379)
624. We must suffer divine punishment for our sins unless we repent.
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Smith
Orson Hyde and Hyrum Smith
Alma, the younger
Alma, the younger
Nephi, son of Lehi
Joseph Smith
Moroni, son of Mormon
Nephi, son of Lehi
James E. Talmage
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
Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord
receiving the Word of the Lord
And surely every man must repent or suffer, for I, God, am endless. . . .
15. Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.
16. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
17. But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
18. Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
19. Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.
20. Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit. (Christ announces himself and gives a commandment of God for Martin Harris, March 1830) D&C 19:4,15-20
Orson Hyde and Hyrum Smith
We now close our epistle by saying unto you the Lord has commanded us to purify ourselves, to wash our hands and our feet, that He may testify to His Father and our Father, to His God and our God, that we are clean from the blood of this generation; and before we could wash our hands and our feet we were constrained to write this letter. Therefore, with the feelings of inexpressible anxiety for your welfare, we say again, Repent, repent, or Zion must suffer, for the scourge and judgment must come upon her. (Epistle from a conference of twelve high priests, Kirtland, Ohio, Jan. 14, 1833) HC1:320
Alma, the younger,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. (Alma has an earnest desire to cry repentance to every people—even that he might be an angel to speak with a voice to shake the earth, about 76 B.C.) Alma 29:2
Alma, the younger,
quoted by Mormon
quoted by Mormon
But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.
23. But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice.
24. For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. (Alma speaks to his son Corianton concerning the resurrection of the dead, about 73 B.C.) Alma 42:22-24
Nephi, son of Lehi
But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts. (Nephi foretells of the last days, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 28:17
Related Witnesses:
Joseph Smith
For the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works. (Revelation dealing with the affairs of the persecuted Saints in Missouri, Aug. 2, 1833) D&C 97:24
Moroni, son of Mormon
And thus we see that the Lord did visit them in the fulness of his wrath, and their wickedness and abominations had prepared a way for their everlasting destruction. (Moroni's abridgement of the writings of Ether, who wrote about 550 B.C.) Ether 14:25
Nephi, son of Lehi
And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end.
4. For behold, this is according to the captivity of the devil, and also according to the justice of God, upon all those who will work wickedness and abomination before him. (An angel instructs Nephi, about 600-592 B.C.) 1 Nephi 14:3-4
James E. Talmage
So general were the ill effects of the commonly accepted doctrine, unscriptural and untrue though it was, regarding the endless torment awaiting every sinner, that even before the Church had been formally organized in the present dispensation, the Lord gave a revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith touching this matter, in which we read: "And surely every man must repent or suffer; for I, God, am endless. Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand. Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment. Again, it is written eternal damnation. . . . For behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore, Eternal punishment is God's punishment. Endless punishment is God's punishment." (D&C 19:4-10AF:56
