INTRODUCTION

With my sacred call to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have felt an increased love for our Savior, Jesus
Christ, and a greater understanding of His love for men and women, young women and
young men, and for children on every continent, in every city and town, in every home
and place of dwelling across the world.1 My sincere hope is that through this book, The
Divine Gift of Forgiveness, you will again feel, as you have already felt, the priceless love
your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son have for you, and that Their love will
encourage you to move even more conscientiously toward Them.
God’s love knows no bounds.2 His eternal truths are the same for each of us, whoever
we are or wherever we live.3 Lasting happiness, peace, and eternal life come only through
increasing our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ.
As our faith grows, our vision of why we are here becomes clearer and we seek
additional heavenly direction and approval.4 Our spirit desires to turn more consciously
toward God and to believe more deeply in the redeeming power of our Savior. We are
saddened by our thoughts and actions that are contrary to His loving commandments,
and we diligently do all that we can to correct our course.5 We pray with more intent, and
we plead with our Heavenly Father for forgiveness through the atoning grace of His Son.
We begin to repent.
The blessing to repent is given to each of us by our Redeemer as part of the plan of
salvation.6 But it is more than that. It is also a spiritual gift that strengthens our desire
and decisions, allowing us to await the heavenly grace of the Savior and to receive the
miraculous gift of forgiveness.
I promise you that as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow, the Savior’s divine gifts of
repentance and of forgiveness, offered in the beauty of His encompassing love, are
certain for those who come unto Him with full purpose of heart. “Mine arm of mercy is
extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive.”7
I have always appreciated the words attributed to the Jesuit philosopher Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are
spiritual beings having a human experience.”8 The predictability of the physical laws of
mortality, such as the consistency of gravitational pull upon us, is well understood.
However, as children far from our heavenly home, sometimes less understood are God’s
spiritual laws that bring purpose, order, and peace to this life, and prepare us for the
“glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life”9 that await us beyond
the veil.
We may feel very little when reading a textbook about the law of gravity, but reading
about Jesus Christ and His teachings can have a powerful impact upon our soul.10 The
Apostle Paul explained, “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of
man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God . . . because they are spiritually discerned.”11
The chapters that follow will attempt to enlarge your mind and spirit to the spiritual
foundation, sacred principles, and personal choices that allow the Savior’s incomparable
gift of forgiveness to give added purpose in your life. For us to truly progress in this life
and to obtain eternal life in the world to come, we must set aside the wisdom of this
world and come humbly before God, recognizing that sincerely repenting and humbly
pleading for forgiveness are not simply options in the buffet of admirable virtues.12
Repentance is not punishment or oppression. It is just the opposite. It is a wondrous
gift from God that will bring joy to the sorrowful and relief to the spiritually infirm.13 It is
strong spiritual medicine that brings healing to all who will embrace its power. As the
Savior Himself so generously enjoined, “Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of
your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?”14
Even if you feel like you are at the very bottom of life’s ladder, there is something you
can do. You can look up. If all you can manage is to simply lift your eyes to Him, you
have done something in an effort to return to Him. You will come to know that He
“reaches [your] reaching.”15 You may have a long climb, a steep climb, even a daunting
climb, but looking up is an important step as you begin your journey forward. The Savior
said, “Look unto me in every thought; . . . Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and
also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet.”16 More important than where you are is
the direction you face, and especially Whom you face.
The divine gift of forgiveness can never be earned; it can only be received. Yes,
commandments must be obeyed and ordinances observed to receive forgiveness, but
personal effort, no matter how great, pales in comparison to the cost of redemption. In
fact, there is no comparison. Forgiveness is a gift, and the only One who can give the gift
is the Redeemer and Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.17 He offers His priceless gift
willingly to all those who turn to Him to receive it.18 As President Russell M. Nelson has
said, “[The Savior’s] Atonement [is able to] redeem every soul from the penalties of
personal transgression, on conditions that He [has] set.”19
This book is divided into six parts: First, a section entitled “Encouragement to Seek
Forgiveness from God”; next, “Why a Savior and Redeemer”; third, “The Incomparable
Gift of Jesus Christ”; fourth, “Finding Our Way to the Savior”; fifth, “Returning to the
Redeemer through Repentance”; and finally, a section entitled “The Savior’s Divine Gift
of Forgiveness.” As you prayerfully read or listen, open your heart to God with a prayer
and a desire to believe. Faith is not developed by chance, but by choice. Jesus said to the
leader of the synagogue, “Be not afraid, only believe.”20 And to Thomas, He said, “Be not
faithless, but believing.”21
In the pages that follow, each of the standard works of scripture is quoted. The Book
of Mormon is referenced extensively, as it teaches with such clarity the doctrine of the
Savior’s Atonement, His grace and mercy, and the promises of His forgiveness through
our repentance. As I ponder these sacred teachings of our Heavenly Father’s plan,
powerfully presented in the Book of Mormon, I find my spirit openly declaring, “Praise
to the man who communed with Jehovah.”22 How remarkable that the Lord would reveal
the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ through His chosen vessel, the Prophet Joseph
Smith. Speaking a few weeks before he was martyred, he said, “I never told you I was
perfect—but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught.”23 I solemnly
witness of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Further confirming the teachings of holy scripture, I have intentionally included the
words of each prophet of this dispensation and the Apostles currently serving in the First
Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, as they are commissioned by the Lord to
speak in His name of repentance and forgiveness.
By design this book focuses on those “awakening” unto God,24 but the Savior’s gifts of
repentance and forgiveness are not only for times of major transgression but also for our
daily progression. The principles of repenting are a vital part of overcoming those daily
sins of commission and omission, of living and growing, and of worshiping each Sunday
as we partake of the Lord’s sacrament.
 My prayer is that as you open more completely your heart to God and thoughtfully
consider the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ found in this book, you will be
stirred with even greater attention to the remarkable adventure of becoming a more
devoted disciple of the Savior. Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained, “If we choose . . . the
course of discipleship, we will . . . move from what may be initially a mere
acknowledgment of Jesus on to admiration of Jesus, then on to adoration of Jesus, and
finally to emulation of Jesus. In that process of striving to become more like Him . . . we
must be in the posture of repentance.”25
I pray as did Alma: “May God grant unto you . . . 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; . . . For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; . . .
And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being
the intent of [His] sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth
justice . . . [and] I would exhort you to have patience . . . with a firm hope that ye shall
one day rest from all your afflictions.”26
Lasting happiness and joy come through faith in our Heavenly Father and in His Son,
Jesus Christ. They are the true source of pure love and everlasting peace.27 All that is
good and beautiful, all that is holy and sacred, comes from Them.28 Sin moves you away
from Them; repentance moves you toward Them; forgiveness refreshes your soul and
confirms where you stand with Them.
The resurrected Savior declared, “No unclean thing can enter into his kingdom;
therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments
in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their
faithfulness unto the end.”29
Let us rejoice in this journey! You can start from wherever you are and become
something more than you ever imagined. You have already begun. Ponder these words:
“If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through
mine Only Begotten Son . . . [and you] shall have claim on mercy through mine Only
Begotten Son, unto a remission of [your] sins; and [you] shall enter into my rest.”30 As
one of the Lord’s Apostles, I promise you that these words of our Father are true, and as
you embrace them in your life, the Savior will shape forever the divine destiny awaiting
you.
Notes
1. See, for example, 1 Nephi 11:17, 22; John 13:1; Revelation 1:5; Doctrine and Covenants 34:2–3.
2. See Romans 8:38–39.
3. See Acts 10:34–35.
4. See Abraham 1:2.
5. See Luke 18:13; Joseph Smith—History 1:28–29.
6. See 2 Nephi 2:21; Doctrine and Covenants 29:42–43.
7. 3 Nephi 9:14.
8. Attributed to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin by Robert J. Furgey, The Joy of Kindness (New York:
Crossland, 1993), 138.
9. Doctrine and Covenants 128:23.
10. See, for example, Nehemiah 8:1–12; Matthew 7:24–28; John 4:1–42; Luke 4:16–22; Acts 8:27–38.
11. 1 Corinthians 2:11, 14.
12. See Isaiah 55:8–9; 11 Corinthians 2:6–7; 3:19.
13. See, for example, Psalm 35:9; Isaiah 61:10; Enos 1:3–4; Alma 36:20.
14. 3 Nephi 9:13.
15. “Where Can I Turn for Peace?,” Hymns, no. 129.
16. Doctrine and Covenants 6:36–37.
17. See Romans 5:1–12, especially 15–18; see also Romans 6:23; 22 Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 2:8.
18. See Doctrine and Covenants 88:33.
19. Russell M. Nelson, “The Creation,” Ensign, May 2000.
20. Mark 5:36.
21. John 20:27.
22. “Praise to the Man,” Hymns, no. 27.
23. “Discourse, 12 May 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock,” p. 2, The Joseph Smith Papers,
accessed July 5, 2019, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-12-may-
1844-as-reported-by-thomas-bullock/2.
24. See Alma 5:7; Alma 7:22.
25. Neal A. Maxwell, “Testifying of the Great and Glorious Atonement,” from a Church satellite
broadcast on August 29, 1999, Ensign, October 2001.
26. Alma 34:17, 32, 15, 40–41.
27. See 1 John; Doctrine and Covenants 19:23; 59:23.
28. See Moroni 7:22.
29. 3 Nephi 27:19.
30. Alma 12:33–34.
 Chapter 1

THE JOY OF BECOMING CLEAN

I remember my father awakening me one cold night in early February when I was
about sixteen. I remember feeling startled; I had only been asleep about an hour. He
explained that a steer from our small farm had gotten through the fence, wandered onto
the highway, and been hit by a truck. The animal was dead, and to save the meat we
would have to act quickly. The task ahead would prove to be an experience I could never
forget.
After we dragged the steer from the road to an open shed with our old tractor, our
next task was to hoist the animal up. We tied its hind feet together and then threw the
rope over a beam. I remember struggling to get my arms under the animal’s
hindquarters and lift as my father pulled. To lift with any effect required wrapping my
whole body around the slippery animal. By the time the body was hung, the mud and
stench had become ingrained in my clothes. I felt miserable, but our work had only
begun.
Together my father and I cleaned the dead animal. We didn’t finish until about three
in the morning. The smell, the slime, the dirt, and the filth clung to me.
I went back to the house. Although it has been many decades, the events of the next
hour are very vivid in my mind. I remember clearly the satisfaction of removing my shirt.
Peeling off each layer of clothing brought relief. I began washing—first my hands, then
my arms to the elbows. It was not the kind of dirt that would disappear quickly. Then I
showered, first washing the ears, then the hair, back to the hands and fingernails, and to
the hair again. It was some time before I felt satisfied that the cleansing was done.
Slipping into a clean pair of pajamas, I lay awake in bed for a while reliving the
experience. It was four in the morning. I was exhausted, but the feelings of tiredness did
not approach the sensational satisfaction of being washed and clean.
Yet as memorable as that experience was, there are wonderful feelings far surpassing
the physical feelings I felt on that cold winter night. I speak of marvelous spiritual
feelings that come through the gift of the Savior’s Atonement as the layers of sin are
washed away and we come to feel spiritually clean.
Jesus taught forcefully of the joy of this redeeming power.1 One of His most poignant
parables is that of the prodigal son. Humbled by the emptiness of his “riotous living,” the
son “came to himself.”2 He realized his wrong; he knew he must change. He said, “I will
arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven,
and before thee.”3 He was repenting.
The scriptures then report: “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was
yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his
neck, and kissed him.”4
Do we understand our Heavenly Father’s anxiousness at our every effort to return to
Him?5 Even when we are still a great way off, He welcomes our return.

The Only Way to the Joy of Knowing Our Savior Jesus Christ
 We experience joy as the love of our Savior assures us that we can yet be clean, that we
will one day be home again. This happiness comes only through repentance.6
As we leave wrongdoing behind and exercise faith in Jesus Christ, we receive a
remission of our sins. We sense that our Savior is doing for us what we cannot do for
ourselves. Remember His words to the Nephites:
“Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may
heal you?
“Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold,
mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive;
and blessed are those who come unto me.”7
Remember Alma’s feelings as he felt his sin and guilt lifted:
“I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my
sins no more.
“And oh, what joy . . . ; yea, my soul was filled with joy. . . .
“Yea, I say unto you, . . . there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.”8
This is the Savior’s promise to us. I know these feelings of joy. It is a happiness that
can come in no other way. Oh, to be clean!
While for some the process of repentance can happen dramatically, as it did for Alma,
this is more the exception than the rule.9 Most of us move step by step, inch by inch
toward more goodness, more exactness in our covenants, more service and commitment.
President Ezra Taft Benson said: “For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King
Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance
much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the
Lord.”10
Repentance is the perfect spiritual remedy for sin. Each sin we leave behind through
our faith in the living Christ—both those of commission and those of omission—opens
spiritual doors. As we feel the potency of repentance, we better understand why Christ
admonished the early missionaries of this dispensation to “say nothing but repentance
unto this generation.”11
We must become converted to daily repentance. Jesus provided an example of daily
prayer: “When ye pray say . . . forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is
indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”12 President
Benson taught us that many of our troubles sprout from our pride, which he defined as a
selfish pitting of our will against God’s.13 We repent as we follow the Savior’s example in
doing “not as I will, but as thou wilt.”14 As we garner sufficient faith and trust to meekly
surrender ourselves to the Lord’s way, we are repenting.

As we garner sufficient faith and trust to meekly surrender ourselves to the

Lord’s way, we are repenting.

Daily, as we are humble, the Lord will reveal our weaknesses to us. Remember this
promise in the Book of Mormon: “If men come unto me I will show unto them their
weakness.”15 As we seek earnestly to know ourselves, to make honest assessments of
what we are and of where we are, the Lord will reveal, in answer to our prayers, where
our repentance should be focused.
Honesty in our prayers to God allows us to more clearly hear His voice. In those times
when we feel the changes the Lord wants us to make, it is so easy to close the heavenly
curtain and say, “I don’t want to do that!” or to hide and discontinue our honest
communication. Sometimes we rationalize that the feelings we felt were not from the
Lord.
Where do we begin, then, to assess ourselves truthfully?
 As we honestly listen during our prayers, we will know what we need to do. Maybe it’s
beginning to pray earnestly again. Maybe it’s loving a spouse. Maybe it’s reducing our
time with social media or controlling our temper. Maybe it’s being honest at school or
always telling the truth. Maybe it’s paying our tithing or sharing more of what we have
with others. Maybe it’s being more careful about wearing the temple garment. Maybe it’s
casting out our unbelief or finding more time to attend the temple.
As a prophet of God, President Harold B. Lee explained:
“The most important of all the commandments of God is that one that you’re having
the most difficulty keeping. . . . Today is the day for you to work . . . until you’ve been
able to conquer that weakness. Then you start on the next one that’s most difficult for
you to keep.
“That’s the way to sanctify yourselves by keeping the commandments of God.”16

To Be Spiritually Clean, the Challenge of Our Mortal Probation

If we wish to return to our Father, we absolutely must learn how to feel the power of
our Savior’s Atonement through the remission of our sins. Lovingly, the resurrected
Christ told His disciples on the American continent:
“No unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest
save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and
the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.
“Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last
day.”17
We may not always succeed as quickly as we would want, but as we make repentance a
constant part of our lives, miracles occur. This is what happens as we see that we really
can overcome our sins: Our “confidence [waxes] strong in the presence of God.”18 We
kneel in humility before our Father. We tell Him openly of our progress, and also of our
fears and doubts. As we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. He gives us peace and
encouragement. He heals our souls.

We may not always succeed as quickly as we would want, but as we make

repentance a constant part of our lives, miracles occur.

As we continue inch by inch to repent, we determine that nothing will hold us back;
we will do our part. We come to feel like that great Lamanite king who cried, “Oh
God, . . . wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know
thee.”19
With this commitment to who we can become, the spiritual doors swing open. There is
a new freedom to feel and to know, a freedom to become. Individual inspiration
blossoms, and we receive compensatory personal revelation to help us handle the
temptations of an increasingly wicked world.
Oh, to have faith unto repentance! “May God grant unto you . . . 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.”20
Oh, to be clean! This is the great challenge of our mortal probation. It is also the only
way to the indescribable joy of truly knowing our Savior. He has promised us, “Blessed
are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”21
President Boyd K. Packer penned these words,22 entitled “Washed Clean”:
In ancient times the cry “Unclean!”
Would warn of lepers near.
“Unclean! unclean!” the words rang out;
Then all drew back in fear,
 Lest by the touch of lepers’ hands
They, too, would lepers be.
There was no cure in ancient times,
Just hopeless agony.
No soap, no balm, no medicine
Could stay disease or pain.
There was no salve, no cleansing bath
To make them well again.
But there was One, the record shows,
Whose touch could make them pure;
Could ease their awful suffering,
Their rotting flesh restore.
His coming long had been foretold.
Signs would precede His birth.
A Son of God to woman born,
With power to cleanse the earth.
The day He made ten lepers whole,
The day He made them clean,
Well symbolized His ministry
And what His life would mean.
However great that miracle,
This was not why He came.
He came to rescue every soul
From death, from sin, from shame.
For greater miracles, He said,
His servants yet would do,
To rescue every living soul,
Not just heal up the few.
Though we’re redeemed from mortal death,
We still can’t enter in
Unless we’re clean, cleansed every whit,
From every mortal sin.
Notes
1. See Mark 1:14–15, where we are introduced to the Savior’s basic message as He began His mortal
ministry.
2. Luke 15:13, 17.
3. Luke 15:18.
4. Luke 15:20.
5. See Isaiah 30:18.
6. See, for example, Enos 1:2–8.
7. 3 Nephi 9:13–14.
8. Alma 36:19–21.
9. See Mosiah 27:8–31.
10. Ezra Taft Benson, “First Presidency Message: A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, October 1989.
11. Doctrine and Covenants 6:9; 11:9; see also Doctrine and Covenants 19:21.
12. Luke 11:2, 4.
13. See Ezra Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride,” Ensign, May 1989.
14. Matthew 26:39.
15. Ether 12:27.
16. “Californians Hear President Lee,” Church News, May 5, 1973, 3.
17. 3 Nephi 27:19, 22.
18. Doctrine and Covenants 121:45.
19. Alma 22:18.
20. Alma 34:17.
21. Matthew 5:8.
22. Boyd K. Packer, “Washed Clean,” Ensign, May 1997. President Packer was the President or Acting
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1994 to 2015.

Chapter 2

EXPERIENCES TO STRENGTHEN OUR

RIGHTEOUS DESIRES

We learn from and are strengthened by the experiences of one another. The true
stories that follow, from children, youth, women, and men, remind us of the love of God
for His children; the sadness, the suffering, and the sorrow of sin; the readiness of our
Heavenly Father to hear and respond to prayer; the joy in repentance even for young
children; the incalculable gift of forgiveness as the Savior lifts one’s burdens; and the
happiness in embracing the Savior’s invitation, “Come unto me.”1

While serving as a bishop, I received a phone call very early one morning that a man
in his forties had broken into the homes of several families in our ward during the night
in a desperate search for prescription drugs. He really traumatized several families as
he went on a rampage through the houses. He fled into the forest, and a police
manhunt resulted in his capture.
I immediately drove to the home of one the families. There were numerous police
cars and many police officers there as the suspect was handcuffed. (I recognized the
man. He had been staying with a family in the ward for a few weeks to help him sort
out his life.) I found the traumatized family quite distraught. After comforting them for
some time, I went to leave. I remember looking at this man who had caused such grief
to the wonderful families in the ward and thinking to myself, “How dare you come to
our ward and terrorize these wonderful families. I hope they lock you up and throw
away the key.”
I drove home, and just as I was about to turn into my driveway, I heard a very
distinct voice in my head that said: “How dare you judge him. He is my son. Go back
and tell him that his Heavenly Father loves him.”
I was completely startled by the power and overwhelming feeling of this
manifestation. I had never in my life felt such a distinct and powerful reprimand from
heaven. I immediately hit my brakes and did a U-turn.
I introduced myself to the police officers as the man’s bishop. After ensuring that his
handcuffs were secure, they sat him down on the curb and I sat next to him as the
police officers backed off to give us a little privacy. This man, being high on drugs, had
been yelling obscenities immediately before I sat down with him. As I started speaking,
he immediately calmed down as if the Spirit of the Lord had descended upon him. I
looked him in the eyes and said, “I have a message to deliver to you. I want you to know
that our Heavenly Father loves you.” I was quite surprised that he remained calm as I
walked toward my car and drove away.
Months later, while I was visiting this man in jail, while separated by a wall of glass
and on the phone, he told me with tears in his eyes, “Bishop, I want you to know that I
remember nothing from that fateful night when I broke into those homes—except for
one thing. I remember you looking into my eyes and telling me that my Heavenly
Father loves me—and that thought has been the only thing that has gotten me through
these last several months in jail.”
—Robert B. Walker2

I totally relate to [the experience of Alma the younger] because I too went through a
rebellious phase and for a time wanted nothing to do with the truths that I had been
taught. I was NOT going around trying to destroy the Church, but I wasn’t keeping the
commandments. I was full of anger and darkness. It was the most miserable time of my
life. I learned the hard way that wickedness never was happiness.
I know that my family spent countless hours pleading to Heavenly Father that I
would be humbled and have a desire to change. They hoped that I would have an Alma
the Younger experience but would never have imagined that instead of being visited by
an angel, I would be visited by cancer. There have been times that I have lain in bed
unable to speak or move my arms and legs because I was so sick, but I’m grateful
because it has given me the chance to change my life. I’ve learned that our Heavenly
Father’s blessings often come in ways that are not our ways. It may seem strange, but
even if I were able to go back and change my situation I wouldn’t. I’m really grateful for
cancer because it has brought me back to my family and convinced me of the power of
God in my life.
I have come to know the love that the Savior has for me. I wouldn’t trade that for
anything. I have been so blessed.
—Luke DeLaMare3

I had been baptized by the missionaries as a kid but quit attending church only a
month after my baptism. Because I fell away and turned toward drugs and other things,
I felt as though I had turned away from God and that I didn’t deserve a second chance.
I wanted to feel the peace that others said they felt at church. For the first time in my
life, I decided to say a true and meaningful prayer and ask God if I belonged at church.
After I prayed, I opened the scriptures and read 2 Nephi 28:32. When I read the line “I
will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me;
for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long,” I knew that God still loved me and was
reaching out for me.
—Name withheld4

Emails to a Priesthood Leader

Week one: I am sorry it took me so long to come clean about those things. I was
scared and ashamed. I do not doubt that repentance is possible, although at times it
feels like it isn’t possible for me. I know it will be a long and difficult road and I don’t
know if I can do it.
Week three: I know that feeling godly sorrow is a part of repentance; I just didn’t
know it lasted so long. I have been studying the Atonement of Jesus Christ and trying
to understand it more and applying its power to my life. But it has been hard.
Week four: This week has been the hardest and longest of my life. I have never in
my life spent so much time on my knees nor have I shed as many tears as I have this
past week. I have been trying hard to serve others and leave behind me those things
from my past. I have been trying to study and ponder and understand the Atonement
[of Jesus Christ] and its effect on my life; the power that it has to remove this burden
from my life and to help me feel the Spirit again. With all my efforts and all the work
I’ve been trying to do, I’m starting to feel that the power is real and that the Savior is
there and wants to help me back to my Heavenly Father.
Week five: It was a week full of prayers, fasting, and scripture study. I have tried to
do as you told me to and look forward with hope. I really struggle to be happy and
forgive myself. But I just can’t shake the guilt and sorrow I have been carrying
around. But I am not giving up on the repentance process.
Week six: I appreciated the talks and things you provided for me. I am trying to feel
that light and hope return to my life; but it certainly is not coming back all at once.
Week eight: I have noticed that I don’t feel quite as bad as I did. It certainly didn’t
happen all at once. It has been a gradual thing of me climbing out of the slump I was
in. I still don’t understand completely how the Atonement of Jesus Christ works, but
I’ve started to feel a change in myself.
Week nine: Things are going a lot better for me; a lot better than they were a month
ago for sure. I keep hoping and praying for the feeling of forgiveness to come.
Week eleven. I am so grateful for the Atonement [of Jesus Christ]. As I strive to
learn more about it and really let it take effect in my life, I feel of its power and the
comfort that it brings. I don’t know if I am completely forgiven yet, but I am feeling
better all of the time.
Week twelve. All I know for sure is that I feel better and happier than I did and I
know it wasn’t anything I was able to do. It was putting my faith in Heavenly Father
and in Jesus Christ and letting Them help me through things as I went. I am still
building my testimony of that but I have been incredibly strengthened as I have
experienced the healing power of the [Savior’s] Atonement.
Week fourteen. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and I know that now. I can’t
entirely describe what happened with me; all I know is that I couldn’t have done it on
my own. I tried to do that and it didn’t work. I had to get clear down to the bottom
until I finally turned to my Savior. And He has pulled me up and does so every day. I
love Him and will always be grateful for what He did for me.
—Name withheld5

Our marriage appeared to be storybook perfect. We met right after he had returned
from his mission, and his testimony was on fire! It was the first thing I loved about
him. . . .
As the years went by, we were blessed with three beautiful children. . . . So many
miracles brought us all together that one could not mistake the hand of God in our
lives.
I’ll never forget the first time I saw the unforgettable pornographic images on our
computer. I felt so many emotions, but overall, I felt a love for my husband and wanted
to help. . . . I loved him. . . . We had been married seven years.
Over the next several years, I would discover more images on his laptop, our family
computer, and his phone, and my voice grew stronger each time I would confront him
about it. He did not want to talk to the bishop. . . .
The feelings of betrayal and loneliness were unbearable at times.
[After] twenty-two years . . . my husband chose to end our marriage. He also chose
to have his records removed from the Church. I cannot begin to describe the pain that I
felt every day for many months. I could not get out of bed some days, while he seemed
to be doing okay. . . .
I was finishing . . . my last semester of nursing school during our divorce as well as
taking care of three very sad children at home. I was so angry at my soon-to-be ex-
 husband for doing this to our family. It felt like such a waste of twenty-two years of my
life! . . . It seemed so wrong. . . .
I . . . was devastated, scared, lonely, and so, so sad. I prayed [constantly] to Heavenly
Father. One day I woke up and the pain was gone. All I can say is that the gift of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ is real, and He took the pain from me.
After the divorce . . . I met an incredible man who eventually became my husband.
My broken heart was made whole again, and I felt God’s undeniable hand in my life
once again. But my ex-husband . . . seemed to be [trying] to do all that he could to make
life miserable for me, my new husband, and our oldest daughter, who had a strong
testimony of the gospel. . . .
A few years [later], my ex-husband, who was [now] a very heavy drinker, . . . was
[diagnosed with] progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. This was devastating
news for all of us. My ex-husband lost his ability to speak within a few weeks of his
diagnosis. He then soon lost the use of the left side of his body. Because our children
were all young, and the burden was so great, it was necessary for me to step in and
help. I would spend time at his home “watching” him while the kids went to work and
school. I accompanied him to [the] doctor. . . . I felt so sad for him, watching him
suffer, and felt the anger melt away as I was able to serve him and help him when he
was so vulnerable. . . .
My prayers [about him] changed to, “Help me to see him as you see him, Father.”
Miracles happened as I [began to] see him as a choice son of God who was very loved
and who had been fooled by Satan, dragged away from a family he loved, a Church he
was once passionate for, and was now being destroyed because of lies that he had
believed from the father of all lies.
As the weeks during his illness went on, I saw a change in him. He became sweet and
innocent. He was dependent on us for everything. He smiled and laughed and sang
songs with us—as this was the last form of communication he had. My new husband
was able to serve him also as he helped fix meals for those of us who were taking care of
him and as he made modifications to his home so we could keep him there as long as
possible. My new husband had a softening of his heart toward my ex-husband also and
was able to even say he loved him as a brother.
Our daughter, who was pregnant with her first child . . . was able to have her daddy
back. . . .
There were so many tender mercies that occurred during the three months that
followed his diagnosis until his death [that] are sacred memories to me. He was able to
hug and love his children, who he had pushed away the years and months before his
illness. He was able to talk with friends he had pushed away that were members of the
Church. He was able to hug and say thank you, in his own way, to my new husband. He
smiled a huge smile when I would come in the room and would hold my hand [and]
squeeze it. . . . He was even able to meet and hold his new grandson. I will forever be
grateful to my loving Heavenly Father for this special time. . . .
How was I able to do it—to care for him after all he had done to cause so much pain?
It is because Heavenly Father loves His children and the Atonement of Jesus Christ is
real. All broken things can be fixed. Broken hearts, broken relationships, and broken
lives. All because of our Savior Jesus Christ.
—Becky Murdoch6

In late 1838, William W. Phelps, who had been a trusted Church member, was among
those who bore false testimony against the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church
leaders, leading to their imprisonment in Missouri. In June 1840, Brother Phelps wrote
to Joseph Smith, pleading for forgiveness.
“Brother Joseph, . . . I am as the prodigal Son . . . : I have been greatly abased and
humbled. . . . I know my situation, you know it, and God knows it, and I want to be
saved if my friends will help me. . . . I have done wrong and I am sorry. The beam is in
my own eye. . . . I ask forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ of all the saints, for . . . I
want your fellowship.”7
The Prophet Joseph replied:
“When we read your letter—truly our hearts were melted into tenderness and
compassion when we ascertained your resolves. . . . Believing your confession to be
real, and your repentance genuine, I shall be happy once again to give you the right
hand of fellowship, and rejoice over the returning prodigal.
“‘Come on, dear brother, since the war is past,
For friends at first, are friends again at last.’”8

During a baptismal interview, an eighty-four-year-old woman acknowledged an

abortion some forty-six years prior. She emotionally said to the mission president: “I
have carried the burden of having aborted a child every day of my life for forty-six
years. The pain, the guilt, the suffering would never go away. Nothing I did would take
the pain and guilt away. I was hopeless until I was taught the true gospel of Jesus
Christ. I learned how to repent from the missionaries and suddenly I was filled with
hope. I finally came to know that I could be forgiven if I truly repented of my sins.”
—Elder Marcus B. Nash9

In a clean, crisp white shirt, Steven approached the podium. Having been baptized
and confirmed a member of the Church the day before, Steven was eager to bear his
testimony on fast Sunday. He stepped on the stool, pulled the microphone closer to his
mouth, and, with great enthusiasm, firmly proclaimed, “I love to repent!”
I thought it was one of the most profound, sincere, meaningful testimonies I had
ever heard. It changed my life and enhanced my view of repentance.
On that fast Sunday, we had heard a boy willing to testify by the power and gift of
the Holy Ghost that repentance is a joy, not a burden.
—David T. Durfey10

[When I was fifteen, I was] in a diving accident while on vacation with my family. . . .
The damage was severe and permanent. I had broken my neck and was paralyzed from
the chest down. . . . I could barely breathe or speak. . . .
A few days later . . . I told [the nurse that although I was aware that my injury
required a long hospital stay], . . . I needed to know . . . when I could go home. . . .
“Well, Jason,” [she said,] “if you work hard, maybe you’ll get to go home before
Christmas.” . . .
I decided that no matter what the cost, I would be home for Christmas. . . .
The months that followed were filled with sweat, blood, and tears. . . .
There were many times I wanted to give up. . . .
Then . . . I would pray for the strength and the power to continue to work. Heavenly
Father answered my prayers and gave me the motivation to fight another day. . . .
Finally, I was discharged.
[Christmas morning,] my dad . . . asked [the children] to take a minute to talk about
the favorite gift they had received. . . .
“Our best present,” [they responded,] “is to have Jason home again.” . . .
Each of us has been “injured” by this natural man [that] mortality has placed upon
us. We’ve been [placed on earth to] prepare ourselves to go home. We must decide that
no matter what the cost, . . . we are willing to do whatever it takes to get there.
—Stephen Jason Hall11
 While serving as the mission president in Ghana, I was asked by our missionaries to
interview a young woman for baptism. She had received a testimony of the gospel of
Jesus Christ and believed in the Restoration.
At the time, she was living in the Liberian refugee camp. As I began the baptismal
interview she soon broke into tears and quietly said, “I want to be baptized but I can’t
be baptized because I don’t know how to forgive.”
She talked of a deep hate in her soul for another person that she had not been able to
overcome. She wondered how she could be baptized if she could not keep the
commandment to love her enemies.
As she wept, she whispered that when she was about fourteen years of age, the civil
war raged in Liberia and how both her parents had been killed in the war. She then
spoke of a particular day when the guerillas attacked her village and how she and her
younger brother fled toward the bush to escape their slaughter. As they were running,
however, a soldier grabbed her brother. She did not stop but ran until she could find a
spot to hide behind. She then turned to see what was happening to her brother and saw
a soldier holding a machete to his head, demanding that he join their cause. Her
brother was less than ten years old. He told the soldier, who was just a teenager
himself: “I do not know what your cause is.” The soldier screamed back at him, “Join
our cause or I will make you as red as the shirt you are wearing.” Before the boy could
say another word, the soldier killed him. Alone, and in total despair, this homeless and
family-less girl turned and walked to the refugee camp in Ghana where she currently
lived.
She told me that this horror scene from the war repeated itself over and over every
day of her life. She said she had found peace from God over all that had taken place
during the war, except for what happened to her brother. She said, “I don’t know how
to forgive him because this soldier who killed my brother came to the camp and now
lives across the road from me.” She cried, “Every day I have to look at him. When I do I
fill with anger and I don’t know how not to hate him. So I can’t be baptized though I
know it is God’s will.”
As this young woman sobbed, I thought to myself, “What do I say to someone who
has lost so much and has to face the injustice of it every single day?”
I looked at her and simply said, “God loves you and He sent His missionaries to lift
this burden from you.” I then added, “On the day the Savior was crucified, He asked
His Father to forgive those who were about to take His life. As He forgave those that
hurt Him, you can forgive those that have hurt you. Through His Atonement He will
make it all right. This is why you need to be baptized, so that you can have the Holy
Ghost and the power of the Atonement to heal you. As you make the covenant to keep
His commandments, then He can and will give you a new heart.”
With tears running down both of our faces, the Spirit witnessed to her that this was
true. She smiled. She knew as she never knew before, it was okay to set aside the hate.
She felt God’s confirming truth that all our losses can and will be made up as we do His
will and that because of the Savior’s all-loving sacrifice, it was okay to move beyond her
past, as horrible as it was. She put her burdens into His hands and truly became a “new
creature” in Christ.
Sister Gay and I returned the next Sunday for [the young mother’s] confirmation. At
that time, she had a small child with her that was less than a year old. She had told me
that she had been married in the camp but that her husband had passed away from a
disease and now she was left with a small child to raise on her own. As she held the
baby in her arms, Sister Gay recognized that the child was suffering from the symptoms
of malaria, which is extremely fatal in small children. Sister Gay immediately helped
get the child to the hospital. The baby did have malaria and received the needed
medical treatment to save her life. God is in the details of every life, in even the refugee
camps of Africa.
—Elder Robert C. Gay12
 I drove to a chapel near my house. Finding it open, I went inside to look for a quiet
place. I decided on the Primary room. I sat down in a tiny chair, feeling more lost and
hopeless than I’d ever been. I felt like I’d never be free of the alcohol, drugs, or host of
other unworthy behaviors I was engaged in.
But then I felt a strong spirit come over me—a sensation of warmth, comfort, and
love. For the first time in a long time, I felt at home. I looked up and smiled to see a
painting of the Savior in front of me. The Spirit flooded my body, and I began to cry. I
knew, at that moment, that my Heavenly Father loved me and that He would help me.
That experience changed me.
—Name withheld13

Mom pushed the grocery cart up and down the aisles while Jacob held the shopping
list. Suddenly, Jacob noticed that the shelves he was standing by were full of candy and
gum. Jacob saw a package of Blueberry Blast bubble gum. He put the package in his
pocket.
When they got home, they carried the bags of groceries inside. Mom looked at Jacob
carefully. “Where did you get that big piece of gum?” she asked.
Jacob took the package of gum out of his pocket.
“Did you take that gum from the store?”
Jacob felt like crying. He nodded his head slowly. Mom looked sad.
Mom said: “Then we need to fix the problem the best we can. Since you already
opened the package of gum and ate some of it, we can’t give it back to the store. What
do you think we should do?”
Jacob ran upstairs and got his money jar. Mom helped him count out enough to pay
for the gum.
When they got to the store, Mom held Jacob’s hand and took him to the manager’s
desk. Jacob felt nervous. He pulled the package of gum out of his pocket and put it on
the counter.
“Did you take that gum without paying for it?” the manager asked.
Jacob nodded.
“Would you like to pay for it now?”
“Yes.”
Jacob put his money on the counter. The manager printed a receipt. She put the gum
in a bag, gave the receipt to Jacob, and smiled at him. “Thank you for being honest and
coming back to pay for the gum,” she said.
When Mom and Jacob got home, they went into a quiet room and knelt down
together. Mom helped Jacob say a prayer. He told Heavenly Father that he was sorry
and wouldn’t take anything from the store without paying for it ever again.
When the prayer was finished, Jacob was surprised that he didn’t feel bad anymore.
—Julia Oldroyd14

Among many unsigned letters I have received was one of particular interest. It
contained a $20 bill and a brief note which stated that the writer had come to my home
many years ago. When there was no response to the bell, he had tried the door and,
finding it unlocked, had entered and walked about. On the dresser he saw a $20 bill,
took it, and left. Through the years his conscience had bothered him and he was now
returning the money.
He did not include anything for interest for the period during which he had used my
money. But as I read his pathetic letter I thought of the usury to which he had subjected
himself for a quarter of a century with the unceasing nagging of his conscience. For him
there had been no peace until he had made restitution.
Our local papers carried a similar story the other day. The state of Utah received an
unsigned note together with $200. The note read: “The enclosed is for materials used
over the years I worked for the state—such as envelopes, paper, stamps, etc.”
 —President Gordon B. Hinckley15

In the morning on my way to work, I uttered my first sincere prayer in years. The
minute I began my prayer, I felt as if God had wrapped His arms around me. My whole
body was enveloped in warmth. I had never felt so much acceptance in my life. I pulled
the car over and began to cry.
—Name withheld16

When I was nine years old, I committed a crime. I made a decision to steal a comic
book from a store. The owner did not catch me stealing, but at home my parents were
suspicious, knowing that I had no money to buy the comic book. Once my mother got
the truth from me, she took me back to the store, where I confessed my guilt to the
owner. [We decided I would make restitution by sweeping the store floor.]
As I came into the store each afternoon after school to do my sweeping, the
proprietor would nod his greeting and motion toward the broom. It was weeks before
he told me one night that he thought I had swept long enough.
I tell you this particular story, not to relive the sin, but to point out that it is the
sweeping and the price I had to pay that I remember vividly. I still have the memory of
taking the comic book, but the feelings of guilt, heartsickness, distress, and deep
sorrow are long gone because I was helped to repent. I remember those long hours of
sweeping now to remind me of the price of stealing. That encourages me not to be
dishonest again.
—John B. Fish17

Eventually I was arrested. I thought back to my senior prom, where I was voted
“most likely to end up in jail.” And there I was. I needed only $200 bail to be released
from prison. My lawyer returned with the list of names I had given him, only to tell me
that nobody would help. Nobody. I was convicted of my crimes and sent to prison.
[Two years after being released from prison] the knock came—the one door I would
open that would change my life forever. Two sister missionaries arrived at my home.
The Lord had prepared me, and I was ready. I learned of the importance of repentance
and baptism.
“Really?” I asked them. “Are you sure that I qualify for that?” I couldn’t grasp that I
could be forgiven. I desperately wanted to be baptized and start over, but my fear was
overwhelming. One of the sisters then [explained] it to me simply. She said that upon
baptism, God gives you a new book to start over with and [you can] make [it] into a
new life.
That evening I dropped to my knees and opened my heart up to the Lord. I told Him
everything—my faults, my crimes, my fears, and my hopes. And then, I just cried. A
new heart was placed in me that day. Now I wanted my new life. Ten days later, I was
baptized.
Through the atoning sacrifice of the Savior, I truly know that all who cling to Him
and His mercy can be saved.
—Name withheld18

In 1955, after my freshman year of college, I spent the summer working at the newly
opened Jackson Lake Lodge, located in Moran, Wyoming. My mode of transportation
was a 14-year-old 1941 Hudson automobile that should have received its burial 10 years
earlier. Among the car’s other identifying traits, the floorboards had rusted so badly
that, if not for a piece of plywood, I could have literally dragged my feet on the
highway. . . .
 After the miracle of [driving the 185 miles (298 km) to my] home, my father came
out and happily greeted me. After a hug and a few pleasantries, he looked into the back
seat of the car and saw three Jackson Lake Lodge towels—the kind you cannot buy.
With a disappointed look he merely said, “I expected more of you.” I hadn’t thought
that what I had done was all that wrong. To me these towels were but a symbol of a full
summer’s work at a luxury hotel, a rite of passage. Nevertheless, by taking them I felt I
had lost the trust and confidence of my father, and I was devastated.
The following weekend I adjusted the plywood floorboard in my car, . . . and began
the 370-mile (595-km) round trip back to Jackson Lake Lodge to return three towels.
My father never asked why I was returning to the lodge, and I never explained. It just
didn’t need to be said. This was an expensive and painful lesson on honesty that has
stayed with me throughout my life.
—Bishop Richard C. Edgley19

I was on my mission when my Awakening began. . . . I felt the weight of my sins and
I could not get rid of them. I tried to justify them by telling myself that I had done
enough, that I didn’t have to confess them. I had forsaken my sins. . . . I tried to distract
myself with the work, but this just brought more guilt upon me. . . . I tried to teach
about the Atonement but refused to use it in my own life. . . . I longed for relief. I had
awakened to my guilt and knew I needed to confess. The consequence didn’t matter
anymore. I knew my Savior had died for my sins and I knew what He wanted me to do.
I called my mission president.
—Name withheld20

While the matter of which I speak was a problem then, it is a much more serious
problem now. It grows increasingly worse. It is like a raging storm, destroying
individuals and families, utterly ruining what was once wholesome and beautiful. I
speak of pornography in all of its manifestations.
I do so because of letters that come to me from broken-hearted wives.
I should like to read portions of one received only a few days ago. . . .
I quote now:
“Dear President Hinckley,
“My husband of 35 years died recently. . . . He had visited with our good bishop as
quickly as he could after his most recent surgery. Then he came to me on that same
evening to tell me he had been addicted to pornography. He needed me to forgive him
[before he died]. He further said that he had grown tired of living a double life. [He had
served in many important] Church callings while knowing [at the same time] that he
was in the grips of this ‘other master.’
“I was stunned, hurt, felt betrayed and violated. I could not promise him forgiveness
at that moment but pleaded for time. . . . I was able to review my married life [and how]
pornography had . . . put a stranglehold on our marriage from early on. We had only
been married a couple of months when he brought home a [pornographic] magazine. I
locked him out of the car because I was so hurt and angry. . . .
“For many years in our marriage . . . he was most cruel in many of his demands. I
was never good enough for him. . . . I felt incredibly beaten down at that time to a point
of deep depression. . . . I know now that I was being compared to the latest ‘porn
queen.’ . . .
“We went to counseling one time and . . . my husband proceeded to rip me apart
with his criticism and disdain of me. . . .
“I could not even get into the car with him after that but walked around the town . . .
for hours, contemplating suicide. [I thought,] ‘Why go on if this is all that my “eternal
companion” feels for me?’
 “I did go on, but zipped a protective shield around myself. I existed for other reasons
than my husband and found joy in my children, in projects and accomplishments that I
could do totally on my own. . . .
“After his ‘deathbed confession’ and [after taking time] to search through my life, I
[said] to him, ‘Don’t you know what you have done?’ . . . I told him I had brought a pure
heart into our marriage, kept it pure during that marriage, and intended to keep it pure
ever after. Why could he not do the same for me? All I ever wanted was to feel
cherished and treated with the smallest of pleasantries . . . instead of being treated like
some kind of chattel. . . .
“I am now left to grieve not only for his being gone but also for a relationship that
could have been [beautiful, but was not]. . . .
“Please warn the brethren (and sisters). Pornography is not some titillating feast for
the eyes that gives a momentary rush of excitement. [Rather] it has the effect of
damaging hearts and souls to their very depths, strangling the life out of relationships
that should be sacred, hurting to the very core those you should love the most.”
What a pathetic and tragic story. I have . . . read enough that you can sense her
depth of feeling. And what of her husband? He has died a painful death from cancer,
his final words a confession of a life laced with sin.
And sin it is. It is devilish. It is totally inconsistent with the spirit of the gospel, with
personal testimony of the things of God, and with the life of one who has been ordained
to the holy priesthood.
—President Gordon B. Hinckley21

I glanced out my window one summer day and saw her—my enemy—coming up the
street. I dreaded approaching her, but here was my opportunity. It was now or never.
My stomach churned, my heart pounded, and I shook all over as I raced out the front
door.
Our animosity had started out innocently enough as a motherly instinct to protect
our children. My son had fought with her son, and she came to my house to talk to me.
But I felt she was telling me how I should be raising my son. While the boys soon made
up their differences, their mothers did not.
Then, in the following weeks, I began to hear from our neighbors that she was
making critical comments about me. I was deeply hurt, and soon I, too, was criticizing
her behind her back. We went to great lengths to avoid each other, including walking
on opposite sides of the street. The contention continued for two long years.
One day as I knelt in prayer, I was struck by the thought that if I continued
harboring ill feelings toward my neighbor, the Spirit could not abide with me. I realized
I had let hate grow in my heart, and the hate was eating away at my soul.
I desperately needed my Heavenly Father and His Spirit to be with me, and I sorely
needed to repent. I fasted and prayed for help in mending the breach between us. I
needed an opportunity to make things right.
Now it seemed my prayers had been answered. Gathering my courage, I ran out the
door and grabbed her by her shoulders. She stared at me in shock. Quickly I blurted
out, “Will you please, please forgive me? I do not know if we can ever be friends, and I
do not know what you will do in the future, but I vow never to speak ill of you again. I
will no longer consider you my enemy.”
What happened next is hard to express. The sweet Spirit of the Lord enveloped both
of us. As we embraced, the bitterness melted away. We cried and hugged and laughed.
—Patricia H. Morrell22

So many live with accusing guilt when relief is ever at hand. So many are like the
immigrant woman who skimped and saved and deprived herself until, by selling all of
her possessions, she bought a steerage-class ticket to America.
 She rationed out the meager provisions she was able to bring with her. Even so, they
were gone early in the voyage. When others went for their meals, she stayed below
deck—determined to suffer through it. Finally, on the last day, she must, she thought,
afford one meal to give her strength for the journey yet ahead. When she asked what
the meal would cost, she was told that all of the meals had been included in the price of
her ticket.
That great morning of forgiveness may not come at once. Do not give up if at first
you fail. Often the most difficult part of repentance is to forgive yourself.
Discouragement is part of that test. Do not give up. That brilliant morning will come.
—President Boyd K. Packer23

Notes
1. Matthew 11:28.
2. Personal correspondence from President Robert B. Walker, Hawaii Honolulu Mission, used with
permission.
3. Sacrament meeting talk given by Luke DeLaMare, Sunday, June 16, 2019, used with permission.
Luke completed his mortality September 11, 2019.
4. “Changed through Christ—Simon’s Story,”
https://addictionrecovery.churchofjesuschrist.org/stories/changed-through-christ?lang=eng.
5. Correspondence with a priesthood leader, used with permission.
6. Personal correspondence from Becky Murdoch, used with permission.
7. In The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume 7: September 1839–January 1841, ed.
Matthew C. Godfrey and others (2018), 304–5.
8. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 398.
9. Personal correspondence from Elder Marcus B. Nash, of the Seventy, used with permission.
10. Personal correspondence from David T. Durfey, Utah Valley University Institute, used with
permission.
11. Stephen Jason Hall, “The Gift of Home,” New Era, December 1994.
12. Personal correspondence from Elder Robert C. Gay, of the Presidency of the Seventy, used with
permission.
13. “Support in Stepping Out of the Shadows—Ryan’s Story,”
https://addictionrecovery.churchofjesuschrist.org/stories/support-in-stepping-out-of-the-
shadows?lang=eng.
14. Julia Oldroyd, “Escaping from the Hole,” Friend, August 2008.
15. Gordon B. Hinckley, “An Honest Man—God’s Noblest Work,” Ensign, May 1976.
16. “The Lord Sends His Servants—Robert’s Story,”
https://addictionrecovery.churchofjesuschrist.org/stories/the-lord-sends-his-servants?lang=eng.
17. John B. Fish, “Lift the Dark Clouds of Gloom,” Liahona, March 1990.
18. “I Can Stand Tall—Brett’s Story,” https://addictionrecovery.churchofjesuschrist.org/stories/i-can-
stand-tall?lang=eng.
19. Richard C. Edgley, “Three Towels and a 25-Cent Newspaper,” Ensign, November 2006.
20. Personal correspondence to the author, used with permission.
21. Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Tragic Evil among Us,” Ensign, November 2004.
22. Patricia H. Morrell, “Will You Forgive Me?,” Liahona, September 1998.
23. Boyd K. Packer, “The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,” Ensign, November 1995.
 Chapter 3

REPENTANCE: AN IDEA NOW OUT OF

STYLE

We live in an important time in the history of the world.

Through the blessings of the Lord, and the genius of science and technology, there
have been absolutely phenomenal methods of communication that have opened us to the
world. Our society’s willingness to discard past ways of doing ordinary tasks, and to
instantly embrace the new without fear or hesitation, has given rise to even greater
innovations. Technology has given wings to products and services almost unimaginable
even a decade ago.
But there is a danger. Thinking can be significantly shaped by the culture that
surrounds it.1 If we are not careful, the very independence one embraces, the freedom
from intellectual restraint and social norms that emboldens us to push beyond the limits
in fields such as technology and entrepreneurism, can promote the same thinking in
spiritual matters. “It’s my life. I will decide. I set my own limits.” An inflated belief in
oneself can be spiritually life-threatening and lead one away from the teachings of God.2
The Pew Research Center explains this trend around the world: “Young adults are
more likely to be religiously unaffiliated. This is especially true in North America, where
in both the U.S. and Canada younger people are less likely to claim a religious
identity. . . . The gap is also prevalent in Europe—in 22 out of 35 countries—and in Latin
America, where it applies in 14 out of 19 countries (including Mexico).”3
In the United States, the Pew Research Center reports that “religious nones”—a
shorthand used to refer to people who self-identify as atheists or agnostics, as well as
those who say their religion is “nothing in particular”—now make up roughly 23% of the
U.S. adult population.4 This is a stark increase from 2007, the last time a similar Pew
Research study was conducted, when 16% of Americans were “nones”; 35% of
Millennials (those born 1981–1996) are “nones.”5
A 2015 study by a professor of religious studies at Duke University, showed that in the
United States, “68 percent of Americans 65 and older said they had no doubt God exists,
but just 45 percent of young adults, ages 18–30, had the same belief.”6
With this trend clearly advancing, fewer of those within and those without organized
religion like hearing the word repent. It has dwindled in modern vocabulary. Repent is
not a comfortable word. It implies that we are doing something wrong. Whatever it
meant to generations past, for many today, the word repent involves suspicion and
negative emotions. For many, teeth clench and heartbeats rise.
Christians from the dawn of time went to church and listened to spiritual leaders
preach repentance. It is not unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It
has been a part of Christian religious observance throughout the ages. Despite many
doctrinal differences, one thing was constant—the word repent was part of religious
observance. In fact, the very purpose in going to a religious service on Sunday was not
just to feel good, but to be pricked in one’s conscience, as a weekly reminder that God
had given commandments and that God-fearing people wanted to align their lives with
God’s will. Preachers declared it with conviction, and church choirs sang boldly and
stirringly about saints and sinners and God’s love for both.
This message of repentance has been met with different reactions—often depending
on the time in history.
 Throughout the ages, despite many doctrinal differences, one thing was
constant—the word repent was part of religious observance.

More frequently during wars, plagues, natural disasters, and severe economic
downturns, believers humbly received the message of repentance.7 As they walked out
the church doors, they resolved to change their lives and try to make restitution for the
harm they had done. Pleading with God for forgiveness from offending Him and for
having made His burden heavier seemed right, because they were feeling their own
burdens. And the preacher’s sermon to abandon their follies rang true because they
needed so badly the blessings of heaven. In their hours of difficulty, there was a
humbleness of spirit that took them to their knees to recognize Almighty God.
Of course, there have always been those who were offended and left their churches,
but especially during times of difficulty, the people were generally more willing to look
inward and consider the need to change for the better. People more readily accepted that
repentance was a message they needed to hear as they felt a greater dependence upon
God and receiving His blessings.
At other times in history, during times of peace, health, intellectual enlightenment,
and the forecast of long-term economic prosperity, the message of repentance was often
met with indifference.8 During these times, the proud and the powerful were slow to
acknowledge the One who had paid the price for the sins of all mankind and who had
instituted commandments, allowing the children of God to return to their heavenly
home.

Today’s Environment
The world today more closely parallels past times of prosperity and intellectual
enlightenment, and the message of repentance is often met with indifference or ridicule.
Interestingly, the September 11, 2001, terror attacks immediately sent a spike in church
attendance. The spike, however, did not last. One author explained: “People thought this
type of national significance would lead people to be more religious, and it did. But it was
very short-lived. There was a blip in church attendance and then it went back to
normal.”9 In our day the Lord has said: “They seek not the Lord to establish his
righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own
god, whose image is in the likeness of the world.”10
With uncertainty or indifference in what is right and wrong, many believe that each
should construct his or her own path. They ask, “Why should we be asked to change?”
“Shouldn’t the messages from church pulpits just be encouraging without bringing
guilt?” “God may not always like everything we do, but we are generally good people, and
He is going to love us for who we are. He will accept us into heaven and will love us
forever.” These voices of today sound very much like the prophecy of Nephi: “Yea, and
there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and
it shall be well with us. And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be
merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little,
take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no
harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are
guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of
God.”11
Entertainment and late-night humor often ridicule faith and dismiss those who speak
in favor of keeping the commandments of God. Isaiah said, “Woe unto them that call evil
good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter!”12
 In today’s environment, you find yourself facing a crowd that does not just passively
disagree with the idea of repentance, but who at times will ridicule your desire to change
and return to God. It isn’t easy. It isn’t comfortable.

An Essential Part of God’s Plan

Different from how it is in the world, repentance is central to the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Before the restored Church was officially organized in 1830, these words were
given to a repenting Joseph Smith after losing the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon
manuscript: “Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the
same is my church [and] whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the
end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
them.”13 When we are repenting, we are His!
Do not be discouraged by the lack of faith around you. “As evil increases in the world,
there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its
spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them
greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction
they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging
twilight.”14
When you hear the word repent and feel the voices that both encourage you and
discourage you, take a deep breath and lift your eyes to the heavens or bow your head for
a moment, and through the Holy Spirit, the voice of your Father in Heaven will tell you
what you should do. I promise you as you seek repentance through your Heavenly Father
and His Divine Son, you will be given the strength to keep the commandments of God.
You will be given a power that will lift and comfort you as you rejoice in your new life and
trust in God. As the Lord’s servant, I affirm to you that repentance is a true and essential
part of His plan. The Lord needs you—a humble you—a repentant you—a clean you—a
pure you—a covenant-keeping, commandment-honoring you—to use your talents and
greatest abilities, increased exponentially by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, to
prepare yourself and others for the Second Coming of the Son of God.15

When you hear the word repent and feel the voices that both encourage you
and discourage you, take a deep breath and lift your eyes to the heavens.

Notes
1. See Judges 3:5–7; 11 Nephi 8:23–28.
2. See Luke 18:9–14; Romans 1:21–25.
3. Pew Research Center, “Religion and Public Life,” June 13, 2018.
4. Pew Research Center, 2014 Religious Landscape Study.
5. Pew Research Center, “A Closer Look at America’s Rapidly Growing Religious ‘Nones,’” Fact Tank,
May 13, 2015.
6. Erin Ferreri, Duke Today, “After 9.11, A Short-Lived Return to Church,” August 19, 2016.
7. See, for example, Alma 32:4–13; 62:41; Helaman 11:7–9; Doctrine and Covenants 101:8.
8. See, for example, 2 Nephi 28:21–22.
9. Erin Ferreri, “After 9.11.”
10. Doctrine and Covenants 1:16.
11. 2 Nephi 28:7–8.
12. Isaiah 5:20.
13. Doctrine and Covenants 10:67, 69.
14. Neil L. Andersen, “A Compensatory Spiritual Power for the Righteous,” BYU Devotional, August
18, 2015, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/neil-l-andersen/a-compensatory-spiritual-power-for-the-
righteous/.
15. See, for example, Doctrine and Covenants 38:31.
 Chapter 4

A POWERFUL SCRIPTURAL EXAMPLE

When we need added courage to help us through an especially daunting challenge, we

remember those in the scriptures who have faced and conquered challenges similar to or
much greater than our own. The faith, courage, strength, and determination of those we
admire can cement our own resolve and encourage us as we confront our own steep
mountains.
One example in the Book of Mormon is Nephi’s challenge to build a ship large enough
and sturdy enough to cross the great waters. He faced opposition.
“And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur
against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea,
and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters.”1
To strengthen his own courage and to convince his brothers that with the Lord’s help
they could do it, Nephi spoke powerfully about the children of Israel, the Egyptians,
Moses, the Red Sea, and dry ground.
He concluded: “If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he
should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth;
and if I should say it, it would be done. And now, if the Lord has such great power, and
has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot
instruct me, that I should build a ship?”2
The scriptures contain beautiful examples of the inner strength and courage of
believers’ faith to repent, to come unto Christ, and to be forgiven of their sins. One
extraordinary account of thousands of people desiring to repent, their remarkable
sacrifice made in seeking forgiveness, and the mighty change in their hearts that never
faltered to the very end of their lives is found in the book of Alma.
These events transpired on the American continent in the century before the coming
of Jesus Christ. The Savior’s miraculous birth had not occurred and would not occur for
another three quarters of a century, yet these people heard the truth and believed that
He surely would come and that His Atonement and redemption would occur. His first
coming was not in the past as it is for us, with consensus in many religions of our day
that He did come to earth and that His suffering and death and Resurrection occurred as
prophesied in holy writ. This is a story of a people who had faith that in a future day He
would come, suffer and die, and be resurrected. It makes their faith and repentance even
more remarkable!
The king of the Lamanites and, significantly, all of his household had been converted
to the teachings of this Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who would come to the
earth.3 The king’s belief was so strong that he sent a proclamation—a decree to all of the
people—that Ammon and his brethren should be allowed to teach the people the word of
God. The king had learned and now believed that his traditions of murder, plundering,
stealing, committing adultery, and all wickedness were abhorrently wrong, and he
wanted his people to have the opportunity to learn for themselves.
 Ammon and others who were consecrated to teach the word of God began to see the
change in the hearts of the people. This did not come just because of Ammon’s teaching,
but through revelation, prophecy, and “the power of God working miracles in them.”4
This is a very important principle. Without the power of God working miracles in our
life, going through a perfunctory list of things to do to repent, or asking the bishop what
we should do to right our life, will rarely have the staying power to sustain us in a
continuing commitment to keep the commandments of God.
A miraculous thing happened to thousands of the king’s people. The scripture states,
“As many of the [people who] believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the
Lord, never did fall away.”5
There are times in our lives when we hear something, it feels right in our heart and
makes sense in our mind, and we embrace it. But then difficult times come, and we are
not sitting in the temple, in a sacrament meeting, or listening to general conference, and
we retreat from what we once embraced, not having the will or faith to stay strong. There
is a very important distinction made with the king’s people who rejoiced in Ammon’s
message of a Savior and Redeemer. It says that they were “converted unto the Lord.”
They weren’t converted unto Ammon, who had saved the king’s servants with his
strength and at the same time humbly served another king he had not yet met. They
“were converted unto the Lord,” the God of heaven and earth, and that made all the
difference. Because they were “converted unto the Lord,” they “never did fall away.” This
is a remarkable statement because they had terribly difficult moments ahead.

Burying Weapons of Rebellion

Because of their repentance, the Lord changed their hearts and they turned
completely to God. Here are some of the things they did. Thinking about this in terms of
our own life is helpful as we anticipate our own repentance.
• “They became a righteous people.”6
• They laid down “the weapons of their rebellion.”7
• “They did not fight against God any more.”8
• They did not fight against “any of their brethren”9 anymore.
• When they heard the word of God and repented of their
wrongs, their hearts were honestly changed. There was no
duplicity in their motives, desires, or resolve.
• The people of Ammon “were distinguished for their zeal
towards God.”10
• The people of Ammon “were perfectly honest in all
things.”11 Honesty is the heart of spirituality and must be at
the center of true and lasting repentance.
• The people of Ammon were perfectly “upright in all things.”12
• The people of Ammon were “firm in the faith of Christ, even
unto the end.”13

Honesty is the heart of spirituality and must be at the center of true and lasting
repentance.

• The people of Ammon “did look upon shedding the blood of

their brethren with the greatest abhorrence.”14
 • The people of Ammon “never could be prevailed upon to take
up arms against their brethren.”15 Regardless of the
temptation to do so, even facing their own demise, they
would not do it—never again.
• The people of Ammon came to have a deep conviction that
“death [would be] swallowed up to them by the victory of
Christ over it.”16
The people of Ammon determined that “they would suffer death in the most
aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before
they would take the sword or cimeter to smite [their enemies].”17 They would not return
to their sin—never.

God Takes Away Guilt through the Merits of the Savior

These once very wicked people, who had shattered the commandments of God with
their abhorrent behavior, were “converted unto the Lord,” and that changed everything.
No excuses, no equivocation; they truly repented. They completely forsook their sins.
Their changes and that belief were so strong that when they were faced with death, they
stood firm in their resolve.
As the Lamanites prepared to come against the people of Ammon, their king spoke
powerful words about what it really means to have been less than one should and then,
having heard the truth, turned from a wrong way of life to God’s way of life. He said:
“I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these
our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us, and to convince us of the
traditions of our wicked fathers. . . . And behold, I also thank my God, that . . . we have
been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed. And I
also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent
of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders
which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits
of his Son.”18
Even with the very evil things they had done, when they heard the truth and became
“converted unto the Lord,” God opened to them the power of repentance and forgave
their sins. They felt His forgiveness.
God had “taken away the guilt from [their] hearts, through the merits of his Son.” The
pure in heart will see that God is the one who removes the guilt. No one has the ability to
purge our souls of guilt except God Himself.
The king continued: “And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could
do to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get
God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently
before God that he would take away our stain—Now, my best beloved brethren, since
God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain
our swords no more with the blood of our brethren. Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us
retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if
we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood
of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins.”19
Can you feel the passion of the king? The king was thinking not only about those who
so desperately needed to repent because of their wickedness; he was also thinking of the
generations that would come, their children and grandchildren.
“And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that
we might not perish; . . . because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children;
therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be
made known unto us as well as unto future generations.”20
 Many years ago, the First Presidency asked me to visit with a couple who had been out
of the Church for many decades. They were both in their eighties, and each had a
portable oxygen tank. They had worked very diligently to return to the gospel. As I met
with them, they seemed very sad and regretted deeply that they had spent their lives
away from the Church, although they came from active families and were married in the
temple. I tried to lift their spirits, and I assured them how happy the Savior was for their
return. They wept and said, “Yes, Brother Andersen, we have come back, but none of our
children and grandchildren know anything about the gospel.”
Think again about the words of the king who understood that this sacred message of
salvation would affect those of the present and also future generations: “And the great
God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not
perish; . . . because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his
mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known
unto us as well as unto future generations.”21

The pure in heart will see that God is the one who removes the guilt. No one
has the ability to purge our souls of guilt except God Himself.

The king rejoiced “that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as
unto future generations.”
The king then proposed something quite bold, quite dramatic, an act of extraordinary
faith: “Let us hide [our swords] away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our
God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be
judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he
imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.”22
He says it a second time, but with even greater faith because he opens the possibility
that in burying their swords as “a testimony that we have never used them,” he and his
people may die: “And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we
will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may
be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our
brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.”23
This was true faith and repentance, turning to God even though it meant that their
mortal lives might end. They had been “converted unto the Lord,” and they knew that
eternal life awaited them.
The scripture recounts what happened next: “When the king had made an end of these
sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the
weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up
deep in the earth. And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to
men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this
they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their
brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother
they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor
abundantly with their hands.”24
As the opposing forces started coming toward them, the people of Ammon “went out
to meet them . . . and began to call on the name of the Lord.”25 One thousand and five
were killed as they knelt in prayer, having buried the weapons of war. So great was the
sorrow of some of those who had taken their lives that “they threw down their weapons
of war,” never to take them up again.26
Then the prophet Mormon concludes: “And those who had been slain were righteous
people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved. . . . And there
was not a wicked man slain among them.”27
 Most will never have the grievous sin of murder as these men did prior to being
“converted unto the Lord,” but the lessons from their lives are applicable in our own
lives.28 Their example teaches us not to give up on life. Repentance opens the door of
hope to a new life with Jesus Christ.
The qualities that defined the people of Ammon after their conversion are qualities
that must define our own lives as we truly repent of our sins.
And what relevance is there to us that they had swords that had become bright
because of their repentance? It means that once we are in the process of repenting and
we become bright and clean through the blood of the Lamb of God, we bury anything
that takes us to the place we were before we repented.
President Spencer W. Kimball said: “In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for
better conditions. . . . He must be certain not only that he has abandoned the sin but that
he has changed the situations surrounding the sin. He should avoid the places and
conditions and circumstances where the sin occurred, for these could most readily breed
it again. He must abandon the people with whom the sin was committed. He may not
hate the persons involved but he must avoid them and everything associated with the
sin.”29
Whatever our weapons of rebellion, let us bury them and never again return to them.
Let us forsake our sins. How will we have the strength to do it, to see our way through to
the end? It will come through the grace and mercy of the Lord, Jesus Christ, as we
become completely and totally converted to Him. As one who knows, I affirm to you that
joy, peace, and heavenly approval will follow your sincere efforts to forsake your sins.
Notes
1. 1 Nephi 17:17.
2. 1 Nephi 17:50–51.
3. See Alma 17–27 to read more.
4. Alma 23:6.
5. Alma 23:6; emphasis added.
6. Alma 23:7.
7. Alma 23:7.
8. Alma 23:7.
9. Alma 23:7.
10. Alma 27:27.
11. Alma 27:27.
12. Alma 27:27.
13. Alma 27:27.
14. Alma 27:28.
15. Alma 27:28; emphasis added.
16. Alma 27:28.
17. Alma 27:29.
18. Alma 24:7, 9–10.
19. Alma 24:11–13.
20. Alma 24:14.
21. Alma 24:14.
22. Alma 24:15.
23. Alma 24:16.
24. Alma 24:17–18.
25. Alma 24:21.
26. Alma 24:25.
27. Alma 24:26, 27.
28. See Mormon 8:35.
29. Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1969),
171–72.
 Chapter 5

AWAKENING UNTO GOD

Can you remember the last time you were in a deep sleep, and then suddenly, without
warning, in an instant, you found yourself completely awake?
Recently, in the middle of the night as we slept soundly, our home alarm began
screeching its warning sound. We were instantly awakened and immediately considered
the possibilities: Was someone trying to enter a window in the basement? Did the wind
disconnect a door-sensor alarm? How could I ensure that those in the house were safe?
Not surprisingly, my first thoughts did not include simply turning off the alarm and
quickly returning to my sleep.
The scriptures use this ordinary experience of awakening from sleep to symbolize the
spiritual awakening needed for us to recognize our divine heritage, the purposes of our
life, our need to communicate with our Heavenly Father, and the indescribable gift of a
Savior to help us come home.1
Sometimes this awakening to God comes as a loud alarm when we least expect it,
awakening us to the realization that a spiritual intruder could harm us or take the things
most precious to us. Other times it is a gentler awakening, like the sun coming through
the bedroom window, not as shocking as an alarm but an awakening just as real and just
as necessary.
“They awoke unto God. . . . They were in the midst of darkness . . . [when] their souls
were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word.”2
This spiritual awakening will come to every son and daughter of God, by our own
choice here on earth or after this life when the awakening can no longer be delayed.
Prophets always invite God’s children to awaken to Him. The Savior taught, “Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind, and with all thy strength.”3 The Apostle Paul gently called to those whose eyes
were figuratively closed: “Awake thou that sleepest, . . . and Christ shall give thee
light.”4 Nephi’s self-reflective words are a powerful reminder of the need for daily
repentance even for the righteous: “Awake my soul! No longer droop in sin.”5

Wherever we are on our path of discipleship, let us open our eyes and
awaken more fully unto God.

For those choosing to delay their awakening, King Benjamin warned of the eternal
alarm of divine justice: “If that man . . . remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the
demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt,
which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast
with guilt, and pain, and anguish.”6
Wherever we are on our path of discipleship, let us open our eyes and awaken more
fully unto God. President Russell M. Nelson said, “When you begin to catch even a
glimpse of how your Heavenly Father sees you and what He is counting on you to do for
Him, your life will never be the same.”7
Our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Redemption
It all began before the Creation of the world, with our kind and loving Heavenly
Father preparing a way for His children to become more like Him, and promising that to
those who would receive the Father and the Son, all the Father hath would be given.8
This was not just any plan. This was the greatest, the grandest, the kindest, the most
loving, the most generous, the ultimate Plan ever created, known as the plan of salvation,
the plan of mercy, the plan of happiness, and—the title most used in the Book of
Mormon—the plan of redemption.9 Salvation, mercy, happiness, and redemption help
us grasp the magnitude of what the Father planned for us.
Our Father’s divine design required a complete combination of His resplendent love
for us and the necessity of our adherence to absolute law. Without love, law would be
meaningless, and without law, love would be wasted. President Dallin H. Oaks said, “The
love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God’s
laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love.”10
Personal sin was premortally understood to be an inescapable dynamic of our future
mortality. Each of us would sin. The plan of our Father required a Redeemer, one to
rescue us from the death and injustice of mortality and from our personal sins.11

Premortal Council in Heaven

To understand the mortal life we are living and the immortal life ahead of us, we begin
with the premortal council before the world was created.
Some will say, “But I have no memory of a premortal life.”
I have no memory of my premortal life, but I must also admit that I have no memory
of the day I was born. Do you?
Although there may be a birth certificate or pictures to authenticate your birth date,
and even personal stories from your mother, father, or grandparents, you must
acknowledge that you have no actual memory of your own birth. However, couldn’t we
agree that your birth certainly did occur?
Our birth, our childhood, our teenage years and beyond provide us context to who we
are, our hopes and dreams, our desire to work and achieve, and our willingness to do
things that are difficult for our greater long-term good.
Just as we do not remember the day we were born, we have no memory of our
premortal life. Just as we rely on court documents or honest relatives to accurately
recount what happened the day we were born, we place trust in the truth and accuracy of
words of scripture and in modern-day prophets for a perspective that is critical for our
mortality.
The poet William Wordsworth penned the beautiful words: “Our birth is but a sleep
and a forgetting.”12
In the premortal Council in Heaven, the firstborn of God offered Himself to be our
Redeemer: “Here am I, send me.”13 Another spirit son, Lucifer, rejected the plan of the
Father and offered instead a devious plot to unconditionally save us, “without regard to
individual preference, agency, or voluntary dedication,”14 with him claiming all the
credit. Lucifer said, “Send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one
soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.”15 He wanted
nothing to do with laws, commandments, obedience, or accountability, and without
these, there could be no agency.
Sadly, these false philosophies have found their way into our world as well. Korihor
flattered the people, telling them that they did not need a Christ, an Atonement, or a
remission of their sins because “whatsoever a man did was no crime.”16 We still find
among us those who celebrate “doing your own thing” and “living your own truth” while
despising authority, absolutes, and accountability. These statements are counterfeits to
true happiness.
 We lived before the day of birth documented by our earthly birth certificate.17 Our
individual identity is stamped in us forever. If such a document existed, our premortal
birth certificate would have listed God the Eternal Father as the Father of our spirits.18 In
ways we don’t fully understand, our spiritual growth there in the premortal world
influences who we are here.19 We accepted God’s plan. We knew that we would
experience difficulties, pain, and sorrow upon the earth.20 We also knew that the Savior
would come and that as we proved ourselves worthy, we would rise in the Resurrection,
having “glory added upon [our] heads for ever and ever.”21

Our Savior Jesus Christ

As participants in the premortal world, we rejoiced that the firstborn of the Father,
Jesus Christ, would be our Redeemer.22 With “exceeding faith and good works”23 we were
prepared to come to a world where there would be great opposition, sin, and death. We
would need to overcome Satan in this world. How could we? The Apostle John declared:
“They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony.”24 “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”25 The center of the plan of
redemption would require our beloved Savior to “descend below all things”26 and make
the ultimate sacrifice of suffering for all the sins, injustices, and death of a fallen world.
The approach to our lives changes as we awaken to God spiritually and truly believe in
Him, the Savior of all mankind, and in the plan of redemption. We live our lives
differently as we believe the quiet whisperings reminding us of who we really are and
how valiantly we supported our Father’s plan in the premortal world. Commandments
that once seemed confining are no longer a burden but a blessing in helping us find our
way home. “Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known
unto them the plan of redemption.”27

We live our lives differently as we believe the quiet whisperings reminding us

of who we really are and how valiantly we supported our Father’s plan in the
premortal world.

Our purpose in this life is to receive a physical body and to have mortal experiences,
including the temptations and opposition of a fallen world to try and test us. Our
ultimate objective is to become more like our Father in Heaven.28 As one of the Lord’s
witnesses, I testify that there is nothing more important in this life than the spiritual joy
and eternal blessings that come through having faith in our Heavenly Father and in
Jesus Christ and His Atonement, receiving forgiveness for our sins, proving ourselves by
keeping His commandments and by helping others, and finding happiness in family and
other loving relationships. Awaken to God and rejoice in His plan of redemption.
Notes
1. See, for example, 2 Nephi 1:13–14, 23; Jacob 3:11; Romans 13:11; 11 Corinthians 15:34.
2. Alma 5:7.
3. Mark 12:30.
4. Ephesians 5:14.
5. 2 Nephi 4:28.
6. Mosiah 2:38.
7. Russell M. Nelson, Meeting with Young Single Adults, February 17, 2018, Las Vegas, Nevada.
8. See Doctrine and Covenants 84:38.
9. See Jacob 6:8; Jarom 1:2; Alma 42:8, 15.
10. Dallin H. Oaks, “Love and Law,” Ensign, November 2009.
11. See Revelation 13:8.
12. William Wordsworth, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,”
in The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900, ed. Arthur Quiller-Couch (1939), 628.
13. Abraham 3:27.
14. Bible Dictionary, “War in Heaven.”
15. Moses 4:1.
16. Alma 30:17.
17. See Jeremiah 1:5; Doctrine and Covenants 93:29; 138:53, 56; Moses 6:36.
18. See Hebrews 12:9.
19. President Dallin H. Oaks said: “All of the myriads of mortals who have been born on this earth
chose the Father’s plan and fought for it. Many of us also made covenants with the Father
concerning what we would do in mortality. In ways that have not been revealed, our actions in the
spirit world influence us in mortality” (“The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign, November 1993).
20. See Dallin H. Oaks, “Truth and the Plan,” Ensign, November 2018.
21. Abraham 3:26.
22. See Job 38:7.
23. Alma 13:3.
24. Revelation 12:11.
25. Revelation 7:14.
26. Doctrine and Covenants 88:6.
27. Alma 12:32.
28. See Abraham 3:24–26.

Chapter 6

FAR FROM OUR HEAVENLY HOME

With the chosen Savior, the plan of redemption in place, and a world created for our
mortality, the purposes of the earth were ready to commence.
We can only begin to understand how all of our Father’s work complies with a divine
law that governs the universe. There are reasons beyond our mortal comprehension why
certain events take their destined course.
Two of the Father’s choicest spirits, Adam and Eve, were selected to begin the human
family.1 Before “the Fall of Adam,” there were no children, no death, and no sin upon the
earth.2 When Adam and Eve ate of the “forbidden fruit,” all the living elements of the
earth became mortal, requiring work to live and survive, and bringing death, sin,
temptation, injustice, physical and spiritual trials, and all the difficulties of mortality.
But along with these real challenges, Adam’s Fall allowed an immeasurable blessing:
children could be born! Our incalculable opportunity to come to earth, gain a body, and
become more like our Heavenly Parents became a reality. “Adam fell that men might
be.”3
The vital events leading to the Fall of Adam and Eve and the beginning of the human
race were precisely anticipated in our Father’s plan. There were no surprises to God.
With the now-fallen world and the opportunity of our mortality, two very striking
realities came into play:
First, mortal life would not be easy.4 Choices and decisions would constantly be before
us, and our challenge would be to choose good and reject evil. A veil of forgetfulness
would cloud our memory of our premortal life, and it would seem at times as though
mortal life would be our only life. We were promised that “the Spirit of Christ [would be]
given to every man, that he [might] know good from evil,”5 and that “men [would be]
instructed sufficiently that they [would] know good from evil.”6
To survive would require desire, effort, and work. We would live in a world of
disappointments, natural disasters, accidents, sickness, pain, and death. We would
experience injustice, betrayal, and the effects of the actions of evil men and women. Our
pain would not only be physical, but spiritual as well.

Opposition
We would be tempted and tried by that same adversary we knew as Lucifer in the
premortal world. President George Albert Smith taught, “We will all be tempted; no man
is free from temptation. The adversary will use every means possible to deceive us.”7
President M. Russell Ballard explained: “Satan will seek to tempt us at times and in
ways that exploit our greatest weaknesses or destroy our strengths. But his promises of
pleasure are short-lived deceptions. His evil design is to tempt us into sinning, knowing
that when we sin we separate ourselves from our Heavenly Father and the Savior, Jesus
Christ.”8
His desire would be to destroy us spiritually and keep us from returning to our
heavenly home.9 Why would Heavenly Father allow Satan to continue to fight against
righteousness and to tempt all of us coming into mortality? The scriptures answer: “And
it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be
agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the
sweet.”10 “The Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man
could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.”11
And finally, we knew we would stand accountable for our lives and the choices we
would make. The Apostle John explained, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand
before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the
book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the
books, according to their works.”12
Should this be the full description of our life far from our heavenly home, we may well
have collapsed in forlorn despair.

A Redeemer
But there was a second striking reality that brought confidence and hope: We would
have a Redeemer, whom we knew well, who would break the bands of death as a free gift
for each of us and ensure the resurrection of our bodies and the immortality of our souls
following our lives on earth.13 Should we choose to repent, the Redeemer would ransom
us from our sins, meaning He would eliminate the mistakes and sins found in our book
of life, as part of His infinite Atonement.14 His teachings would show us the way to live
our lives, and as we developed faith in Him, repented from our sins, and were baptized
by His authority, we would receive the heavenly gift of the Holy Ghost.15 And through our
Savior’s influence and the Holy Ghost, we would become much more than what we were
in the premortal world.16
Upon entering mortality and receiving a mortal body, we became natural men and
women. The scriptures are clear that “the natural man [or woman] is an enemy to God,
and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the
enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint
through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek,
humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to
inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”17

The Fall of Adam and Eve

 Adam and Eve had their own awakening to the plan of redemption. After being driven
from the garden, they worked that they might physically survive on the earth, as the
scriptures say, “by the sweat of [their brows]”18 in tilling the earth and caring for their
flocks. Their new life was a stark contrast to life in the Garden of Eden. Many days were
painful and difficult as the burdens of life pushed upon them.
Because of the veil of forgetfulness, they did not fully understand the principles of the
plan of redemption. Nevertheless, they kept the commandments they had received
before leaving the garden. The scriptures then explain that “after many days” an angel
appeared unto Adam.19 After explaining that the sacrifices they had been offering were a
symbol of the sacrifice of the Savior and their promised redemption, the angel said,
“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.”20 Though they had transgressed the law
of God, Adam and Eve came to understand more clearly that they and all their posterity
could be redeemed. President Dallin H. Oaks tells why the angel’s message was so
important to our first parents: “The awful demands of justice upon those who have
violated the laws of God—the state of misery and torment described in the scriptures—
can be intercepted and swept away by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This relationship
between justice on the one hand and mercy and the Atonement on the other is the core
idea of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”21
With the hope of being rescued from their mortal, fallen state, Adam and Eve rejoiced.
Adam said, “Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are
opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.”22 Eve
exclaimed, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have . . . known good and
evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the
obedient.”23
We honor and bless the name of our first parents. They gave us an example of
righteousness to follow and were part of the divine plan that brought the sons and
daughters of God to earth, and as stated clearly in our second article of faith, “We believe
that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.”24

While you have made mistakes, these sins do not describe who you are. Your
identity is not defined by the sins of this world, but by the righteousness of
another.

You are now here on earth, a glorious son or daughter of God. You have entered a
mortal world with all the deficiencies, temptations, and enticements of a secondary
existence where Satan and his followers are allowed to tempt you, to seduce you, and to
ensnare you.25 While you have made mistakes, these sins do not describe who you are.
Your identity is not defined by the sins of this world, but by the righteousness of another.
Finding yourself here with the sins and failings of this difficult probationary state, your
soul cries out for divine help. Deep in your soul, you yearn for a Redeemer, a Savior, to
find your way back to your heavenly home.26 The Fall does not define you; it helps to
refine you.
In understanding the Fall, we must always remember who we really are. We are
divine, literal spirit children of Heavenly Parents. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has taught,
“Because this doctrine [of the Fall] is so basic to the plan of salvation and also because it
is so susceptible to misunderstanding, we must note that these references to ‘natural’
evil emphatically do not mean that men and women are ‘inherently’ evil. There is a
crucial difference. As spirit sons and daughters of God, all mortal men and women are
divine in origin and divine in their potential destiny. . . . But it is also true that as a result
of the Fall they are now in a ‘natural’ (fallen) world where the devil ‘taketh away light’
and where some elements of nature—including temporal human nature—need discipline,
restraint, and refinement.”27
We live in a world of sin, and no matter how good we desire to be, sin enters into each
of our lives. The Apostle Paul said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God.”28 The Apostle John taught, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us.”29 Isaiah said, “All we like sheep have gone astray.”30
There are many types and degrees of sin, but sin in some form will remain with us in
this mortality. Brigham Young said, “Do not suppose that we shall ever in the flesh be
free from temptation to sin. . . . I think we should more or less feel the effects of sin so
long as we live.”31
We cannot completely escape the world that surrounds us. If we are wise, it leads us
first to humbly realize our mortal difficulties and to turn to our Savior with full purpose
of heart. Very noble souls are often pained by their own mortal weaknesses. Nephi
laments, “O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my
soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the
temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.”32
Mormon wrote of those hearing the teachings of King Benjamin: “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.”33

Repentance Is Necessary for All

Repentance is not our backup plan; it is the only plan. “Wherefore teach it unto your
children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the
kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence.”34
I remember in my late teenage years when I first began to understand the powerful
words of King Benjamin: “I would that ye should remember, and always retain in
remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and
long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures.”35 He referred to us as being in a
worthless and fallen state. He asked, “Are we not all beggars?”36
With reflection, I found his teachings convincing. He explained: “[God] is preserving
you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according
to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another.”37
I thought, “It is true that my ability to breathe, to live and move my body, and to do
according to my own will, does not come from my own accomplishment, but is given to
me as a gift from God.” I compared it to a very young child eating at his parents’ table,
not realizing the efforts necessary for his parents to provide the food each day.
King Benjamin then added even more reason to appreciate our dependence on our
Father. He speaks of “the Atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of
the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the
Lord.”38 Accepting King Benjamin’s admonition to “repent of your sins and forsake them,
and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive
you”39 brings you closer to God. And then this piercing message of truth: “And now, if
you believe all these things see that ye do them.”40
I absolutely know that repentance is necessary for all of us, and for all of our lives. Our
faith in Christ and our willingness to follow Him bring us hope, peace, and love for God
and for His children. We need not feel discouraged when we sense our spiritual progress
seems too slow or when we continue to see the weaknesses in our character. We must
never become “weary in well doing.”41 “Be faithful in Christ; and may not the things
which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee
up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his
mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind
forever.”42 Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world.”43
Notes
1. See Doctrine and Covenants 138:38–39.
2. See 2 Nephi 2:22–24.
3. 2 Nephi 2:25.
4. See Genesis 3:17–19; John 16:33.
5. Moroni 7:16.
6. 2 Nephi 2:5.
7. Teachings of George Albert Smith (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996), 23; Teachings of Presidents of
the Church: George Albert Smith (2011), 194.
8. M. Russell Ballard, “Keeping Covenants,” Ensign, May 1993.
9. See 1 Nephi 14:3; 22 Nephi 2:27; 9:8–9.
10. Doctrine and Covenants 29:39.
11. 2 Nephi 2:16.
12. Revelation 20:12.
13. See 2 Nephi 2:26–28.
14. See Revelation 7:14.
15. See 2 Nephi 31:9–15.
16. See Abraham 3:26.
17. Mosiah 3:19.
18. Moses 5:1.
19. See Moses 5:6.
20. Moses 5:8.
21. Dallin H. Oaks, “The Atonement and Faith,” Ensign, April 2010.
22. Moses 5:10.
23. Moses 5:11.
24. Articles of Faith 1:2.
25. See 2 Nephi 2:11–16; Doctrine and Covenants 29:39–40.
26. See Deuteronomy 4:29–31.
27. Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of
Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1997), 207.
28. Romans 3:23.
29. 1 John 1:8.
30. Isaiah 53:6.
31. Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 10:173.
32. 2 Nephi 4:17–18.
33. Mosiah 4:2.
34. Moses 6:57.
35. Mosiah 4:11.
36. Mosiah 4:19.
37. Mosiah 2:21.
38. Mosiah 4:6.
39. Mosiah 4:10.
40. Mosiah 4:10.
41. Doctrine and Covenants 64:33.
42. Moroni 9:25.
43. John 16:33.

Chapter 7

JOY OR REMORSE OF CONSCIENCE

 Sin will forever be part of this mortal world. Sin draws us away from God. It
diminishes our peace and joy. It inhibits us from receiving heavenly comfort and
direction from the Holy Spirit. Sin confines our progression. Eventually, if we grow
accustomed to sin and do not seek relief through our Savior and Redeemer, we will find
ourselves beyond the veil excluded from living with God and His Beloved Son, for “no
unclean thing can dwell with God.”1
Sin will be part of each of our lives. God spoke to Adam about the role of sin in the
plan of redemption. He said, “Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so
when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that
they may know to prize the good.”2
The Lord then explained one of the primary lessons to be learned in mortality: “It is
given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves.”3
Finally, the Lord instructed Adam that he should teach his children that there is a
way, through the mercy of His beloved Son,4 to return to the presence of God. He said:
“Teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in no
wise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his
presence; for, . . . Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the
Son of Man, even Jesus Christ.”5

Sin and the Laws of God

While some sin may bring a feeling of temporary exhilaration, sin will never bring
long-term happiness.6 Sin separates us from God and diverts us from our divine
destiny.7 Without correction, people can become desensitized, as the Apostle Paul
explained, “having their conscience seared with a hot iron.”8 Sin can be like heroin or
cocaine, bringing an initial rush, but like these drugs, sin has only sadness and
disappointment ahead. “The wages of sin is death.”9

While some sin may bring a feeling of temporary exhilaration, sin will never
bring long-term happiness.

The prophet Alma speaks of those who move further and further from God: “And they
that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they
know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and
led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.”10
Sin has consequences.
All of us have sinned.11 The Apostle John said: “All unrighteousness is sin.”12 The
Apostle James taught: “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is
sin.”13 There are different degrees of sin, and we should not lump all sin into the same
category. King Benjamin added: “I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit
sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number
them.”14 For all of us, mistakes, sin, renewed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and constant
repentance are part of our progress toward eternity.
The Lord speaks strongly of murderers, adulterers, whoremongers, and “whosoever
loves and makes a lie.”15 The inappropriate tampering with the sacred creation of life is
very grievous to God.
I have long appreciated a verse in the twenty-ninth chapter of Alma. Alma uses
opposites to emphasize the consequences of our choices: “He that knoweth good and
evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or
death, joy or. . . .” My first thought would be to fill in the blank by saying that the
opposite of joy would be sorrow, or maybe sadness. The phrase Alma uses is “joy or
remorse of conscience.”16
 We have all felt pain and disappointment in ourselves because of sin. We have all
suffered guilt and regret. This is called remorse of conscience. It comes from not keeping
the commandments of God and is the opposite of joy.
Remorse of conscience is a wonderful teacher, even in the simple digressions of our
youth, if we will learn from our mistakes. Elder Ronald A. Rasband explains that “our
Heavenly Father knew we would need help, and that’s why He gave us the principle of
repentance. Repentance is the cleansing principle of the gospel. It’s the greatest friend
we have.”17

Living without Regret

Elder Richard G. Hinckley told of one boyhood lesson he learned from his father,
President Gordon B. Hinckley, about living without regret.
When I was a boy, my father (Gordon B. Hinckley) often would use an interesting
phrase when he was offering the family prayer. He would say, “Heavenly Father, please
bless us that we may live without regret.” I did not understand what that phrase meant
for many years. Then, when I was about ten, I had an experience that helped me
understand it better.
One night after dark, one of my friends suggested we explore the new homes under
construction on the other side of the hollow. In the corner of one house we found a pile
of wood—perfect for building our huts. The wood had been used in pouring cement for
the home’s foundation. We convinced ourselves the workers would throw it away. My
friends and I grabbed the wood and dragged it to the hollow, talking all the way about
what sort of hut we would build with it.
[At] the end of the week . . . we met at the hollow and went to work on our new hut.
But I think we all felt embarrassed about what we had done.
That Saturday my father went to his office to catch up on some work. As he often did
on a Saturday, he invited me to come along. He was then an employee of the Church.
The office of President David O. McKay was down the hall.
[On] that Saturday [as] . . . we were leaving the building President McKay stopped
us in the hallway. I couldn’t look at him. As I reached up to shake his hand, I felt as if
his eyes were reading the words “wood thief” on the top of my head. How I regretted
taking that wood! My father’s prayers finally made sense! I knew that when my time
came to stand before the Lord, I wanted to feel worthy.18

The Apostle Paul lists the fruits of righteous living as being “love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance.”19 These same
qualities are attributed to the righteous in the spirit world following their earth life:
“They were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of
their deliverance was at hand.”20

Guilt and Regret

On the other hand, the scriptures also speak of those suffering from the guilt of sin:
“My soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins. Yea, I did
remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell;
yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy
commandments.”21
If the rebellion against God and His commandments continues without repentance,
the pain and guilt are magnified in the next life, as the unrighteous come to realize the
magnificent blessings the Father and the Savior have given. “For behold, when ye shall
be brought to see your nakedness before God, and also the glory of God, and the holiness
of Jesus Christ, it will kindle a flame of unquenchable fire upon you.”22 “And [you will be]
consigned to an awful view of [your] own guilt and abominations, which doth cause
[you] to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless
torment.”23
There is constancy and permanency in God’s laws. The scriptures tell us that these
laws are as eternal as the life of the soul. “Now, how could a man repent except he should
sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there was a
punishment? Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which brought
remorse of conscience unto man.”24 Joseph Smith said: “A man is his own tormentor and
his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire
and brimstone [see Revelation 21:8]. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man
is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone.”25
The Savior has given us a striking vision for our eternal progression. He said, “Ye
should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”26 President
Russell M. Nelson has taught us that the root word for perfect in Greek means to be
completed or finished.27 This finishing of our souls will certainly not be concluded in this
world, but we are to be, through the power of repentance and the Atonement of the
Savior, constantly becoming more like our Father and His Son.
The Lord describes increasing or decreasing in spiritual power in terms of light and
darkness: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in
God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect
day.”28 And there is the other side: “And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light
and truth, through disobedience.”29
I have always taken great comfort in this teaching of President Boyd K. Packer: “Save
for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction,
no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of
complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the Atonement of Christ. . . . Do not give up
if at first you fail. . . . Do not give up. That brilliant morning of forgiveness will come.”30
President Russell M. Nelson has added, “There is always a way back. . . . You have not
committed any sin so serious that you are beyond the reach of the Savior’s love and
atoning grace. As you take steps to repent and follow God’s laws, you will begin to feel
just how much Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son want you back home with
Them! . . . They will do anything within Their power that does not violate your agency
or Their laws to help you come back.”31

Sins of Commission and Omission

We sometimes speak of sins of commission and sins of omission. Doing things we
should not do are sins of commission, and not doing things we should do are sins of
omission. Speaking of these two types of sin, Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught: “Once the
telestial sins [of commission] are left behind and henceforth avoided, the focus falls ever
more on the sins of omission. These omissions signify a lack of qualifying fully for the
celestial kingdom. Only greater consecration can correct these omissions, which have
consequences just as real as do the sins of commission. Many of us thus have sufficient
faith to avoid the major sins of commission, but not enough faith to sacrifice our
distracting obsessions or to focus on our omissions.
“Most omissions occur because we fail to get outside ourselves. We are so busy
checking on our own temperatures, we do not notice the burning fevers of others even
when we can offer them some of the needed remedies, such as encouragement, kindness,
and commendation.”32 In the restored gospel, we call this ministering.
The Savior said, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over
them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among
you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever
will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”33
 One of the greatest stumbling blocks to receiving the divine gift of forgiveness is
attempting to repent of a sin and not to repent of sinning.34 Repentance at its core is not
turning away from one transgression, but turning our whole heart back to God. We are
better to not overly compartmentalize our sins, but to strive to do our best in all that God
has asked of us. The Apostle James explains: “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said
also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a
transgressor of the law.”35
President Spencer W. Kimball added this wisdom: “Repentance must involve an all-
out, total surrender to the program of the Lord. That transgressor is not fully repentant
who neglects his tithing, misses his meetings, breaks the Sabbath, fails in his family
prayers, does not sustain the authorities of the Church, breaks the Word of Wisdom,
does not love the Lord nor his fellowmen. . . . God cannot forgive unless the transgressor
shows a true repentance which spreads to all areas of his life.”36
How can an individual ever feel forgiven from a serious sin of commission when he
omits saying his prayers, attending church, keeping the Sabbath day holy, paying his
tithes and offerings, reading his scriptures, and serving and ministering to others?
President Russell M. Nelson declared, “While the Lord insists on our repentance, most
people don’t feel such a compelling need. They include themselves among those who try
to be good. They have no evil intent. Yet the Lord is clear in His message that all need to
repent—not only from sins of commission but from sins of omission as well.”37
We must learn through repentance and forgiveness to continually look upon sin with
complete abhorrence,38 never allowing the father of all lies to blind our eyes nor harden
our hearts; never putting ourselves in a position of ignoring or minimizing our sins.39 Sin
can numb our spiritual senses, anesthetize us, and take us past spiritual feelings.40

While overcoming sin may appear to be an overwhelming mountain to climb, it

was never meant to be scaled alone.

While overcoming sin may appear to be an overwhelming mountain to climb, it was

never meant to be scaled alone.41 Good behavior, no matter how sincere and determined,
can never erase the sins of the past. No human is able to eliminate the cost, pay the price,
or satisfy the demands of justice.42
I promise you, as one of the Lord’s Apostles, that your hope in Jesus Christ,
accompanied by your decision to repent of your sins, will not be in vain. We are rescued
through His merits, not our own.43 The climb is not only possible but exhilarating as we
put our trust in Him. He carries us; we are redeemed by His righteousness.44 He brings
to each of us the divine gift of forgiveness.
Notes
1. 1 Nephi 10:21.
2. Moses 6:55.
3. Moses 6:56.
4. See Moses 5:8.
5. Moses 6:57.
6. See Alma 41:10–11.
7. See, for example, Isaiah 59:2.
8. 1 Timothy 4:2.
9. Romans 6:23.
10. Alma 12:11.
11. See Romans 3:23.
12. 1 John 5:17.
13. James 4:17.
14. Mosiah 4:29.
15. Doctrine and Covenants 76:103.
16. Alma 29:5.
17. Ronald A. Rasband, on www.churchofjesuschrist.org/addressing-pornography/make-and-adjust-
plans?lang=eng. Accessed January 2019.
18. Hilary M. Hendricks, “Live without Regret,” from an interview with Elder Richard G.
Hinckley, Friend, February 2007.
19. Galatians 5:22–23.
20. Doctrine and Covenants 138:15.
21. Alma 36:12–13.
22. Mormon 9:5.
23. Mosiah 3:25.
24. Alma 42:17–18.
25. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2011), 216–26.
26. 3 Nephi 12:48.
27. Russell M. Nelson, “Perfection Pending,” Ensign, November 1995.
28. Doctrine and Covenants 50:24.
29. Doctrine and Covenants 93:39.
30. Boyd K. Packer, “The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,” Ensign, November 1995.
31. Russell M. Nelson, “The Love and Laws of God,” BYU Devotional, September 17, 2019,
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/russell-m-nelson/love-laws-god/.
32. Neal A. Maxwell, “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,” Ensign, November 1995.
33. Matthew 20:25–28.
34. See John 5:14; 8:11; Doctrine and Covenants 6:35; 24:2–3; 58:43; 82:7.
35. James 2:10–11.
36. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball (2006), 43–44.
37. Russell M. Nelson, “Repentance and Conversion,” Ensign, May 2007.
38. See Alma 13:12.
39. See Moses 4:4.
40. See 1 Nephi 17:45.
41. See Matthew 11:28–30.
42. See Alma 34:10–12.
43. See 2 Nephi 31:19; Alma 22:14.
44. See 2 Nephi 2:3.
 Chapter 8

THE GIFT OF HIS PRECIOUS SON

As Pontius Pilate considered his fateful decision, he audibly voiced his inner dilemma:
“What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”1 It is a question that every soul
who has ever lived or ever will live upon the earth must one day answer, either here or
beyond the veil.2 It is the question central to those considering the power of repentance
and the gift of forgiveness.
Repentance is not achieved by one’s sheer determination to right the course of life.
Repentance requires humbly coming to the Savior and allowing His grace to rest upon
you as you become a “new creature”3 in Christ.
I believe in Jesus Christ. I believed in Him as a child. Even during my questioning
teenage years, as I conscientiously studied and prayed about the Book of Mormon and
the Prophet Joseph Smith, I unquestionably believed in Jesus Christ. My childhood
belief in the Savior was strengthened by the powerful witness of His divinity that I
received from reading the New Testament and the Book of Mormon. An even more
settled conviction came to me through the years as I called upon Him for forgiveness of
my sins, strived to keep His commandments, saw His hand at work in my life and in the
lives of people across the world, and was blessed to exercise His holy priesthood. Now, as
one of His ordained Apostles, even more complete, spiritual, and personal experiences
have brought a sure and certain witness that He is the Son of God. He is the Creator of
our world, the Beloved Son of our Father, our Savior and Advocate, the King of kings. He
lived a perfect, sinless life. Through the incomparable gift of His Atonement,
accomplished on the Mount of Olives at Gethsemane, at Golgotha on the cross, and in
rising from the tomb, He gave us the blessing of our future resurrection, and through our
repentance, the opportunity to return to the kingdom of our Father, clean and pure,
forgiven of our sins. I know He is a resurrected Being with a physical, glorified body of
flesh and bones. He lives today. He is the Redeemer and Savior of the world.

He is the Redeemer and Savior of the world. For me, there are no words in
any language to truly describe the majesty, the power, the glory, or the love of
the Son of God.

For me, there are no words in any language to truly describe the majesty, the power,
the glory, or the love of the Son of God. Our knowledge of Him begins with His
declaration to His Father in the premortal world, “Here am I, send me . . . and the glory
be thine forever.”4 It continues through His sinless life in mortality and His concluding
words of His earthly ministry to His Father, “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”5 And
it anticipates His glorious return, when He “will come . . . in the clouds of heaven,
clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels.”6
 When the resurrected Jesus descended from heaven and appeared to those who had
been preserved in the Americas, He stretched forth His wounded hands and said,
“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And
behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup
which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins
of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the
beginning.”7
The Savior lovingly welcomed each man, woman, and child to come forward, one by
one, to personally feel the wounds of the spear in His side and the prints of the nails in
His hands and in His feet. His desire was that they would “know that I am the God of
Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.”8
These humble Saints wept as they realized that He was the first to be resurrected,
assuring that each son and daughter of God would have his or her own body and spirit
reunited following death. He explained that He had taken upon Himself the most bitter
and painful commission of His Father to pay for all the sins of the world—your sins, my
sins—and He confirmed to them, as Abinadi had prophesied, that His will had been
swallowed up in the will of His Father.9
As we deeply consider our own sins and come to recognize our complete and utter
dependence upon Jesus Christ for our own personal redemption, our love for God
blossoms. As we understand even the smallest part of the price He paid for our sins, we
are filled with never-ending love for Him. We yearn to know more about our Redeemer
and how He lovingly and sacrificially fulfilled the law of justice. With our inexpressible
gratitude, we desire to repent, realizing the inestimable value the Father and the Son
placed on our souls. “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; 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.”10
Long before we came to earth, we were there when “the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy.”11 In our premortal life, our Heavenly Father
presented His plan for us to obtain a physical body, grow in faith, and experience
mortality. But mortality with its choices would bring sin. Only through the merciful
sacrifice of a Savior could we be redeemed from the transgression that would surely
come, and become more like our Father in Heaven. He who was the “Beloved and
Chosen from the beginning”12 stepped forward and said, “Here am I, send me,”13 “Father,
thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.”14 He who was the “the greatest of
all”15 knew that it would require of Him more than any mortal being could accomplish—a
life without sin and a willingness to suffer for all the sins, the pain, the trials, the
struggle, the sickness, and the injustice of all who would come to earth. No wonder we
shouted for joy!
He came to earth in the meridian of time in the most humble of conditions. His virgin
mother Mary was a pure and virtuous woman. Because His Father was God Himself,
Jesus was able to experience the trials and temptations of mortality without being
subject to the full effects of the Fall,16 with the power to take upon Himself “more than
[any mortal] man [could] suffer.”17

His Sinless Life

We know that if Jesus had not lived a sinless life and completed His infinite
Atonement, there would have been no Resurrection and our spirits would have been
subject to the devil.18 Because of our sins, we are subjected to the full demands of the law
of justice.19 Because He was without sin, justice had no claim on Him, giving Him the
ability to make payment for our sins. We can be redeemed only because of His
righteousness. His payment and punishment for sin can satisfy the demands of justice
for our own sins.20 However good we are, we will always be “unprofitable servants,”21 as
we can never repay God for what He has given us.
 How incomprehensible but wondrous that Christ never yielded to any temptation
pressed upon Him by Satan.22 The author of Hebrews referred to Christ as our High
Priest, and wrote, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin.”23 King Benjamin taught us that “he shall suffer temptations.”24 The Savior Himself
said that “he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things.”25
C. S. Lewis expressed this idea: “Only those who try to resist temptation know how
strong it is. . . . You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by
lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know
what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know
very little about badness—they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never
find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ,
because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man
who knows to the full extent what temptation means.”26
Shortly after Christ’s baptism, as He prepared for His mortal ministry, Satan directly
confronted the Savior with temptations so common to us all: physical appetite, pride,
and power and wealth.27 What character He showed as the adversary offered Him “all the
kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.”28 He refused all the enticements of Satan
from His birth to His death. How remarkable the goodness and integrity of Jesus Christ!
He lived majestically that He might come to our rescue.

Gethsemane
With compassion and mercy, He taught the truth, healed the sick, and invited us all to
repent and come unto Him. After three years, in His final week, Jesus came into
Jerusalem. Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, was with Him. Many came out
to meet Him, and cried, “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name
of the Lord.”29 His popularity frightened the chief priests, and they “consulted that they
might put [Jesus and] Lazarus also to death.”30 Jesus said to His disciples, “The hour is
come, that the Son of man should be glorified.”31 As He pondered upon what was before
Him, Jesus prayed, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from
this hour.”32 Then, expressing His resolve, He added, “But for this cause came I unto this
hour.”33
As Thursday evening came, Christ was with the Twelve Apostles in the upper
room.34 He instituted the sacrament in remembrance of the sacrifice He was preparing to
offer.35 He washed their feet, and explained, “I have given you an example, that ye should
do as I have done.”36 He bid them to “love one another.”37 He prayed, sang a hymn, and
led them outside the city walls to Gethsemane,38 which literally means the “oil press.”
Arriving at Gethsemane, at the base of the Mount of Olives, He left eight of His
disciples and took Peter, James, and John with Him.39 He asked them to remain a short
distance from Him, and to watch and pray while He went a little farther, where He could
be alone and pray.40 Matthew, who was with Jesus that night, recorded this sacred event:
“And he . . . began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is
exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a
little further, and fell on his face, and prayed.”41 Mark, based on Peter’s reminiscences,
recorded Jesus’s very words: “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away
this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”42 Luke, who was not
present but had interviewed eyewitnesses, added, “And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and
he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”43 In the olive
orchard, on the Mount of Olives, near the olive press (Gethsemane), all the sins, sadness,
sorrows, sickness, and suffering of all who had lived or would live upon the earth came
upon Him, and He bled from “every pore.”44 Alma said that He bore our sicknesses “that
he may know according to the flesh how to succor [us in the midst of our]
infirmities.”45 Our divine Redeemer comprehends us completely.
In the terrible suffering in Gethsemane, Mark said that Jesus was “sore
amazed.”46 “Sore amazed” in Greek means astonished, awestruck. Jesus had known since
our premortal life that He would take upon Himself the sins of all, but He had never
experienced the Atonement. The agony, the pain, was immeasurable.47 In our day, He
described His experience as “the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty
God,”48 “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.”49 Jesus Christ was
being “bruised for our iniquities.”50
The all-encompassing agony that caused Him to sweat great drops of blood would
have left His body weakened beyond mortal comprehension, but His agony continued.
The betrayal by one who walked with Him, His face slapped and spit upon as He stood
before the Jewish rulers, His body scourged and a crown of thorns pressed into His head
by His Roman captors, all came in the ensuing hours.51 Finally, the heavy beam was
thrust upon the torn flesh of His back as He moved toward Golgotha.52

Crucifixion and the Cross

Pontius Pilate, after declaring that he found “no fault in [Jesus],”53 cowardly
capitulated to the cries of the mob: Crucify Him, Crucify Him.54 At 9:00 a.m., at
Golgotha, meaning the “place of burial,”55 Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross. Beginning
at noon, for three hours, “there was darkness over all the earth.”56 On the cross, “the
agony of Gethsemane [would recur], intensified beyond human power to endure. In that
[most bitter] hour [on the cross], the dying Christ was [left to suffer] alone. . . . That the
supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fulness, the Father seems
to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of [all
mankind] the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death.”57
After six hours on the cross, Jesus cried out, “It is finished, thy will is done.”58 The
Savior turned the final page of His mortality. His sacrifice for us was accomplished. The
incomparable cost was satisfied. The demands of the law of justice were fulfilled!
When the scriptures speak of Gethsemane and Golgotha, we are wise to allow them to
symbolize the entirety of His sacrifice, which began in Gethsemane, culminated on the
cross, and was completed when He rose from the tomb. The Savior most often refers to
His Crucifixion when speaking of His perfect Atonement. He said, “I am Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on
my name.”59 “And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after
that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me.”60
Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught: “When Jesus comes in overwhelming majesty and
power, in at least one of His appearances He will come in red attire, reminding us that
He shed His blood to atone for our sins (see D&C 133:48; Isa. 63:1). His voice will be
heard to declare, again, how alone He once was: ‘I have trodden the wine-press alone, . . .
and none were with me’ (D&C 133:50).
“The more we know of Jesus’ Atonement, the more we will humbly and gladly glorify
Him, His Atonement, and His character. We will never tire of paying tribute to His
goodness and loving kindness. How long will we so speak of our gratitude for His
Atonement? The scriptures advise ‘forever and ever’! (See D&C 133:52.)”61

His Death and Resurrection

As the Son of God, Jesus Christ Himself chose to lay down His life that He might lift
us up. No one could take it from Him.62 He was the first in all human history to rise from
the grave.
On the first day of the week, the women came to the tomb bringing the spices that
they had prepared for His burial. The stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.
They found two men clothed in shining garments. As the women fell to the earth, the
angels asked, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is
risen.”63 Soon after He appeared to His Apostles with a personal witness of His own
Resurrection: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a
spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”64 Later, “He was seen [by more than]
five hundred brethren at once.”65 Following His Resurrection, He appeared and
ministered to twenty-five hundred men, women, and children in the Americas. Because
He lives and rose from the tomb, all mankind will be resurrected. “O death, where is thy
sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”66
The Resurrection of our Beloved Savior freed us from an eternal destiny of misery.
Jacob taught, “If the flesh should rise no more our spirits must [have] become subject to
that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God. . . . And our spirits must
have become like unto him . . . shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain
with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself.”67
Oh, how we rejoice in the triumph of our Redeemer! “Behold, the resurrection of
Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the
presence of the Lord. Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that
whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire.”68
Because the Resurrection is real, and we know that bodies that are laid in the ground
can return whole and perfect, surely we can see that sins may be forgiven and souls
redeemed through repentance. Let us be forever filled with the awe, gratitude, and
wonder of the Savior’s sacred Atonement.
On a Sunday morning in June 1999, I accompanied Elder David B. Haight, a member
of the Quorum of the Twelve, then ninety-two years old, to record a special message of
his witness of the Savior Jesus Christ.
As we were together, he told me more about a very sacred and certain experience of
ten years earlier. Sacred personal experiences that confirm our faith in Jesus Christ are
generally kept private, but on one occasion Elder Haight had felt impressed to share a
brief part of his experience in general conference.
While still praying, I began to lose consciousness. The siren of the paramedic truck
was the last that I remembered before unconsciousness overtook me, which would last
for the next several days.
The terrible pain and commotion of people ceased. I was now in a calm, peaceful
setting; all was serene and quiet. . . .
I heard no voices but was conscious of being in a holy presence and atmosphere.
During the hours and days that followed, there was impressed again and again upon
my mind the eternal mission and exalted position of the Son of Man. I witness to you
that He is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, Savior to all, Redeemer of all mankind,
Bestower of infinite love, mercy, and forgiveness, the Light and Life of the world. I
knew this truth before—I had never doubted nor wondered. But now I knew, because of
the impressions of the Spirit upon my heart and soul, these divine truths in a most
unusual way.
I was shown a panoramic view of His earthly ministry . . . in impressive detail,
confirming scriptural eyewitness accounts. I was being taught, and the eyes of my
understanding were opened by the Holy Spirit of God so as to behold many things.
After describing these scenes in some detail, Elder Haight concluded:
I cannot begin to convey to you the deep impact that these scenes have confirmed
upon my soul. I sense their eternal meaning and realize that “nothing in the entire plan
of salvation compares in any way in importance with that most transcendent of all
events, the atoning sacrifice of our Lord. It is the most important single thing that has
ever occurred in the entire history of created things; it is the rock foundation upon
which the gospel and all other things rest.”69
His Promised Return
Contemplating the glorious day of the Savior’s return to the earth stirs my soul. It will
be breathtaking! The scope and grandeur, the vastness and magnificence, will exceed
anything mortal eyes have ever seen or experienced.
In that day He will not come “wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger,”70 but
He will appear “in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the
holy angels.”71 We will hear “the voice of the archangel, and . . . the trump of God.”72 The
sun and the moon will be transformed, and “stars [will] be hurled from their
places.”73 You and I, or those who follow us, “the saints . . . from [every quarter] of the
earth,”74 “shall be quickened and . . . caught up to meet him,”75 and those who have died
in righteousness, they too will “be caught up to meet him in the midst . . . of heaven.”76
Then, a seemingly impossible experience: “All flesh,” the Lord says, “shall see me
together.”77 How will it happen? We do not know. But I testify it will happen—exactly as
prophesied. We will kneel in reverence, “and the Lord shall utter his voice, and all the
ends of the earth shall hear it.”78 “It shall be . . . as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of a great thunder.”79 Then “the Lord, . . . the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his
people.”80
There will be unforgettable reunions with the angels of heaven and the Saints upon
the earth.81 But most important, as Isaiah declares, “All the ends of the earth shall see the
salvation of our God,”82 and He “shall reign over all flesh.”83
In that day the skeptics will be silent, “for every ear shall hear . . . , and every knee
shall bow, and every tongue shall confess”84 that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the
Savior and Redeemer of the world.
I have come to know Him and feel His presence. I witness with certainty that He lives.
Notes
1. Matthew 27:22.
2. Another important question is found in Matthew 22:42.
3. 2 Corinthians 5:17; see also Mosiah 27:24–26.
4. Abraham 3:27; Moses 4:2.
5. Luke 23:46.
6. Doctrine and Covenants 45:44.
7. 3 Nephi 11:10–11.
8. 3 Nephi 11:14.
9. See Mosiah 15:7.
10. Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–11.
11. Job 38:7.
12. Moses 4:2.
13. Abraham 3:27.
14. Moses 4:2.
15. Doctrine and Covenants 19:18.
16. See Mosiah 3:8; Alma 7:10–12; Matthew 1:18–23; Luke 1:27–38.
17. Mosiah 3:7.
18. See 2 Nephi 9:7–9.
19. See Alma 34:16.
20. See Alma 34:15–16.
21. Mosiah 2:21.
22. See 2 Corinthians 5:21; JST Hebrews 7:25–26; 11 Peter 2:21–24.
23. Hebrews 4:15.
24. Mosiah 3:7.
25. Doctrine and Covenants 88:6.
26. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Collier Books, 1960), 142; emphasis added.
27. See Matthew 4:3–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–12. Note this was not the end of Satan’s efforts to
tempt Christ; see Luke 4:13.
28. Matthew 4:8.
29. John 12:13.
30. John 12:10.
31. John 12:23.
32. John 12:27.
33. John 12:27.
34. See Mark 14:17–25.
35. See Matthew 26:26–28.
36. John 13:15.
37. John 13:34.
38. See Matthew 26:30, 36.
39. See Matthew 26:36–38.
40. See Luke 22:41.
41. Matthew 26:37–39.
42. Mark 14:36.
43. JST Luke 22:43–44.
44. Mosiah 3:7; see also Doctrine and Covenants 19:18.
45. Alma 7:12.
46. Mark 14:33; see also JST Mark 14:36–38.
47. Teaching shared by Elder Neal A. Maxwell in a personal conversation.
48. Doctrine and Covenants 76:107.
49. Doctrine and Covenants 19:18.
50. Isaiah 53:5.
51. See John 18:12; Mark 14:65; 15:16–20.
52. See John 19:16–17.
53. John 19:4.
54. See Matthew 27:22.
55. See JST Matthew 27:35.
56. Luke 23:44.
57. James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 661. See also Jeffrey R. Holland, “None Were with
Him,” Ensign, May 2009.
58. JST Matthew 27:54; see also John 19:30.
59. Doctrine and Covenants 35:2.
60. 3 Nephi 27:14.
61. Neal A. Maxwell, “Enduring Well,” Ensign, April 1997.
62. See John 10:18.
63. Luke 24:5–6.
64. Luke 24:39.
65. 1 Corinthians 15:6.
66. 1 Corinthians 15:55.
67. 2 Nephi 9:8–9.
68. Helaman 14:17–18.
69. David B. Haight, “The Sacrament—and the Sacrifice,” Ensign, November 1989. Final paragraph
quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie.
70. Luke 2:12.
71. Doctrine and Covenants 45:44.
72. 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
73. Doctrine and Covenants 133:49.
74. Doctrine and Covenants 45:46.
75. Doctrine and Covenants 88:96.
76. Doctrine and Covenants 88:97.
77. Doctrine and Covenants 101:23.
78. Doctrine and Covenants 45:49.
79. Doctrine and Covenants 133:22.
80. Doctrine and Covenants 133:25.
81. See Moses 7:63.
82. Isaiah 52:10.
83. Doctrine and Covenants 133:25.
84. Doctrine and Covenants 88:104.
 Chapter 9

FAITH LEADS, REPENTANCE FOLLOWS

As I attended seminary in high school, I had a friend who sat across the aisle from me.
She was intelligent and kind, and had a warm personality. We rarely saw each other
outside of seminary. Through my senior year of high school, we got to know each other
in seminary class and discussed many things that were meaningful to us.
My friend seemed to have a desire to do right and to keep the commandments, but at
the same time she had trouble with consistently being obedient to the commandments.
In seminary, she would speak of her love of God and of the gospel, but then, often on
Monday morning, I would learn of her weekend activities and her difficulties following
the Word of Wisdom and keeping other standards of the Church. Sometimes she would
talk to me about her weekends. She seemed sorry for what she had done and wanted to
do better. I would encourage her by talking about willpower, choosing the right friends,
not getting in certain situations, and being able to say no. She seemed to appreciate the
encouragement, but she continued doing the same things month after month. She spoke
of wanting to change and repent, but it never seemed to happen.
If I were talking to her today, I would speak less to her about the steps that would be
required for repentance, and much more about the source and power of her ability to
change, to repent, and to be forgiven. I would speak about her faith in Jesus Christ.1 I
would try to help her realize that if she would build her knowledge and belief in Christ,
and strengthen her faith in Him, then her trust and confidence in Him would bring
power—His power to help strengthen her in changing her behavior.2

Amulek
I love the story of Amulek. You will remember that after Alma had left the city of
Ammonihah thinking there was no one there who would hear his message, an angel of
the Lord sent him back. “As he entered the city . . . he said to a man: Will ye give to an
humble servant of God something to eat?”
Amulek said to Alma, “I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a holy prophet of God,
for thou art the man whom an angel said in a vision: Thou shalt receive.”3
Alma went to Amulek’s home and stayed with him many days. Can you imagine the
teachings and experiences that Alma shared with Amulek? Alma strengthened Amulek’s
faith in Jesus Christ before they went together to preach to the people of Ammonihah.
In one of their first teaching experiences, when it was Amulek’s turn to speak, he
explained that he was a man of no small reputation in Ammonihah, and then he added,
“Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his
mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but
behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power . . . I
did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew
concerning these things, yet I would not know.”4
I have always been intrigued by Amulek’s words, “I knew concerning these things, yet
I would not know.” My friend in seminary knew the answers to the questions asked by
the seminary teacher, but she did not know the strength and power that could come to
her personally if she would look to Christ and build her faith in Him. She knew, yet she
would not know.
For Amulek to change who he was and become a mighty believer, he had to take the
things he had learned, things he had been told, things that he knew intellectually, and
open his heart spiritually. He then put his spiritual learning into action. The
strengthening of his faith in the Savior brought the changes he needed. Interestingly,
about eight years later, we find him with Alma teaching the people known as the
Zoramites, who were spiritually in a similar situation to those in Ammonihah eight years
previously. However, these people he was now teaching were poor and had been unfairly
treated by the more affluent Zoramites. The spiritual issue, however, was the same.
Before talking to them about repentance, Amulek invites them to better understand
the source and power that will help them change. He says, “We have beheld that the
great question which is in your minds is whether the word be in the Son of God, or
whether there shall be no Christ.”5
Amulek then confirms what Alma has already taught them “that the word is in Christ
unto salvation.”6
He testifies of Jesus Christ: “I do know that Christ shall come among the children of
men, to take upon the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of
the world.”7
He explained the reasons for an Atonement, and that without it, all would perish: “For
it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice,” and that it “must be an
infinite and eternal sacrifice,”8 emphasizing that it is this Atonement that “shall bring
salvation to all those who shall believe on his name.”9 Amulek explains that this amazing
gift from the Son of God will “bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth
justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.
Amulek uses the phrase “faith unto repentance” four times in four verses.
“And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of
safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the
demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought
about the great and eternal plan of redemption. Therefore may God grant unto you . . .
that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance.”10

Repentance Begins with Faith in Jesus Christ

In order to repent, we need to believe that God will forgive us, and then take the
actions needed for us to change. President Henry B. Eyring said, “Faith is not simply to
know God could do something. Faith is to know He will.”11

In order to repent, we need to believe that God will forgive us, and then take
the actions needed for us to change.

Repentance must begin with faith in Jesus Christ. The prophet Alma taught the
Zoramites how faith in the word—which is in Christ—as it is nurtured, will grow from a
seed, to a seedling, to a powerful tree of faith in Christ.12
Faith is multidimensional; it has depth and breadth. Your faith is growing or
diminishing. Faith grows and strengthens within us as we desire to believe, as we ponder
the word of God, as we increase the sincerity and frequency of our prayers, as we repent
and keep the commandments, and as we experience the power of the Lord Jesus Christ
in our lives. Alma begins his teaching on faith in chapter 32 with these words: “If ye will
awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a
particle of faith, yea, even if you can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work
in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my
words.”13 He then talks about planting that seed in your heart, not dismissing it by
unbelief, and allowing it to enlarge your soul and enlighten your understanding.14
Alma asks, “Would this not strengthen your faith? . . . because ye have tried the
experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow,
ye must needs know that the seed is good.”15 Next, Alma ties our experience to the
growth of the spiritual knowledge inside us: “Is not this real? I say unto you, Yea,
because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible.”16

Faith is something that grows, and as it grows, you receive heavenly gifts,
power, and the ability to do what you could not do without it.

Faith is something that grows, and as it grows, you receive heavenly gifts, power, and
the ability to do what you could not do without it.
The author of Hebrews said, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen.”17 Faith brings assurance. As we nourish our faith by taking righteous
action, the evidences of its reality come into our life; we know it is real. Those evidences
that we acknowledge as spiritual gifts that we did not have previously allow us to have
greater faith. Our faith in Jesus Christ builds upon itself, experience after experience,
feeling after feeling, confirmation after confirmation.
President Henry B. Eyring explained how this knowledge moves us to action: “It will
take unshakable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to choose the way to eternal life. It is by
using that faith we can know the will of God. And it is by exercising that faith in Jesus
Christ that we can resist temptation and gain forgiveness through the Atonement.”18

Jacob and Enos

Consider the moving example of Enos. The teachings of his father, Jacob, “sunk deep
into [Enos’s] heart.”19 Jacob had been born “in the wilderness” and in his “childhood . . .
suffered afflictions and much sorrow.”20 Jacob’s father and Enos’s grandfather, Lehi,
described his son Jacob as knowing “the greatness of God” and promised him that God
would “consecrate [his] afflictions for [his] gain.”21
Jacob had been visited by the premortal Jesus,22 and he became a great advocate for
the cause of Christ, declaring that “we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should
come” and “we labored diligently . . . that we might persuade [all] to come unto Christ.”23
Think of the teaching and testimony that sunk deep into Enos’s heart: “Remember
[the greatness of] the Holy One of Israel . . . turn away from your sins; shake off the
chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your
salvation.”24
Think of how Enos was taught about the Savior long before there was a babe at
Bethlehem. He knew of His character and attributes, His infinite Atonement,25 and the
promise of His Resurrection. Enos, through the teachings of his father and through his
own efforts to be a follower of Jesus Christ, was full of faith in Christ.
Acting on the faith he had developed and the teachings implanted deeply into his
heart, he knelt and prayed with real intent.
After praying through the night, “there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins
are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
“And I . . . knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away. And I
said: Lord, how is it done? And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom
thou hast never before heard nor seen.”26

Faith in Christ Brings the Power to Ignite True Repentance

 Experiencing the miracles of God, and experiencing the profound repentance that
leads to forgiveness, begins by building a sure foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Faith
in Christ brings the necessary power to ignite true repentance. President Joseph Fielding
Smith said, “If we really understood and could feel even to a small degree, the love and
gracious willingness on the part of Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins we would be willing
to repent of all our transgressions and serve him.”27
If you find yourself making the same mistakes, struggling to be firm in your desire to
change, express to your Heavenly Father your love for Him and strengthen your faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn of Him, study about His sacred Atonement, and think
deeply about what He suffered for you. Keep His commandments with more exactness.
As you do your part to build your faith in the Savior, I promise you that heaven will
compound this gift of faith, and you will have the spiritual strength to repent of your sins
and not return to them.
With your faith growing and with the power and gifts of God working within you, you
will sense deep within yourself the ability and divine help to change your behavior. You
will have a greater desire and strength to keep the commandments, to discard those
things that do not bring goodness into your life. As you do these things, suddenly there is
another power: the power of Christ and His Atonement, bringing increasing forgiveness
for past sins. You begin feeling His approval because of what you are doing. Then,
miraculously, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, you feel the gift of His forgiveness. I
confirm that the Savior’s love for you is certain. He never retreats from His promise to
you. As you do your part day after day and forsake your sins, I promise you that the guilt
and pain that have been so much a part of your spirit because of the wrong actions you
have taken will be lifted and you will feel clean and pure before Him.28
Notes
1. See 2 Nephi 31:19–21.
2. See Mosiah 3:19; Philippians 4:13.
3. Alma 8:19–20.
4. Alma 10:5–6.
5. Alma 34:5.
6. Alma 34:6.
7. Alma 34:8.
8. Alma 34:10.
9. Alma 34:15.
10. Alma 34:15–17.
11. Henry B. Eyring, “We Must Raise Our Sights,” address to religious educators at a conference on the
Book of Mormon, Brigham Young University, August 14, 2001.
12. See Alma 32.
13. Alma 32:27.
14. See Alma 32:27–28.
15. Alma 32:30, 33.
16. Alma 32:35.
17. JST Hebrews 11:1.
18. Henry B. Eyring, “Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady,” Ensign, November 2005.
19. Enos 1:3.
20. 2 Nephi 2:1.
21. 2 Nephi 2:2.
22. See 2 Nephi 11:3.
23. Jacob 1:6–7.
24. 2 Nephi 9:41, 45.
25. See 2 Nephi 2.
26. Enos 1:5–8.
27. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith (2013), 89.
28. See Mosiah 4:2–3.
 Chapter 10

ONLY THROUGH THE FATHER AND THE

SON

Our efforts to repent, and the marvelous gift of forgiveness, can come only through
our relationship with God. As we experience a broken heart and a contrite spirit, our first
thoughts and our first actions should take us to our knees, where we confess our sadness
over those things we have done, promise our determination to return to the path we
know is right, and plead for help from our Heavenly Father in the name of His Son, Jesus
Christ. We pray that we might make the necessary changes, that our Father might see
our true repentance, and that we might receive His approval and His forgiveness. These
heartfelt communications with our Heavenly Father, spoken in the name of His Holy
Son, are at the very center of our repentance and forgiveness.
Repentance requires that we acknowledge our sins first to our Heavenly Father and
our Savior, Jesus Christ.1 Surprisingly, some individuals with the hope of repentance and
forgiveness begin their honest endeavors by admitting their guilt and sorrow to friends
and family, entering addiction recovery programs, or seeking relief through counseling.
All of this may be helpful and, for serious sins, confession to the proper Church authority
is required, but only through our Heavenly Father and through His Son Jesus Christ can
the gift of forgiveness come.2 There is no benefit in trying to find forgiveness in a place
where divine forgiveness will not come. Money, influence, power, and fame mean a lot in
the world, but they will not bring the gifts of heaven.
At times, we attach a cause to an effect, that, in fact, was not at all the appropriate
connection. My wife, Kathy, was with our grandchildren while their parents were away.
Our four-year-old grandson gave his two-year-old little brother a strong push. After
consoling the crying child, Kathy turned to the four-year-old and thoughtfully asked,
“Why would you push your little brother?” He looked at his grandmother and responded,
“Mimi, I’m sorry. I lost my CTR ring, and I cannot choose the right.”3

Acknowledging Our Sins to God

A reminder checklist of things we need to do in our process of repentance may be
helpful, but only if they accompany the most important determination: communicating
directly with our Heavenly Father. When our actions have offended God, we go to Him
first and throughout the journey of repentance. This deeply honest, intense speaking and
listening with our Heavenly Father is not complicated, but it is not always easy. Enos
described it as a wrestle within his spirit: “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down
before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own
soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still
raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.”4
The righteous Saints who heard King Benjamin’s powerful address were described as
having “fallen to the earth,” viewing themselves as “less than the dust of the earth.”5 The
scripture then says, “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.”6
Remember the dramatic experience of Alma the Younger as he explained that he was
“racked with torment, . . . harrowed up by the memory of [his] many sins.” Just at that
time, he remembered his father speaking of Jesus Christ. He remembered his father
saying that Jesus Christ would come to earth “to atone for the sins of the world.”7
Alma the Younger said, “Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried
within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of
bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.”8
This is the pattern from the very beginning of the earth. An angel teaching Adam and
Eve about sacrifice explained that they must “repent and call upon God in the name of
the Son forevermore.”9

Crying unto the Lord

We must realize that we begin to receive the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives
through our prayers. It begins as we look to the Father in the name of His Son. It begins
as soon as we ask with real intent.
The author of Hebrews said it this way: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”10
When we come boldly, we come honestly without pretense, not covering our sins
before our Heavenly Father but expressing them, understanding the sorrow and pain
they have caused to our Savior, to others, and to ourselves. Boldly means we come with a
determination to change and to return more fully to the path our Savior has shown us.
We come realizing that the great gift of forgiveness will come only through the grace and
power of the Savior Jesus Christ, and in no other way.
We turn to the Lord in prayer, as Amulek teaches, “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; Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save. Yea, humble
yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. Cry unto him when ye are in your fields,
yea, over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both
morning, mid-day, and evening. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. . . . But this is
not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your
wilderness. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn
out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who
are around you.”11
We come willing to offer our whole soul to God. In the short book of Omni, Amaleki
pleads with us, “I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel,
and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and
offer your whole souls as an offering unto him.”12

Offering Our Whole Soul unto God

Offering our whole soul means that we do not hold back. We don’t say, “Oh I want to
give up this sin, but I want to hold on to another one.” We don’t excuse ourselves by
saying, “I made mistakes, but there are others who are worse than I am.” And we don’t
add, “This is not really my fault because I was overly influenced by another.” We don’t
pity ourselves, saying, “I’m not good enough and God does not want to hear from me.”
Rather, we come boldly to the throne of God—sincerely, honestly, with real intent. We
not only express our sorrow, but we listen as the Father guides us in what we should feel
and what we should do next. We believe completely in prayer and repentance;
completely, knowing that in this very difficult experience, our spirits will be renewed,
cleansed, and refined.

Offering our whole soul means that we do not hold back.

 The Christian writer C. S. Lewis explained, “Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so
much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work. I want
You. . . . No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a
branch there; I want to have the whole tree down. . . . Hand over the whole natural self,
all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole
outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall
become yours.”13
As we humbly come to our Father in Heaven, there is tremendous power in praying
vocally. The Lord has said, “And again, I command thee that thou shalt pray vocally as
well as in thy heart.”14
Joseph Smith writes about the morning of the First Vision, “So, in accordance with
this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. . . . It
was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties
I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.”15
We show our Heavenly Father our true intent as we anticipate and plan for our
communications with Him. Of course, many times our expressions are spontaneous, but
when we consciously set aside an important time and an important place, as we pray
vocally with true intent, the power of our prayers ascends to heaven. If we will make the
time when we won’t be rushed and find a quiet place where we will not be interrupted,
and “cry out” to our loving Eternal Father, in the sacred name of His Son, and then
listen, we will feel His Spirit and know He hears us and that His arms of mercy16 are still
stretched out to us.17
Assisting our vocal expressions, the Spirit of the Holy Ghost lifts our words beyond
what words alone can do. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered”18
The Lord promised, “And it shall come to pass that he that asketh in Spirit shall
receive in Spirit; . . . He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God;
wherefore it is done even as he asketh.”19
As we add this deep humility and faith into our prayers, we can experience what was
experienced by the disciples in the new world when Christ appeared: “They did still
continue, without ceasing, to pray . . . and they did not multiply many words, for it was
given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.”20 Their desires
were to be clean and pure before the Lord and to receive His approval.
The Lord responds to our prayers. In Joseph Smith’s 1832 account of the First Vision,
he tells how he felt after Christ told him his sins were forgiven: “My soul was filled with
love, and for many days I could rejoice with great joy and the Lord was with me.”21
We must remember that certain serious sins require both crying out to God and
confessing our sins to a common judge in Israel. This will be covered in a later chapter,
but we must never forget that a confession does not take away the critically important
need to communicate directly with our Heavenly Father.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught often about the submission of our will to the will of our
Heavenly Father. He said, “The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely
personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we ‘give,’ . . . are
actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally
submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we
are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to
give!”22
I know of myself, independent of any other person on earth, that as we approach our
Heavenly Father openly and honestly, with a deep desire to bring our will in accordance
with the truth, we feel His approval and love, and His Spirit urges us forward.
Notes
1. See Mosiah 26:29; Matthew 3:6; Acts 19:18; James 5:16; Doctrine and Covenants 19:20; 58:43;
61:2; 64:7.
2. See, for example, Matthew 9:2–7; Doctrine and Covenants 110:4–5.
3. Neil L. Andersen, “It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters?” Ensign, May 2007.
4. Enos 1:4.
5. Mosiah 4:1, 2.
6. Mosiah 4:2.
7. Alma 36:17.
8. Alma 36:18.
9. Moses 5:8.
10. Hebrews 4:16.
11. Alma 34:17–23, 26–27.
12. Omni 1:26.
13. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996), 169.
14. Doctrine and Covenants 19:28.
15. Joseph Smith—History 1:14.
16. See Jacob 6:5; Mosiah 16:12; 29:20; Alma 5:33; 29:10; 33 Nephi 9:14.
17. See Psalm 136:12; Isaiah 5:25; 9:12; 10:4.
18. Romans 8:26.
19. Doctrine and Covenants 46:28, 30.
20. 3 Nephi 19:24.
21. “History, circa Summer 1832,” p. 3, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed July 8, 2019,
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-circa-summer-1832/3.
22. Neal A. Maxwell, “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,” Ensign, November 1995.
 Chapter 11

THE DEVIL’S THROAT

While we should not be overly preoccupied in thinking about Satan and his purposes,
as we honestly consider our desire to repent and more closely follow the Savior, we need
to realize that the forces of the adversary will attempt to thwart our resolve.
“All things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil;
for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth
and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.”1 Although Lucifer’s
enticements to sin are expertly made to appear reasonable, in reality, “he persuadeth no
man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject
themselves unto him.”2
With our efforts to repent and more completely receive the love of God and
forgiveness for our sins, the wicked one expands his deception, hoping to turn us back
toward our sins. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “The nearer a person approaches the
Lord, a greater power will be manifested by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment
of His purposes.”3
The being we call Lucifer was “an angel of God, who was in authority in the presence
of God,” but who “rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our God and
his Christ.”4 Jesus declared that “there is no truth in him, . . . for he is a liar.”5 He wants
us to be “miserable like unto himself.”6
As we begin to call upon God in prayer, asking for the power of the Savior’s
Atonement to enter into our lives, Satan with his enticing and seductive voice of sin tries
to keep us from going forward.

Deceptions
His first appeal is to tell us there is no need to repent. “These actions that are called
sins,” he whispers, “are not sins at all, but understandable happenings in the world
around us.” “And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they
will say: All is well . . . and telleth them there is no hell; and . . . I am no devil, for there is
none.”7
For those desiring to repent, these cunning words often are ineffective, as they have
seen the sadness and sorrow their sins have brought and have felt the guilt and pain of
doing wrong. They know a change is needed.
The deceiver has other assertions, subtly telling the person who desires to repent that
he or she isn’t capable of doing what is necessary to bring about forgiveness, or even
worse, that he or she is unworthy of God’s help. The adversary goads a feeling of despair,
an absence of hope, a sense of “this may work for some, but I am so weak, so failed in my
life, this is impossible for me. I am doomed to exclusion from eternal life with my
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”
To overcome these defeating words of despair, we must turn to our Heavenly Father
in prayer and to the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ: “Will ye not now return unto me,
and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you,
if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended
towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who
come unto me.”8
If you are determined to sincerely return to your Heavenly Father, you will not be kept
from the divine gift of forgiveness. Wanting to give you the hope you need, Jesus told the
parable of the prodigal son. Humbled by the emptiness of his “riotous living,” the son
“came to himself.”9 He realized his wrong; he knew he must change. He said, “I will arise
and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and
before thee.”10
The scriptures then report, “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet
a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck,
and kissed him.”11
I promise you that no matter the emptiness and unworthiness you feel, our Heavenly
Father and His Beloved Son await you.12 The Savior’s suffering, His payment of sin, was
for you, as well as for those you think more worthy than yourself. The Atonement of
Jesus Christ can lift you from the depths of your current condition.

Appeal to Delay Repentance

An additional distortion of the adversary directed toward the person desiring to
repent is his deceitful appeal to postpone or delay repentance. President Henry B. Eyring
said, “That temptation to delay comes from our enemy, Lucifer. He knows that we can
never be truly happy unless we have hope in this life and then realization, in the next, of
eternal life. It is the greatest of all the gifts of God. . . . And so Satan tempts with
procrastination throughout our days of probation. Any choice to delay repentance gives
him the chance to steal happiness from one of the spirit children of our Heavenly
Father.”13
In C. S. Lewis’s book The Screwtape Letters, the devil’s minion, Uncle Screwtape,
instructs his nephew, Wormwood, a less experienced tempter, how to keep the mortal
who is beginning to consider repentance from continuing along this righteous path. “It
remains to consider how we can retrieve this disaster. The great thing is to prevent his
doing anything. As long as he does not convert it into action, it does not matter how
much he thinks about this new repentance. Let the little brute wallow in it. . . . Let him
do anything but act. No amount of piety in his imagination and affections will harm us if
we can keep it out of his will. As one of the humans has said, active habits are
strengthened by repetition but passive ones are weakened. The more often he feels
without acting, the less he will be able ever to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be
able to feel.”14
Peter described the tempter in a striking metaphor: “Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour.”15

The Adversary’s Influence Is Nothing Compared to the Power of God

I have thought of Peter’s comparing Lucifer to a roaring lion. A roaring lion in the zoo
is dangerous, but only if we put ourselves inside the cage with him. Without our
willingness, the power of the adversary is very limited.

A roaring lion in the zoo is dangerous, but only if we put ourselves inside the
cage with him. Without our willingness, the power of the adversary is very
limited.

If we are pursuing a righteous course, we need not be overly concerned with the
adversary’s influence. Nephi explained that “he hath no power over the hearts of [those
that] dwell in righteousness.”16 He has no power to use against us unless we permit it.
The Apostle James taught, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.”17
The father of lies extols his influence, but it is nothing compared to the power of God.
After Moses’s experience of being face-to-face with God and physically collapsing, Satan
came saying, “Moses, son of man, worship me.”
“Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? I could not look upon God, except
his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon
thee in the natural man.”18
Moses, by the power of the priesthood, commanded Lucifer: “Depart from me, Satan,
for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory. In the name of the Only
Begotten, depart hence, Satan. And he departed hence.”19

Devil’s Throat
While living in Brazil, my wife, Kathy, and I visited Iguazu Falls on several occasions,
described as the largest waterfall system in the world. There are actually 150 to 300
individual falls, depending on the time of year and the flow of the water. About half of
the water from the river above falls into a canyon, 80–90 meters wide and 70–80 meters
deep, called the “Devil’s Throat.” It is an amazing wonder to stand below the falls and
experience the incredible amount of water falling through the canyon to the river below.
In questioning my Brazilian friends, I have never received a definitive answer as to
how or why this dramatic portion of Iguazu Falls received its name, the Devil’s Throat. I
therefore offer my own interpretation. Immediately above the falls, the water is
unusually calm. If you did not hear the sounds of the upcoming falls, you would believe
you were observing the tranquility of a mountain lake. Then suddenly, the water is at the
edge and millions of gallons crash upon the rocks below.
Lucifer works all so cunningly and subtly. His enticing appeals are so inviting, and his
deceitful promises of happiness so alluring, we cannot imagine that his temptations will
not bring us peace and tranquility. Suddenly, the consequences of his seduction come
crashing upon us, and we are in the Devil’s Throat.
With faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, the temptations of Lucifer fade from before us
and in time become abhorrent to us. Jesus Christ becomes our foundation, the rock upon
which we are built. “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who
is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall
send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and
his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down
to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which
is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”20
As one commissioned by Jesus Christ, I assure you of the power of the Savior to lift
you from the influences of the adversary. You are a son or daughter of God. He loves you
completely. You are meant to embrace the gift of repentance and receive the sacred
blessing of forgiveness. Do not despair; be vigilant in your faith in Christ and your
determination to repent, and you will, by the grace of Christ, become the person you
want to become.
Notes
1. Moroni 7:12.
2. Moroni 7:17.
3. Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967), 132.
4. Doctrine and Covenants 76:25, 28.
5. John 8:44.
6. 2 Nephi 2:27.
7. 2 Nephi 28:21–22.
8. 3 Nephi 9:13–14.
9. Luke 15:13, 17.
10. Luke 15:18.
11. Luke 15:20; see chapter 1, “The Joy of Becoming Clean.”
12. See 2 Nephi 26:33; Revelation 3:20.
13. Henry B. Eyring, “Do Not Delay,” Ensign, November 1999.
14. C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (New York: Scribner, 1996), 60–61.
15. 1 Peter 5:8.
16. 1 Nephi 22:26.
17. James 4:7.
18. Moses 1:12–14.
19. Moses 1:20–22.
20. Helaman 5:12.

Chapter 12

TWIN BULLIES WANTING TO PREVENT

OUR REPENTANCE

As we consider our need for repentance, the voices of fear and pride entice us to
ignore or procrastinate what we know deep inside that we should do.
Have any of the following thoughts come into your mind?
• I don’t think I can do it.
• My friends will desert me.
• I have sunk too far to change.
• My mistakes are not that bad.
• There are others a lot worse than I am.
• I don’t want to tell everything.
• I don’t want to be embarrassed in front of others.
• I can just start doing better; the past will go away.
• I don’t fully trust those who want to help.
• With willpower, I can do it myself.
• I’ll change later, when my life is different.
• I have to do this by myself.
• If I try and fail, I am worse than I am now.
• The details that I will need to confess will be too
disappointing to those I love.
Many words can describe the barriers that rise up as we consider coming more fully to
Christ: rationalization, dishonesty, ignorance, ingratitude, insufficient faith. One way to
simplify how we see these barriers, allowing us to dismantle them and accelerate our
progress, is to organize them into the twin bullies that work to impede our repentance:
the twin bullies of fear and pride. They are twin bullies because they work together in
hopes of preventing us from making the important decisions that will bring us to Jesus
Christ. Fear and pride immediately attempt to counter our positive thoughts of faith and
prayer and our determination to become the person God wants us to be.
False pride and erroneous fear are connected because of our mortal insecurities,
which Satan constantly tries to use against us. Pride can cause or increase our fears, and
often we inappropriately counteract our fears with pride. Individuals who demonstrate
great pride are usually filled with great fear, and fear frequently increases the human
display of pride.
This detrimental combination keeps us from feeling the Spirit of the Lord. If we are
not mindful of our thoughts and feelings, these bullies of fear and pride can control us.
We do not always choose these negative emotions, but we can learn to manage and
control them. We can learn how to avoid the improper thoughts and emotions Satan
places in our path to keep us from repenting or feeling God’s love and forgiveness.

Fear
One definition of fear is very positive: the fear of the Lord. “His mercy is on them that
fear him from generation to generation.”1 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom.”2 As the Bible Dictionary explains, this fear means awe or reverence.3
On the other hand, we are commanded more than one hundred times in the scriptures
to “fear not” or “be not afraid.” The first response from Adam after transgressing was
that he felt afraid, and that fear led him to hide from God rather than seeking Him
out.4 Sin blocks the confidence our Heavenly Father wants us to feel from and in Him.
Consider this counsel from the Lord:
“Fear not, . . . I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer.”5
“The Lord . . . doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither
forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”6
“Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”7
“Be not afraid, only believe.”8
“God hath not given us the spirit of fear.”9
“There is no fear in love.”10
“Fear not, and lay aside every sin.”11
“Fear not what man can do.”12
“You should not have feared man more than God.”13
“Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are
built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. . . . Look unto me in every thought; doubt not,
fear not.”14
“There were fears in your hearts, and verily this is the reason that ye did not
receive. . . . Strip yourselves from jealousies and fears.”15

“Love Casteth Out Fear”

Can we overcome the fear that we feel? Absolutely, we can. The remedy for fear is
found in both the New Testament and the Book of Mormon: “Perfect love casteth out
fear.”16
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained, “Christ’s perfect love allows us to walk with
humility, dignity, and a bold confidence as followers of our beloved Savior. Christ’s
perfect love gives us the confidence to press through our fears and place our complete
trust in the power and goodness of our Heavenly Father and of His Son, Jesus Christ.”17

The remedy for fear is found in both the New Testament and the Book of
Mormon: “Perfect love casteth out fear.”
 Elder David A. Bednar speaks of dispelling and hushing our fears. Hushing our fears
implies that they may not be totally eliminated, but they can be quieted and controlled.
“Fear is dispelled through a correct knowledge of and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. . . .
Correct knowledge of and faith in the Lord empower us to hush our fears because Jesus
Christ is the only source of enduring peace. He declared, ‘Learn of me, and listen to my
words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me’ (D&C
19:23). . . .
“Can we hush the fears that so easily and frequently beset us in our contemporary
world? The answer to this question is an unequivocal yes. Three basic principles are
central to receiving this blessing in our lives: (1) look to Christ, (2) build upon the
foundation of Christ, and (3) press forward with faith in Christ.”18
Hushing our fears is the first step in finally being able to cast them out with the
perfect love of Christ.
How does this happen? As we spiritually learn of Him and His eternal gifts to us, we
feel His love for us. We love Him. “We love him, because he first loved us.”19 That love
engenders hope and faith in Him and His Atonement. We receive His power to help
change our lives. We realize that He not only can forgive our sins, but He will forgive our
sins as we more fully come unto Him. Nephi’s counsel comes alive in us: “Ye must press
forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of
God and of all men.”20 And we “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that
[we] may be filled with [the pure love of Christ], which he hath bestowed upon all who
are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ.”21

Pride
Pride, too, can have more than one meaning. As we are humble, pride in the
accomplishments of a child, or praise for accomplishments well done, is a sign of love
and encouragement. The Father of us all acknowledged His Son with these words: “This
is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”22
The other side, the ugly bully, is the pride that describes a swollen sense of self and a
diminished view of God, a person overstating his own importance.23 Pride moves us away
from the first commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and the
second, to love our neighbor as ourselves,24 and focuses our love more directly upon
ourselves.
We see the great vice of pride as Satan spoke in our premortal council, saying,
“Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one
soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.”25 In one
verse, we see the overuse of the word I. “Here am I . . . I will be thy son . . . I will redeem
all mankind . . . I will do it . . . give me thine honor.” It is a lesson we all must learn and a
danger that must keep us on guard all of our lives. The minute we think that pride is no
longer a problem is the minute it is a problem.
Elder Quentin L. Cook explains how pride affects the thinking of the world: “One of
the unique and troubling aspects of our day is that many people engage in sinful conduct
but refuse to consider it sinful. They have no remorse or willingness to acknowledge their
conduct as being morally wrong. Even some who profess a belief in the Father and the
Son wrongfully take the position that a loving Father in Heaven should exact no
consequences for conduct that is contrary to His commandments.”26
He then added these words attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson: “Sooner or later
everybody has to sit down to a banquet of consequences.”27
In its most severe form, as President Ezra Taft Benson has stated, pride pits “our will
against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of ‘my will and not
thine be done.’ As Paul said, they ‘seek their own, not the things which are Jesus
Christ’s.’”28
 President Benson goes on to explain that pride can keep us from accepting the
authority of God and allowing God to give direction to our lives. He said, “The proud
wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to
agree with God’s.”29
Jesus said, “I do always those things that please [God].”30 On the other hand, John
speaks of those to whom “the praise of men [means] more than the praise of God.”31
The opposite of pride is humility. The Anglican priest John R. W. Stott said, “Pride is
your greatest enemy. Humility is your greatest friend.”
Those whom the Lord loves, He chastens.32 In our chastening, we turn our attention
more toward Him and less toward ourselves. As a mission president in France, I would
often listen to the painful feelings of young missionaries who had recently arrived in the
mission field. The mission brought a new culture, a new language, frequent rejection,
and a rigorous schedule. The missionaries, in their early weeks, would sometimes
express through tearful emotions: “President, I just don’t know if I can do it. I am not
used to this. It is too hard. I miss my family. I cannot speak the language. I do not like all
of the rejection. I can’t get used to the food. I . . . I . . . I . . .” There was that personal
pronoun again. As I prayed for these missionaries, I felt the Lord saying to me, “Neil,
don’t feel sorry for them. You did not call them; I called them. As they humble
themselves and come unto Me, I will make them more than they could ever make of
themselves.” And He did exactly that.

Becoming as a Little Child

In His earthly ministry, Jesus talked about how we must become as a child: “And
Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I
say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.33
It fascinates me that as the Savior came to the Nephites, He spoke of becoming a little
child both before baptism and after baptism. Here is before: “And again I say unto you,
ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in
nowise receive these things.”
In the next verse, He follows baptism with the admonition: “And again I say unto you,
ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in
nowise inherit the kingdom of God.”34
Having the humility of a little child before and after baptism, acknowledging the
greatness of our Heavenly Father and our need to follow His Son and keep His
commandments, allows us to see things as they really are. And as we humble ourselves,
we care less and less about propping up our own ego and more and more about
submitting our own will to the will of our Father.
Abinadi described how the Savior followed His Father. Abinadi said, “So he shall be
led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son
being swallowed up in the will of the Father.”35 This is the example we should follow.
As I relate the story of Philippe Moreau,36 identify those experiences where fear and
pride held him back and think of those experiences where his love for the Savior, the
Savior’s love for him, and his own humility gave him strength.

As we humble ourselves, we care less and less about propping up our own
ego and more and more about submitting our own will to the will of our Father.

I was called as the mission president of the France Bordeaux Mission in 1989, and we
arrived in Bordeaux in the month of July. The mission was just opening, and we were the
first family to live in the mission home, which was still being furnished when we arrived.
The mission home needed a piano, and we were encouraged to visit local music stores to
find one. It seemed with each store we entered, seeing our missionary tags with the name
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the proprietor of the store would say,
“I know one of your members, Philippe Moreau.” Philippe was a concert pianist of some
reputation in Bordeaux, and I was impressed that he was so open about his beliefs. I
expected to meet him soon. When we did not meet him, I asked the leaders in Bordeaux
about Philippe Moreau. Their countenances saddened at the question, and they informed
me that he was no longer a member of the Church. They explained that he had joined the
Church in his late teens and had been a fervent disciple of the Savior, but then had
moved away from the Savior’s teachings.
Some months later, I received a telephone call at the mission home. The voice on the
other end of the line said, “Hello, Brother Andersen. This is Philippe Moreau.” I told him
I was so happy to hear his voice, as I had heard his name so many times. He invited
Kathy and me to a concert where he would perform as the featured concert pianist with
the Bordeaux Symphony. He asked if he could talk with me sometime following the
concert. We attended the concert and were thrilled with his amazing musical talent. I
met with him shortly thereafter. He told me in the interview that he knew the Church
was true and that he hoped he would have the courage one day to return to the Church,
but for the time being, he was in a relationship, and he was not ready to return. I told
him that the Lord loved him, that we loved him, and that we hoped to have him back
with us.
Some months following this first interview, he contacted me again. He was very sober
in his discussion, and while he did not tell me that he was ill, it was clear that he wanted
to change his life. He told me that his life had been so happy as a young convert. He
spoke of the power the Spirit brought into his life, and said that he loved sharing the
gospel. He said that he received his patriarchal blessing and that it spoke of a mission.
He said, “I was a pianist of great promise, and my professors told me that if I didn’t
continue, I would lose the momentum of my musical progress. I turned down the
opportunity of serving a mission.” He then added, “Brother Andersen, sadly, I did not
progress at all as a concert pianist from the time I turned down the opportunity to serve
a mission. Instead, I found myself more and more pulled to the feelings and a lifestyle
that I knew were wrong, but I found hard to resist. Before long, I found myself out of the
Church.” He explained his desire to repent. “I have ended my relationship. I am trying to
keep the commandments. What am I to do now?” I connected my new friend, Philippe,
with his branch president, Jean Caussé, the father of Gérald Caussé, the fifteenth
Presiding Bishop of the Church. He was a great leader and a great friend for Philippe.
On those weeks when I was in the branch, I saw that Philippe Moreau served as
pianist as the members sang the hymns. I was always happy to see him, and I could see
that he was finding joy in his efforts to return to his faith.
Sometime later, I received a call from Branch President Caussé. He said, “Would you
have time to go to the hospital with me to see Philippe? He has asked if he can see you.”
Prior to my visit to the hospital, I did not know the seriousness of Philippe’s illness.
President Caussé told me that Philippe had AIDS and was nearing the end of his life. At
that time, AIDS was very difficult to treat.
As we stood at his bedside and I held his hands in mine, his eyes were filled with
sadness and disappointment. He said to me, “Brother Andersen, I am dying. What does
this mean for me?” (He was still a young man in his twenties.) He said, “My patriarchal
blessing talks about children and grandchildren, but I will have none. What does it say
about my life after this life? What does it say about my future?” We told him the Savior
loved him and that we loved him. He asked, “When can I be rebaptized?” Having
conferred on the subject during our trip to the hospital with Branch President Caussé, I
told Philippe that should he recover well enough to be baptized, we would help him
return as a member of the Church. If he did not, we would perform those ordinances for
him in the temple.
Philippe bore his witness of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel and told us of his
desire to keep the commandments. I reminded him of the beautiful words of the Savior:
“With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”37 We prayed together,
and said our goodbyes.

While you may wish your current condition were different, do not lose hope. It
is never too late to reach out to the Savior.

Brother Philippe Moreau passed away within the next few days. His ordinances were
performed for him following his passing.
There are sad experiences that make us wish we could return to the past and relive
disappointing decisions. While you may wish your current condition were different, do
not lose hope. It is never too late to reach out to the Savior. I testify that His love, His
welcoming arms, and His eternal concern for your soul are absolute and certain.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”38
Notes
1. Luke 1:50.
2. Psalm 111:10.
3. See Bible Dictionary, “Fear.”
4. See Genesis 3:10.
5. Isaiah 41:14.
6. Deuteronomy 31:8.
7. Matthew 14:27.
8. Mark 5:36.
9. 2 Timothy 1:7.
10. 1 John 4:18.
11. Alma 7:15.
12. Moroni 8:16.
13. Doctrine and Covenants 3:7.
14. Doctrine and Covenants 6:34, 36.
15. Doctrine and Covenants 67:3, 10.
16. 1 John 4:18; see also Moroni 8:16.
17. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear,” Ensign, May 2017.
18. David A. Bednar, “Therefore They Hushed Their Fears,” Ensign, May 2015.
19. 1 John 4:19.
20. 2 Nephi 31:20.
21. Moroni 7:48.
22. Matthew 3:17; 17:5; 22 Peter 1:17; see also Mark 1:11; 33 Nephi 11:7.
23. See 1 Nephi 12:18; Proverbs 19:18; Mark 7:21–23; 11 John 2:16; Doctrine and Covenants 38:39.
24. See Matthew 22:37–39.
25. Moses 4:1.
26. Quentin L. Cook, “Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus,” Ensign, November 2016.
27. Robert Louis Stevenson, in Carla Carlisle, “A Banquet of Consequences,” Country Life, July 6,
2016, 48. Mrs. Carlisle credits Robert Louis Stevenson for the quote. Some give credit to others. As
used in Quentin L. Cook, “Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus,” Ensign, November 2016.
28. Ezra Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride,” Ensign, May 1989.
29. Ezra Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride.”
30. John 8:29.
31. John 12:43.
32. See Hebrews 12:5; Doctrine and Covenants 95:1.
33. Matthew 18:2–4.
34. 3 Nephi 11:37–38; emphasis added.
35. Mosiah 15:7.
36. Personal story; name has been changed.
37. Matthew 19:26.
38. John 11:25–26.

Chapter 13

DETOURS ON THE ROAD TO

FORGIVENESS

We have all experienced being on an important road heading toward a destination,

when suddenly, because of construction, an unfortunate accident, or severe road
conditions, we are met with a prominent sign that warns, “Detour.” We exit our
thoroughfare hoping the roads of the detour will have clear directions and will soon
bring us back to where we can successfully continue our journey and reach our desired
destination.
On one occasion, my wife Kathy and I were visiting the Saints in the city of Baguio, in
the northern Philippines. We had completed a stake conference on Sunday in the San
Fernando Stake, and with Elder and Sister Keith and Judith Edwards, we began our trip
in the afternoon expecting to arrive at the Angeles Philippines Mission home at
approximately 8:00 p.m. Knowing the sometimes adventurous experience of driving in
the Philippines, we had a capable driver for our minivan. He had long worked in the area
office and had driven these roads many times. We started on a pleasant trip through the
beautiful countryside, but after going for some time, with increases in traffic, we
determined to take a detour, thinking it would bring us to our destination much more
quickly.
Just the opposite was true. Soon it was dark and there were no lights on the road we
were traveling. The roadway was very unfamiliar, and we were reluctant to exit the
minivan for even a small rest.
Sensing danger, the driver stopped suddenly. He turned his high-beam lights on to see
the road ahead. Directly in front of us, in the middle of the road, was a huge cavern. Had
we gone just a few yards farther, our travel for the night would have ended with our van
in the large pit. There were no lights, no homes, no signs marking the dangerous hole in
the road. When we finally arrived at the Angeles mission home that night, it was 10:00
p.m. We were tired, hungry, and uncomfortable, but we were safe. The driver felt terrible
for having taken the detour. In the years that followed, we all laughed each time we
talked about the unfortunate experience. The detour had kept us from a timely arrival at
our destination and brought obstacles we never could have anticipated.
The road to forgiveness is a spiritual parkway. The prophet Jacob described it in this
way: “Come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous.
Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the
keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and
there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord
God is his name.”1
 Sometimes, as we begin our road through repentance on our way to forgiveness, we
become distracted by detours. They do not totally block our path toward forgiveness, but
they can slow it considerably. If we are not careful, the obstacles will deter us, discourage
us, and take us away from the direction we intended. Let me mention four detours we
must avoid.

Detour #1: Repentance Is the Punishment for Sin

We have no ability to pay for our own sins. Repentance is exactly the opposite of
punishment. Repentance relieves the guilt and pain and suffering caused by sin. Jesus
Christ paid for all of the sins of the world. Our repentance does not pay for one ounce of
the sins we have committed. The Atonement of Jesus Christ fulfilled all the demands of
justice perfectly, exactly. Our attention must be on Him and appreciation for His
suffering. If we worry whether we have paid back or suffered enough for our sins, it will
impede our ability to repent and feel forgiven, bringing painful discouragement with it.
A person cannot suffer for his sins, but he will suffer because of his sins. There is
always a punishment in sinning, but the punishment, the suffering, and the pain are
caused by the sin, not by the repentance. When someone has cancer and surgery is
required, it is not the surgery that is the cause of the suffering; it is the cancer. The
surgery is temporarily difficult, but the cancer is the villain, not the surgery. Sin causes
the suffering, not the repentance.

A person cannot suffer for his sins, but he will suffer because of his sins.
There is always a punishment in sinning, but the punishment, the suffering,
and the pain are caused by the sin, not by the repentance.

Repentance opens the window of light and power, allowing the Savior to pay the price
for our sin. Repentance is the way we come to the Savior, allowing Him to pay the price
for our sin and to take the punishment in our stead. Alma taught his son Corianton,
“Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment, which also
was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness,
which was as eternal also as the life of the soul. Now, how could a man repent except he
should sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there
was a punishment? Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which
brought remorse of conscience unto man.”2
There will be suffering as we realize the wrongs we have committed. President
Spencer W. Kimball taught, “If there is not pain and suffering for [or because of] our
errors there can be no repentance. The road to forgiveness is through repentance, and
the road to repentance is through suffering, and that road must be kept open. Otherwise,
the transgressions will invade and finally absorb again.”3
Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, “Suffering for sin does not by itself change
anything for the better. Only repentance leads to the sunlit uplands of a better life. And,
of course, only through repentance do we gain access to the atoning grace of Jesus Christ
and salvation.”4 The suffering does not pay for our sins.
President James E. Faust, who served in the First Presidency and as an Apostle of the
Lord Jesus Christ for twenty-eight years, called me as a stake president in Florida and
later tutored me extensively as I served with him on Church committees, and later as I
served in his beloved Brazil.
In the Sunday morning session of general conference in October 1997, President Faust
spoke about the sorrow he felt from a very simple oversight as a young boy with his
grandmother.5 He had allowed his grandmother to go to the woodpile to get the wood
rather than jumping up to help her. It had been more than seventy years since that
experience, yet he remembered it and he had suffered for it. His suffering was not in
payment for his small sin, but it was because of the guilt and pain he felt for having not
been the person he thought he should have been at that young age. He later penned these
words in his beautiful hymn entitled “This Is the Christ,” symbolically quantifying the
drops of blood—something that, of course, cannot be done, considering the trillions of
souls who have lived. “I read His words, the words He prayed while bearing sorrow in
Gethsemane. I feel His love, the price He paid. How many drops of blood were spilled for
me?”6
It is true that with repentance there is suffering, but the suffering is not a punishment
and that suffering does not pay the price for that sin. We pray that our small suffering in
repenting humbles us, softens our hearts, and deepens our understanding and gratitude
for the price borne for us by our Redeemer. Our trust must be in the Savior, Jesus Christ,
“relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.”7

Detour #2: Repentance Is a Checklist

A most egregious example of a checklist for repentance was told by Elder David A.
Bednar. He said, “When I was the president of BYU–Idaho, I spoke with a bishop and he
shared this experience. He had received a confession from a young person who said, ‘I
was involved in immorality Friday night. You are the last thing on my list. Now that I
have confessed to you, I feel great.’” Elder Bednar then explained, “That is not
repentance. It cannot really be repentance unless it involves the Redeemer even if a
person confesses. This was a confession with no regard for the Redeemer.”8 Of course,
those reading this book would never offend the process of repentance and forgiveness in
the way this young person did, but we need to be cautious about checklists.

Without including the name of Jesus Christ, the five R’s could become a
checklist void of the available spiritual power.

As children in Primary, we learned the “five R’s” of repentance9 but often did not
include the role of our Redeemer in those five R’s. Without including the name of Jesus
Christ, the five R’s could become a checklist void of the available spiritual
power.10 Speaking of the name of the Church, President Russell M. Nelson said, “When
we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for
us—even His Atonement.”11
Here is how we might include the Savior’s name in the five R’s of repentance:
• Recognize that what I have done wrong has offended Jesus
Christ.
• Feel remorse that my actions have offended God, caused
Jesus Christ to suffer, and caused suffering to God’s children.
• Resolve to change my behavior, realizing that my own
willpower is not enough. Without the help of Jesus Christ, I
am powerless to repent.
• Reform, change, repent, appealing for the grace of Jesus
Christ, His mercy, and His power to help me never repeat the
offense.
• Make restitution to those I have hurt and offended, most
importantly the Savior, who suffered the pains of all. In this
way, I am repenting.
 There is one more “R” that brings light to our perspective on how to see
repentance: Rely on the Redeemer. The five R’s come alive when they are centered in
Jesus Christ.

Detour #3: Repentance Is Merely Stopping Wrong Behavior

The third detour to forgiveness is believing that all we need to do is stop or change the
behavior. I have always admired those with the willpower and self-discipline to turn
from a bad habit or wrong behavior. But for true repentance and forgiveness, the very
difficult step of abandoning wrong behavior is not enough. President Ezra Taft Benson
said it clearly: “Even the most just and upright man cannot save himself solely on his
own merits, for . . . if it were not for [Jesus Christ] there could be no remission of sins.
“Therefore, repentance means more than simply a reformation of behavior. Many men
and women in the world demonstrate great willpower and self-discipline in overcoming
bad habits and the weaknesses of the flesh. Yet at the same time they give no thought to
the Master, sometimes even openly rejecting Him. Such changes of behavior, even if in a
positive direction, do not constitute true repentance.
“Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which sincere and meaningful
repentance must be built. If we truly seek to put away sin, we must first look to Him who
is the Author of our salvation.”12
President Joseph F. Smith taught the same principle: “Men cannot forgive their own
sins; they cannot cleanse themselves from the consequences of their sins. Men can stop
sinning and can do right in the future, and so far [as] their acts are acceptable before the
Lord [they are] worthy of consideration. But who shall repair the wrongs they have done
to themselves and to others, which it seems impossible for them to repair themselves? By
the atonement of Jesus Christ the sins of the repentant shall be washed away; though
they be crimson they shall be made white as wool [see Isaiah 1:18]. This is the promise
given to you.”13
If we think about only changing behavior, our detour will take us away from the
straight and narrow path. Our reliance must be upon the Savior Jesus Christ as we find
the power not just to turn away from sin, but to turn toward Him. Only He can bring
forgiveness. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Repentance requires both turning away from
evil and turning to God (see Deuteronomy 4:30; see also Bible Dictionary,
“Repentance”). When ‘a mighty change’ is required, full repentance involves a 180-
degree turn, and without looking back! (see Alma 5:12–13). Initially this turning reflects
progress from telestial to terrestrial behavior, and later on to celestial behavior. As the
sins of the telestial world are left behind, the focus falls ever more steadily upon the sins
of omission, which often keep us from full consecration.”14

Detour #4: Repentance Alone Saves Us

The fourth detour is related to the other three, as one believes it is repentance that
saves us. But as we have clearly explained, it is not our repentance that redeems us and
qualifies us for the gift of divine forgiveness; it is our Savior Jesus Christ. The prophet
Nephi explained it beautifully when he said, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we
can do.”15 It is not because of the things that we do. We must clearly take the steps that
change behavior. But it is not the change that saves us nor brings us forgiveness.
Through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we obtain the power to change. He is
the Giver of our forgiveness.
Remember the four detours to avoid:
• The detour of thinking that repentance is the punishment or
payment for sin in this life.
• The detour of thinking repentance is a checklist.
 • The detour of believing that stopping or changing a behavior
is all we need to do.
• The detour of thinking it is repentance alone that saves us.
As we move from the thinking of the world to the spiritual process of building our
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we realize that forgiveness comes through Him and not
through the clever substitutes that might help us but will never save us. Beware of any
detours that take you around or away from the Lord Jesus Christ. I witness that He is
“the way, the truth, and the life.”16
Notes
1. 2 Nephi 9:41.
2. Alma 42:16–18.
3. Spencer W. Kimball, “What Is True Repentance?” New Era, May 1974.
4. D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine Gift of Repentance,” Ensign, November 2011.
5. See James E. Faust, “The Weightier Matters of the Law: Judgment, Mercy, and Faith,” Ensign,
November 1997.
6. “This Is the Christ,” James E. Faust, Jan Pinborough, and Michael Finlinson Moody, 1995.
7. 2 Nephi 31:19.
8. Personal conversation with Elder David A. Bednar.
9. “The Five ‘R’s’ of Repentance,” The Instructor, February 1961, 66–67.
10. See Mosiah 3:17; 5:8.
11. Russell M. Nelson, “The Correct Name of the Church,” Ensign, November 2018.
12. Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, October 1989.
13. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith (2012), 99–100.
14. Neal A. Maxwell, “Repentance,” Ensign, November 1991.
15. 2 Nephi 25:23.
16. John 14:6.

Chapter 14

THE ROADWAY PREPARED FOR

REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS

Having discussed some of the detours that take us away from our desire for
repentance and forgiveness, we already have a glimpse of the journey we will take on the
roadway toward forgiveness.
In Third Nephi, it is amazing to see how often the resurrected Savior Jesus Christ
connected the word “repent” to the words “come unto me.”
“Repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”1
“If ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is
extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are
those who come unto me.”2
“Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I
receive . . . therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.”3
 Jesus also spoke of those who are no longer in the places of worship. He said, “Unto
such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent,
and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them.”4
Jesus speaks of the restored gospel going to the Gentiles and promises that “if they
will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized
in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they [will] be numbered
among my people.”5
He explains the power of His Atonement, and commands, “Repent, all ye ends of the
earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the
reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”6
And finally, Jesus Christ gives very specific commandments to the people to
“repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and
of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your
priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and
abominations,” and then He adds, “and come unto me, and be baptized in my name,
that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye
may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel.”7

Turning Away from Our Sins

Repentance is turning away from our sins and from the thinking of the world, and
turning toward the Savior. President Russell M. Nelson said that to repent means to turn
from, turn back, or return. Conversion means “to turn with.” Conversion is coupled with
obedience.8
In a later article, President Nelson explained the meaning of the word repent: “In
passages where the Savior calls upon people to repent, the word translated as ‘repent’ is
the Greek term metanoeo. This is a very powerful Greek verb. The prefix meta means
‘change.’ We also use that prefix in English. For example, the
word metamorphosis means ‘change in form or shape.’”
President Nelson continued, “The suffix noeo relates to a Greek word that means
‘mind.’ It also relates to another Greek word that means ‘knowledge.’ Can we begin to see
the breadth and depth of what the Lord is giving to us when He offers us the gift to
repent? He invites us to change our minds, and our knowledge.”9 In Hebrew and
Aramaic, repent means to turn, and especially to return toward God.

Repentance is turning away from our sins and from the thinking of the world,
and turning toward the Savior.

But this change is not just changing our behavior. This return is to be coupled with a
deeper faith in Christ. Elder Dale G. Renlund said, “Without the Redeemer, the inherent
hope and joy evaporate, and repentance becomes simply miserable behavior
modification.”10
We then are able to give our gift, our feeble and small gift, our gift of sacrifice to the
Savior. You remember that in olden times, there were actually burnt offerings that were
placed on the altars of the temples. After His Atonement, the Lord said that He would no
longer accept burnt offerings but asked instead that we give our “broken heart and . . .
contrite spirit.”11 When we turn to the Savior and determine to give up that part of our
life that is sinful or unworthy, or when we determine to embrace a higher and holier life
of kindness, unselfishness, and love, we are giving a gift to the Savior.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on
the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it
be consumed!”12
Turning toward the Savior
We offer our lives to Him. We change and come unto Him, and He, in return, gives us
so much more. He gives us His love, His approval—most of all, His forgiveness. It is not
an easy thing that we give, but it is an infinitely greater thing that we receive.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “The path of repentance is not easily begun nor
painlessly traveled. But the Savior of the world will walk that essential journey with you.
He will strengthen you when you waver. He will be your light when it seems most dark.
He will take your hand and be your hope when hope seems all you have left. His
compassion and mercy, with all their cleansing and healing power, are freely given to all
who truly wish complete forgiveness.”13
We must never be discouraged in this process of becoming. Sometimes we feel like we
are repeatedly struggling with the same difficulties. It is as if we are climbing a tree-
covered mountain and we can’t see our progress until we get closer to the top and look
back from the high ridges. Don’t be discouraged. If you are striving and working to
repent, you are in the process of repenting.14
Elder Gary E. Stevenson spoke of the patience needed in our becoming who the Lord
would have us become: “Along the way you will most likely stumble and fall—perhaps
many, many times. You are not perfect; falling is part of the qualifying process that
allows you to refine your character and serve in a more compassionate way. The Savior
and His infinite Atonement provide the way to overcome our mistakes through sincere
repentance.”15

A Way of Life
Repentance is not an event but a way of life, something we embrace for all of
mortality. In our desire to become more like the Savior, we never stop repenting.
Repentance requires a constant broken heart and a contrite spirit, along with daily effort
to obey the commandments, keep our covenants, and always remember Him. As we do,
we will feel His approval even in our imperfections. We will know that we are in the
process of becoming clean, that our sins are being forgiven, and that we are being
prepared to live with Him.

Repentance is not an event but a way of life, something we embrace for all of
mortality. In our desire to become more like the Savior, we never stop
repenting.

Jesus teaches these principles of repentance. In Luke, chapter 7, Jesus entered a

house in the city of Capernaum. And it says that “a woman in the city, which was a
sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an
alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash
his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and
anointed them with the ointment.”16
Now think of the symbolism of this experience. Simon, whose house Jesus was in, said
to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of
woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.”17
Jesus, reading Simon’s thoughts, gave him a parable. He said, “There was a certain
creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore,
which of them will love him most?
“Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said
unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.”18
 The Savior explained that sins, whether they be great or small, will be forgiven if a
person repents and comes unto Him. The scriptures then say that “He turned to the
woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou
gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them
with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came
in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this
woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which
are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same
loveth little.”19
The Savior is teaching that the person who comes to Him, symbolically, washing His
feet with his or her tears, tears of sorrow for past sins, coming with a broken heart and a
contrite spirit, a willingness to change, to turn, all with a faith in Christ as the One who
can forgive sin—that person will have his or her sins forgiven. The Savior knew that the
woman would return to God by changing her life as well, coming humbly to the throne of
God.
As Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “Go, and sin no more.” He knew the
woman’s real intent, as the scripture reads that “the woman glorified God from that
hour, and believed on his name.”20
Forgiveness requires repenting of our sins and at the same time growing and
strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ. As we repent and come unto Him, we are on the
road to forgiveness.
In my own efforts to repent, I learned long ago that the first thing I must do is be on
my knees acknowledging my errors to the Lord. I learned that having faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ allows me to better understand His sacrifice for me and the sadness my sins
have brought Him. As I come to love Him more completely, being so thankful for His
love for me, and the amazing gift of His Father to send and sacrifice His Son for me, I
find the strength and courage to turn from the things that keep me from being more like
Him. I treasure the Savior’s precious words: “Repent and come unto me.”21 I humbly
confirm that these words are for you as well. Five simple words He speaks to me and
you; not always so simple for us to do, yet forever worthy of our greatest efforts. “Repent
and come unto me.”22 This is our journey toward forgiveness.
Notes
1. 3 Nephi 12:19; emphasis added.
2. 3 Nephi 9:14; emphasis added.
3. 3 Nephi 9:22; emphasis added.
4. 3 Nephi 18:32; emphasis added.
5. 3 Nephi 21:6; emphasis added.
6. 3 Nephi 27:20; emphasis added.
7. 3 Nephi 30:2; emphasis added.
8. See Russell M. Nelson, “Jesus Christ—the Master Healer,” Ensign, November 2005.
9. Russell M. Nelson, “The Savior’s Four Gifts of Joy,” New Era, December 2019, 4.
10. Dale G. Renlund, “Repentance: A Joyful Choice,” Ensign, November 2016.
11. 3 Nephi 9:20.
12. Neal A. Maxwell, “Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness,” Ensign, May 1995.
13. Jeffrey R. Holland, “Personal Purity,” Ensign, November 1998.
14. Neil L. Andersen, “Repent . . . That I May Heal You,” Ensign, November 2009.
15. Gary E. Stevenson, “Your Priesthood Playbook,” Ensign, May 2019.
16. Luke 7:37–38.
17. Luke 7:39.
18. Luke 7:41–43.
19. Luke 7:44–47.
20. JST John 8:11.
21. 3 Nephi 21:6.
22. 3 Nephi 18:32.
 Chapter 15

THREE BELOVED FRIENDS WE MEET

EARLY ON THE JOURNEY TO
FORGIVENESS

Several times in the Restoration scriptures the Lord speaks of the “conditions of
repentance.”
In some scriptures, the “conditions” seem to refer to the repentance itself, meaning
that the elements of repentance are so essential that without repentance the entire plan
of redemption would be frustrated. Here is an example:
“Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about,
only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory
state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect.”1
In other scriptures, the “conditions of repentance” seem to refer to those qualities that
are at the foundation of repentance, those prerequisites and circumstances indispensable
to bringing about repentance. To a certain extent, embracing the process of repentance is
contingent upon having these qualities.
“And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on
conditions of repentance.”2
There are three beloved friends that help bring about the prerequisites and
indispensable circumstances that are preparatory conditions of repentance for those
making their journey toward forgiveness: a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and godly
sorrow.
Here are the definitions I would give these cherished friends.
Broken heart: To be humble, repentant, and meek, eagerly receptive to the will of
God.
Contrite spirit: To put one’s own interests in the hands of God.
Godly sorrow: To feel profound sadness and remorse for behavior that added pain
and suffering to the Savior, as our soul removes any denial or excuse.
Let me explain how they come to join the repentant.
A human being seeking to know the purposes of life begins to discover that he or she
is a beloved spirit son or daughter of Heavenly Parents, endowed with a divine nature
and destiny. Our Father, who created us in His image, presented a plan in which we
could obtain a physical body, gain earthly experience, and, with righteous choices, return
to our heavenly home much more like our Heavenly Father than when we left.3
This earth life would not be a time of absolute perfection, but a time of choosing good
over evil, of learning by experience and the power of our spirits to trust in God, follow
Him, and build our faith in Him. It would be a probationary state where we would make
mistakes.
Sin would be in mortality with us and would keep us from returning to our Heavenly
Father, except for the most glorious part of the plan, created to rescue us from sin. Our
Savior Jesus Christ, the greatest of all, would, through His sinless life, His suffering and
sacrifice, pay for our mistakes and sins, conditioned upon our willingness to accept Him
and repent of our sins. By understanding and embracing His Atonement, we participate
in the “conditions of repentance.” It is in the spiritual understanding of His Atonement
that we begin to see His infinite love, His mercy, and the incomparable blessing to us of
our returning to our heavenly home. It is then that we meet the first two beloved friends
on our journey to repentance: a broken heart and a contrite spirit. These two friends
come because of our striking realization that without Him, we have nothing. We are
nothing. It is He who opens all eternal possibilities to us.
Perhaps the greatest awakening of this life to a spiritually sensitive son or daughter of
God is the uniquely personal realization that Jesus Christ’s payment for sin is very real
and that His suffering is not just for everyone else—but also for you and me! Here our
third friend, godly sorrow, joins us. As we spiritually understand that He has suffered for
our sins, we feel sadness for our part of His pain. We realize that it is part of the plan of
our Father, but we are overwhelmed with the gift He is offering to us. This wonder, this
appreciation, this adoration of a Savior who has done this for us, takes us to our knees as
our spirit is filled with godly sorrow, embracing the feeling of a broken heart and a
contrite spirit. With these three friends, we pursue our journey of repentance.

A Broken Heart, a Contrite Spirit

“Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all
those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of
the law be answered.”4
Following His Resurrection, the Savior visited the western hemisphere. In His
teaching to His disciples here, the Savior described what offering they were to make:
“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso
cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and
with the Holy Ghost . . . Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto
the world, to save the world from sin. Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me
as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I
have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me
ye ends of the earth, and be saved.”5
The Lord explains that all those who desire to be baptized are to follow this pattern:
“All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth
with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have
truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus
Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works
that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be
received by baptism into his church.”6
The Lord has told us that if we will come forward with a broken heart and a contrite
spirit, He will not just repair our heart and cleanse our spirit: He will give us a new heart.
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take
away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put
my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.”7

The Lord has told us that if we will come forward with a broken heart and a
contrite spirit, He will not just repair our heart and cleanse our spirit: He will
give us a new heart.

These beloved friends, a broken heart and a contrite spirit, are not one-time visitors,
but continual friends during our mortal experience, providing eternal gratitude to our
Savior for liberating us from the bonds of sin and death. We realize that our Savior was
not only willing to suffer for us, but He suffered because of us and He suffered to save us.
It becomes central to how we see our daily life and our purposes here upon the earth.
A missionary had not been honest with his bishop and stake president. He had
downplayed the seriousness of his sins, but at the Missionary Training Center his heart
was touched by the things he heard. He knew he could no longer live a lie. After
confessing his sins, it was determined that his mission would need to be delayed. In an
interview before the missionary returned home, his MTC branch president sensed that
the missionary was more concerned about going home than he was sorry for his sins. He
told the young elder that he would never be able to return and continue his mission until
he experienced a “broken heart and a contrite spirit.”
The missionary humbly asked, “President, how can I break my own heart?”
It was an honest question. The branch president responded, “Elder, when you come to
understand the price that was paid and the sacrifice that was made by Jesus Christ
because of your sins, your heart will break and your spirit will be very contrite.”
When the missionary returned to the MTC many months later, the branch president
rejoiced to see the change in the young man, even the change in his countenance. When
his priesthood leader inquired what had made the difference, the elder explained that
in studying the Book of Mormon, rather than only reading it, he began to understand
the Atonement of Jesus Christ. His heart was broken, his spirit contrite. Repentance
became a joy, and forgiveness flowed into his life.

Godly Sorrow
Realizing our total dependence upon our Savior, and knowing that our personal sins
added to His suffering and pain, brings a deep and earnest sorrow. Godly sorrow is
becoming our friend. The Apostle Paul told of these most benevolent feelings leading to
repentance: “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to
repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner . . . For godly sorrow worketh
repentance to salvation . . . but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”8
President Ezra Taft Benson explained, “It is not uncommon to find men and women in
the world who feel remorse for the things they do wrong. Sometimes this is because their
actions cause them or loved ones great sorrow and misery. Sometimes their sorrow is
caused because they are caught and punished for their actions. Such worldly feelings do
not constitute ‘godly sorrow’ (2 Corinthians 7:10).
“Godly sorrow is a gift of the Spirit. It is a deep realization that our actions have
offended our Father and our God. It is the sharp and deep awareness that our behavior
caused the Savior, He who knew no sin, even the greatest of all, to endure agony and
suffering. Our sins caused Him to bleed at every pore. This very real mental and spiritual
anguish is what the scriptures refer to as having ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit’
(D&C 20:37). Such a spirit is the absolute prerequisite for true repentance.”9
The three friends—a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and godly sorrow—together wrap
their arms around us and lead us toward repentance and forgiveness.
Remember, to have a broken heart is to be humble, repentant, and meek, eagerly
receptive to the will of God.10 A contrite spirit puts one’s own interests in the hands of
God, believing that His will, not our own, will help us become who we should become.
The Savior is our exemplar. “Even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, . . . the will of
the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.”11 Godly sorrow begins with
recognizing wrong in our lives. As the prodigal son who “came to himself,”12 our soul fills
with sadness and remorse as we remove any denial or excuse, and without hypocrisy
desire to make our way toward repentance and forgiveness.
Elder Bruce D. Porter, serving as a General Authority Seventy, summarized how the
three preparation qualities for repentance bless our lives: “When we sin and desire
forgiveness, a broken heart and a contrite spirit mean to experience ‘godly sorrow [that]
worketh repentance’ (2 Corinthians 7:10). This comes when our desire to be cleansed
from sin is so consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace
with our Father in Heaven. Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are
willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or
resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead. In
such a condition of submissiveness, the Atonement [of Jesus Christ] can take effect and
true repentance can occur. The penitent will then experience the sanctifying power of the
Holy Ghost, which will fill them with peace of conscience and the joy of reconciliation
with God. In a wondrous union of divine attributes, the same God who teaches us to walk
with a broken heart invites us to rejoice and to be of good cheer.”13

Remember, to have a broken heart is to be humble, repentant, and meek,

eagerly receptive to the will of God.

A New Convert
The following true story is an example of our three beloved friends blessing a woman
who desired forgiveness. I met her many years ago when I served as the mission
president in Bordeaux, France. The missionaries had been teaching her about the gospel
and she had accepted baptism. On the day of her baptismal interview, she honestly
acknowledged to the missionary that years before, she had chosen to have an abortion.
This acknowledgment required that as the mission president, I would need to interview
her to be certain that she was repentant and had forsaken this serious transgression.
I could see that the sister had humbly prepared for baptism. We spoke of the Savior
and the power of His Atonement. When she spoke to me of her abortion of many years in
the past, she genuinely expressed regret and acknowledged that she was learning things
she did not understand when she was younger. She had received a witness of the Spirit
that the restored gospel was true and had repented of her sins. I felt that she was
prepared for baptism. As I left the interview, I was grateful for her goodness. I felt
assured that she would never consider an abortion in the future, but I remember
thinking that her understanding was limited. She was baptized a member of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
About a year later, I received a phone call from this wonderful sister. She had moved
to the north of France. She had attended sacrament meeting weekly, been diligent in
keeping the commandments, and internalized the principles of the restored gospel of
Jesus Christ. Her love for the Savior had grown, and in this process of drawing closer to
God, she was taught by the Holy Ghost.
On the phone, she began to sob. I wondered if something serious had happened to her
or to her family. Then, through her tears, she said something I will never forget.
“President Andersen,” she said, “do you remember my baptismal interview? I told you
about an abortion from years before. I felt sorry for what I had done. But the past year
has changed me. I have truly felt a deep and piercing sorrow for what I did. How could I
have done such a thing? How could I be so spiritually insensitive? My heart has been
turned to the Savior, and I have contemplated His suffering for me. I am so pained by
the seriousness of my sin that I have no way to restore.” Her voice was filled with
emotion and honesty.
That day in France, I felt the Lord’s immense love for a woman with a broken heart
and a contrite spirit. Her spirit was replete with godly sorrow. She loved the Savior, and
her heart had been changed. In changing, she had come to feel her love for Him more
deeply than ever before. President Boyd K. Packer said, “Restoring what you cannot
restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot
fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ. When your desire is firm and you are
willing to pay the ‘uttermost farthing,’ (Matthew 5:25–26) the law of restitution is
suspended. Your obligation is transferred to the Lord. He will settle your accounts.”14
I assured her of the Savior’s love, and rejoiced in knowing this humble daughter of
God.
Can you see how the Lord blessed this righteous sister following her baptism? The
Lord not only lifted the sin from her; He strengthened and refined her spirit.
President Dallin H. Oaks explains: “Why is it necessary for us to suffer on the way to
repentance for serious transgressions? We tend to think of the results of repentance as
simply cleansing us from sin, but that is an incomplete view of the matter. A person who
sins is like a tree that bends easily in the wind. On a windy and rainy day, the tree bends
so deeply against the ground that the leaves become soiled with mud, like sin. If we focus
only on cleaning the leaves, the weakness in the tree that allowed it to bend and soil its
leaves may remain. Similarly, a person who is merely sorry to be soiled by sin will sin
again in the next high wind. The susceptibility to repetition continues until the tree has
been strengthened.
“When a person has gone through the process that results in what the scriptures call ‘a
broken heart and a contrite spirit,’ the Savior does more than cleanse that person from
sin. He gives him or her new strength. That strengthening is essential for us to realize the
purpose of the cleansing, which is to return to our Heavenly Father. To be admitted to
His presence, we must be more than clean. We must also be changed from a morally
weak person who has sinned into a strong person with the spiritual stature to dwell in
the presence of God.”15
Godly sorrow brings something very different to a repentant soul than worldly sorrow.
It is one of God’s “conditions of repentance.”
What is godly sorrow? You have to make that discovery for yourself. When you
humbly get to that point, you will feel it and you will know. It will be genuine. The
feelings may come when you least expect them after struggling to be humble and
recognizing God’s love for you and your increasing love for Him. But you will know when
it happens. You will feel it in yourself, and you will be different than you were before.

A Young Woman Preparing for Marriage

There was a short video produced to accompany the New Testament seminary
curriculum many years ago. It was entitled “Godly Sorrow Leads to Repentance.” You
can find it at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The words below are excerpts from a transcript of
the short video, but the video is much more powerful when you watch it. You see the
spiritual transformation of Kim as she discovers the difference between worldly sorrow
and godly sorrow.
The first scene is a discussion in the bishop’s office between Kim and her bishop.
BISHOP: This is an exciting time in your life, Kim. I remember it was in mine. So
how do you feel?
KIM: Well, I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. Sometimes I can’t believe
it’s actually happening. My mom is so excited. I’m the last [child to marry], you
know.
BISHOP: I’ve been hearing a lot about this young man—returned missionary, good
student, wants nothing better than to take a certain young lady to the temple.
KIM: Matt wouldn’t have it any other way. A temple marriage is what I want too.
BISHOP: A temple marriage is a very important step, Kim.
Kim and the bishop speak about a number of subjects, with the bishop asking if there
is anything else that she needs to discuss.
BISHOP: Is there anything in your life, Kim, that hasn’t been resolved with the
proper priesthood authority?
 KIM: Well, before Matt returned from his mission, I was involved with another boy.
We probably spent a little too much time together alone.
BISHOP: Go on.
KIM: I guess things sort of got out of hand.
BISHOP: Kim, I know how hard it is to talk about things like this, but I need to know
how serious the problem was if I’m going to help resolve it.
Without showing the entire interview, the video conveys that Kim tells the bishop of
serious sins that have been committed.
KIM: Yeah, but I’m not involved with that guy anymore. It’s not a problem now.
BISHOP: True repentance is not merely the stopping of something we know is wrong.
It’s much more involved.
KIM: But it’s different between Matt and me. I really love him, Bishop. I’ve never felt
this way about anyone before. I can’t have a temple recommend? But the wedding is
coming up. The announcements have been sent out. My dress is paid for.
BISHOP: Oh, Kim. I think it would be a great mistake to go to the temple without
resolving this problem.
KIM: What can I say to Matt? How can I tell my parents?
BISHOP: Tell them that you and I and the Lord need a little more time to work this
out. You see, Kim, you have been so caught up with the social consequences of your
mistakes and the worldly sorrow that they bring that you haven’t left any room to
consider the eternal consequences.
KIM: What do you mean?
BISHOP: You haven’t fully repented.
KIM: But I’m not involved with that guy anymore, and I’m coming to you now.
BISHOP: Let me see if I can help you understand. Right now, what is your biggest
concern?
KIM: How can I face everyone?
BISHOP: Well, shouldn’t the question be, how can I face the Lord? You’ve been
feeling worldly sorrow for your sins. What you should be feeling is godly sorrow. I
think it begins with our ability to see our sins as He sees them, not as we see them.
Godly sorrow is a deep realization that our actions have offended our Father in
Heaven.
KIM: So I can’t go to the temple?
BISHOP: Part of what we’ve been talking about here is being worthy to go. And I
want to help you clear this up so you can. [With great concern, he goes on.] What
you should be feeling, Kim, is an awareness that your actions caused the Savior to
endure agony and suffering. Godly sorrow is not meant to be a punishment, Kim.
It’s a purposeful thing, a gift of the Spirit, a feeling of sorrow that precedes true
repentance.
KIM: I don’t think I understand.
BISHOP: Well, in addition to repentance helping us to correct our mistakes, it’s a way
of our renewing our ties with God and healing our relationship with Him.
Some time later, after Kim has truly come to understand the Savior’s Atonement, the
power of repentance, and the beautiful feeling of complete forgiveness, Matt and Kim are
seen speaking to each other.
 KIM TO MATT: You know, when I went in for my interview with Bishop Maxwell, I
almost didn’t say anything. It would have been so easy. But it’s incredible. I’ve
never felt happier before.
MATT: What about the pain?
KIM: It’s gone.

A broken heart, a contrite spirit, and sorrow after a godly manner allow us to
begin to feel the power of our Savior’s marvelous bestowal of mercy.

I affirm once again that forgiveness is available to each daughter and each son of God.
I know this is true. The Lord has set forth the conditions for us receiving this divine gift.
A broken heart, a contrite spirit, and sorrow after a godly manner allow us to begin to
feel the power of our Savior’s marvelous bestowal of mercy. We cannot dictate the Lord’s
timetable. We feel the weight of our sins, we plead for His grace, and then revelation and
understanding are given to us as the Lord determines when and how He will heal our
soul.
Notes
1. Alma 42:13.
2. Doctrine and Covenants 18:12.
3. See “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, November 2010.
4. 2 Nephi 2:7.
5. 3 Nephi 9:20–22.
6. Doctrine and Covenants 20:37.
7. Ezekiel 36:26–27.
8. 2 Corinthians 7:9–10.
9. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson (2014), 82–83.
10. See Guide to the Scriptures.
11. Mosiah 15:7.
12. Luke 15:17.
13. Bruce D. Porter, “A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit,” Ensign, November 2007.
14. Boyd K. Packer, “The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,” Ensign, November 1995.
15. Dallin H. Oaks, “The Atonement and Faith,” Ensign, April 2010.

Chapter 16

PREPARING TO SERVE

Fifty years before the writing of these words, I was preparing to serve as a full-time
missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Having begun my
mission on October 24, 1970, and following language training, I arrived in Paris, France,
on the twenty-ninth of December.
Since my call to serve as a young missionary, more than 1,300,000 missionaries have
been called and set apart to bear witness of the Savior, Jesus Christ, throughout the
world, to share the message of His restored gospel, and to gather Israel in preparation
for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This is the greatest cause upon the face of the
earth. The Lord told John Whitmer, an early missionary, “And now, behold, I say unto
you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance
unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the
kingdom of my Father.”1
Although the world has changed dramatically in the past fifty years, your preparation
for your mission is probably quite similar to my preparation.
The Lord provided the qualifications for missionaries:
“Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your
heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For behold the field is
white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same
layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; And faith,
hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness,
charity, humility, diligence. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you.”2
Like so many others who have prepared to serve, I wanted to strengthen my faith in
the Savior, to refine my spirit, and to be even more careful in my behavior, my language,
and my thoughts so that I could truly be the Lord’s representative. I was even more
discerning about how I used my free time and more sensitive in my choice of friends. I
remember reading and studying the Book of Mormon much more intently and praying
more sincerely. I consciously wanted my mind and heart to be right before the Lord as I
began His sacred work.
No different than others, I also needed to work to earn sufficient money for my
mission. My nineteenth birthday (then the required missionary age for elders) was early
in August, but I did not leave until late October because I needed to work through the
end of the Idaho potato harvest and save every dollar possible.
Even with our very best efforts to prepare, a missionary rarely feels totally capable and
ready. In 2008, I spoke in general conference of my insecurity and concern: “As I
contemplated the challenge of a mission, I felt very inadequate and unprepared. I
remember praying, ‘Heavenly Father, how can I serve a mission when I know so little?’ I
believed in the [Savior and in His] Church, but I felt my spiritual knowledge was very
limited. As I prayed, the feeling came: ‘You don’t know everything, but you know
enough!’ That reassurance gave me the courage to take the next step into the mission
field.”3
In all of your preparation for this sacred responsibility to be a servant of Jesus Christ,
a most crucial and essential matter for a missionary is to be worthy and clean before the
Lord. The Apostle Paul said: “The Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel
should live the gospel.”4 In our dispensation, the Lord said: “Be ye clean that bear the
vessels of the Lord.”5
You will be on the Lord’s errand every day and every waking hour. You will need the
gift of the Holy Ghost to always be with you,6 to guide you, protect you, and bring to your
mind the words you should speak.7 You will be teaching others about increasing their
faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, helping them to repent and
prepare for baptism, and sharing your testimony of how the Savior’s Atonement can lift
the burden of sin and sorrow from their lives.

Every Missionary Needs to Be Worthy

Of course, no missionary is perfect, but every missionary needs to be worthy.
Worthiness is a vital—an absolutely necessary—quality in being the Lord’s instrument in
sharing these eternal truths.
 Of course, no missionary is perfect, but every missionary needs to be worthy.

To be worthy, all of us need to bolster our inner spiritual qualities while continuing on
the path of keeping the commandments. For some, resolute and deliberate efforts will
need to be made to repent for more serious sins, to become worthy, and to obtain the
pathway to forgiveness. “Sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your
hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean.”8
Remember the Lord’s promise to those who seek forgiveness: “Behold, he who has
repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.”9
Without the worthiness the Savior requires, a missionary will not only be less effective
as the Lord’s instrument, but also, the guilt of unrepented sins, the personal
disappointment of not being honest with the Lord and priesthood leaders, and the
insecurity of trying to work without the confidence of having the Holy Ghost will be a
constant weight and burden. Your prayers to your Heavenly Father will feel constrained,
and your testimony of the Savior will not have the power you need.
We all require the strength and power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement in our daily
repentance as we prepare for a mission. There are, however, some sins of such
seriousness that you will also need the support and guidance of your parents, your
bishop, and your stake president to help you become worthy and ready to serve.
Prior to receiving a mission call from the Lord through His prophet, each prospective
missionary will have important conversations and interviews with his or her bishop, who
has been given priesthood keys to be a judge and counselor in Israel.
I recommend that you read Alma 5:6, 14–19 carefully and answer the questions Alma
asks in preparation for your discussions with your bishop.
These visits with your bishop will focus on the Savior, Jesus Christ, His holy work,
your testimony of Him, and your desire to serve Him with all your heart, might, mind,
and strength. Your bishop will also discuss your worthiness to serve as the Lord’s servant
and representative.
Most young men and women preparing for a mission are aware of those things that
need to be shared with the bishop to assure that repentance and the seeds of forgiveness
precede a mission.
If you are unsure of or have a question about your worthiness or the gravity of your
mistakes, share your concerns with your bishop in humility and honesty. Honesty is at
the heart of spirituality. Have the courage and trust in God to freely share the things in
your life that have not been in keeping with the commandments of God.

Honesty is at the heart of spirituality. Have the courage and trust in God to
freely share the things in your life that have not been in keeping with the
commandments of God.

For those who are beginning the solemn yet liberating road of repentance, I give you
my assurance that your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, whom you seek to serve,
will strengthen you in having the humility and courage to share the complete truth, in
overcoming your fears of disappointing others, and in accepting the time it may take to
complete your repentance. The Lord loves you! He is eager to forgive you. He rejoices at
your desire to repent and come unto Him. He will help you to be worthy as you enter
your service as a missionary.
He said to the people of ancient Israel, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not
dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”10
 With the help of your priesthood leaders, you will want to do all you can to become
worthy to serve. Your worthiness will be determined by the prayerful consideration of
your bishop and stake president.11
Even after becoming worthy, a missionary may not feel completely forgiven upon
entering his or her assigned mission. Forgiveness is determined by the Lord, and being
totally forgiven may need the added time and diligence of missionary service. Your
sacrifice in serving the Lord full-time will draw you closer to your Heavenly Father, to
the Savior, and to the influence of the Holy Ghost. It will increase your faith in Christ and
your spiritual understanding of His Atonement, and it will bless you in your desire to feel
totally and completely forgiven.
I promise you that the Lord will strengthen you as you turn to Him. He will help you
receive His divine gift of forgiveness.
For those needing to repent from more serious sins, I am including excerpts from two
letters. The first letter comes from a bishop as he helped a young man who needed to
repent and become worthy before his mission.

A Letter from a Bishop

One of the most rewarding experiences of serving as a bishop comes through the
exercise of priesthood keys with the spirit of discernment and receiving a confirmation
from the Spirit that a prospective missionary . . . is sufficiently worthy and prepared to
be recommended for missionary service.
While ultimately rewarding, [this work] can also be . . . challenging and frustrating,
as unresolved issues of worthiness and preparation arise, particularly when working
through such issues [with a young man or young woman who] is extremely anxious to
commence missionary service, coupled with the . . . expectations of parents, extended
family, and [others] who are equally desirous. . . .
I have found that it is relatively easy to determine when someone is not ready for
recommendation for missionary service; however, the more challenging . . . question is
how or when do I know that worthiness issues have been sufficiently resolved with an
accompanying change of heart. . . .
One Sunday, a young man . . . excitedly shared with me that after prayerful
consideration, he had decided he was now ready to serve a mission and wanted to talk
to me about the next step. . . . [He wanted to] proceed immediately with his mission
application [and] commence missionary service as quickly as possible.
I gave him a copy of the Standard Interview Questions for Prospective Missionaries
issued by the First Presidency . . . and asked him to review all the materials in
preparation for an in-depth interview and discussion, which we agreed to conduct the
following Sunday. . . .
The following Sunday, I met with the young man as planned. At the start of the
interview, I asked him to kneel with me in prayer and asked him to offer the prayer and
requested that he specifically ask for the Spirit to guide him to be truthful and honest
with me during our discussion and for the Spirit to bless me with the gift of
discernment. Following the prayer, he volunteered that he needed to share with me
some issues as to his worthiness. . . . After sharing the details of the transgressions,
which were not serious enough to involve any formal discipline, he also shared he had
been praying for forgiveness for several weeks and had discussed his transgressions
and worthiness issues with his parents and solicited their help. He also reported that he
had [worked] to get away from the bad influences in his life and felt that he was now
past those issues and temptations and ready to proceed with his missionary
application.
So there would be clarity in our discussion, we read and discussed the materials in
the Appendix to the Standard Interview Questions and I encouraged him to be
thorough and honest with the Lord so as to be unencumbered as he prepared
spiritually for the temple and missionary service. With a more complete understanding,
the materials led to a discussion and confession of additional issues and details he had
not previously confessed.
My role as a bishop in facilitating his repentance then commenced [with] a candid
and meaningful discussion regarding repentance, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and
the plan of salvation. We read together Mosiah, chapter 5, and discussed the mighty
change of heart experienced by the people. [We talked about their having] no more
disposition to do evil but to do good continually, and [we] explored and pondered
together what led to such mighty change of heart and how he might experience it.
[In preparation for our next meeting,] I asked him to read Mosiah, chapters 1
through 5, and to further search and ponder repentance, the Atonement, and what he
could do to experience such a change of heart, which was a fruit of repentance and
forgiveness. . . .
During our next meeting, I inquired as to what he had learned from his scripture
study and invited him to share his testimony of Jesus Christ and His role as his Savior
and Redeemer. His response was [lacking the] earnest pondering, learning, insight, or
spiritual power [I had hoped to feel]. It was clear there was some work to do before he
could be recommended for a mission.
We reviewed the teachings of King Benjamin regarding the Atonement of Jesus
Christ and the effect of a heartfelt belief in such teachings such that the people prayed
and cried aloud:
“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 . . . And it came to pass . . . 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” (Mosiah
4:2–3).
As we discussed this scripture, a spiritual awakening commenced, and he began to
find words to explain what he was learning and its relevance to him. [He] began to see
the connection between his own prayers for forgiveness and . . . his . . . understanding
of, and faith in, the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
I shared my testimony of Christ with him, and then we read the words together of
the hymn I Stand All Amazed, which caused us both to weep with gratitude and joy:
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
that for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!12
After reading all three verses, I shared with him that this hymn expresses much of
the joy I feel as I think about the Savior and is an example of the song of redeeming
love spoken of in Alma 5:26. . . .
As I have studied and pondered the question of what evidence or hallmarks I should
be looking for in someone who has experienced forgiveness and the mighty change of
heart, I have identified the following characteristics outlined in Mosiah 3:19:
• Putteth off the natural man—abstains from further sin
• Yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit
• Repents and becomes a Saint through the Atonement of Jesus
Christ
• Becomes meek
• Becomes humble
• Becomes full of love
 • Becomes willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit
to inflict
Alma also teaches of the mighty change of heart and outlines the following
characteristics in Alma 5:7–30:
• A spiritual awakening from darkness into the light of the
everlasting word
• Trust in God
• Faith in Christ and the redemption
• Keeping yourself blameless before God
• [Becoming] humble
• Stripped of pride
• Stripped of envy
• No mocking or persecuting others (i.e., loving your neighbor)
• Following the counsel of the prophet
Throughout the course of working with this young man, we spoke about these
characteristics. Seeing evidence of such characteristics in his life helped [me] to
recognize and know when he [was experiencing] the mighty change of heart—the fruit
of genuine repentance and forgiveness. For me there was a quiet, discerning guidance
of the Spirit that confirmed this young man’s worthiness and ability to serve.
It was a humbling and joyous experience to watch this young man receive
forgiveness and experience a mighty change of heart. It was slow . . . at first as it was
difficult for him to . . . shift his focus away from . . . his concern about my inability to
tell him exactly how much time it was going to take to obtain my recommendation, and
he expressed frustration that what he had done was not as big a deal as others whom he
knew . . . who had similar worthiness issues but had already received their calls. . . . I
shared with him my deep desire for him to serve a mission too but that I wanted . . .
him to enter the mission field with confidence in his worthiness. . . .
[Initially,] there was little to no follow-through on things he was asked to do. . . .
However, as he . . . began to [do] the spiritual work [required for] gaining his own
testimony of Jesus Christ and the doctrines of the gospel, . . . his change of heart began
to happen and happened quickly. His individual scripture study became revelatory
experiences, his testimony of the Savior took on the depth and power befitting of a
missionary called to be a representative of Jesus Christ. His attitude in our interviews
changed to one who was meek, humble, and stripped of pride.
As he prayed for forgiveness, he reached a point where he finally felt forgiven and
beautifully expressed the peace and joy he was now feeling as a result. [One evening,
as] we knelt together and [as we each prayed,] we both received a sweet confirmation
from the Spirit that he was worthy and prepared to serve. I was at peace with
recommending him for service. . . .
Shortly after the missionary application was submitted, the young man received his
call. [He] spoke in sacrament meeting . . . before reporting for his mission [and] taught
and bore witness of the Savior and the Atonement of Jesus Christ with power and
authority and with the song of redeeming joy. “Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.”13
The young man in this story has since served the Lord as a full-time missionary with
power and devotion.

The letter that follows is from a missionary, written more than ten years ago. When he
met with his bishop and stake president prior to his mission, he did not completely
acknowledge his situation. After beginning his mission, it was necessary for him to
return home to fully repent and be forgiven. This letter was written prior to receiving
permission to return to his mission. In speaking recently with this righteous man, he told
me of how this period of seeking forgiveness from the Savior established the foundation
for his mission, his future marriage, and his lifelong discipleship.

A Letter from a Missionary

I went on my mission unworthily and took the sacredness of this calling for granted.
But I want to serve the Lord. I am so grateful for what I have learned and felt and for
the great change which has taken place in me . . . I have come to know my Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ and I want so badly to do Their will. . . . It’s amazing how
Christ not only lifted the weight of my sin but, through the power of His Atonement, He
has changed the way I think, how I feel, and how I act. He has entirely changed who I
was and helped me to find who I am. I am a child of God. I never want to lose my
Father’s trust ever again. Jesus Christ has blessed me with so much and only asks my
obedience in return. He has suffered for our sins. I will obey and keep His
commandments. I will do His will. I know He lives.
I was on my mission when my awakening began. I had broken the law of chastity
before I sent in my papers and had cheated my way onto my mission. On my mission I
began to feel the workings of the Spirit in me. I felt the weight of my sins and I could
not get rid of them. I tried to justify them by telling myself that I had done enough, that
I didn’t have to confess them. I had forsaken my sins. . . .
I tried to distract myself with the work, but . . . I was a hypocrite. I tried to teach
about Christ’s Atonement but refused to use it in my own life. I prayed and fasted and
studied. . . . Sadly, I was too scared to face the consequences of possibly being sent
home. I would push my thoughts aside or try to rationalize them, but soon my sins
were the only things I could think about. I longed for relief. I had awakened to my guilt
and knew I needed to confess. The consequence didn’t matter anymore. I knew my
Savior had died for my sins and I knew what He wanted me to do. So, I called my
mission president.
The confession was extremely hard. After my . . . [phone] call to the mission
president there was a time before I would actually meet with him. The Spirit began to
work on me further. . . . The weight at times did not just affect me spiritually and
mentally but it became unbearable physically too. I wanted to hide from the Lord. My
guilt was stifling, dark, and constricting. As I fasted and prayed for relief, . . . I prayed
for His help to ease the burden of sin. I was strengthened, able to carry it better, but the
pain did not go away.
My mission president worked with love, patience, and inspiration until finally I had
confessed everything. Satan worked hard to cloud my mind and keep me from
confessing. I still remember the feeling when I was finally able to confess everything. I
suddenly felt light. I had become so accustomed to the dark presence of my sins that I
had forgotten what the Spirit truly felt like. I hadn’t truly been able to feel the Spirit for
a long time. I felt that I had been lifted out of a very dark place to a new light, and I
knew that it was by the power of Christ’s Atonement. I will never forget that feeling. It
witnesses to me that Christ truly did die for my sins, and I know the importance of not
just forsaking your sins, but confessing them also. I felt my burdens lifted from my
shoulders at that very moment. I still was getting sent home and had other worries but
the weight of my sins REALLY WAS GONE. I cried and cried. I felt so good. My other
worries didn’t even matter anymore. . . . I was at a higher level than anything I had ever
expected. I had done what the Lord wanted me to do.
I didn’t realize it would be, but coming home was, in a different way, even harder
than the confession. I had wonderful leaders to guide and direct me. We learned and
grew and set goals and guidelines. But I still felt confused, embarrassed, afraid, and
incredibly empty. I felt empty because, as it says in The Miracle of Forgiveness, “The
things that engaged him and caught his fancy and occupied his thoughts are gone and
better substitutions have not yet filled the void.” I did not have my mission anymore to
occupy my thoughts, so I had to learn to live a new life. My old sinful thoughts, habits,
tendencies, and ways of life were truly taken from me. It still is miraculous to me how
this has happened. I am so grateful for this fresh start, and I’m grateful for the Spirit
which guided me through this delicate time. I would not have made it if I had not
listened to and felt the comforting presence of the Holy Ghost. It helped me to feel that
I was not alone and that everything would be all right if I sought heavenly assistance.
To fill the void, I turned to my Heavenly Father. With the Spirit, praying felt
different, and I had to get used to it just like everything else. I began to build my
relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I knew that I had to change my
heart and my entire life, but I wasn’t sure exactly how that was supposed to happen. My
leaders were here for me but even they couldn’t change my heart. It was only the power
of God and the Savior’s Atonement that could do this.
My prayers began to change, the Holy Ghost worked on me, and I became
enthusiastic about the gospel. I fell into a pattern of reading and study. It was like
reading my scriptures for the first time. I’ve had a lot of “Firsts” since I’ve been home. I
had never read my Book of Mormon with the Holy Ghost like that before! I was able to
actually feel the words. I love how they preach of Christ so much. Christ has become my
anchor. I am so grateful for His sacrifice. I want to know my Savior, and this is what the
Book of Mormon is designed to do. It is the testimonies of the prophets and their
teachings that truly help us to feel. I have learned, through their examples and words,
how to live the gospel. Through Nephi’s faith, my faith has grown. Through Alma and
Amulek’s diligence and sacrifice, I have received strength. Through the sons of Mosiah
and Alma, I have learned and felt how to proceed in my repentance process. I often
receive answers to my prayers and personal revelation through their words. The Book
of Mormon has been absolutely crucial to the change which I have felt. I know Christ
appeared to the Americas and that they truly did know their Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God.
I know that the gospel has been restored to the earth today. I have felt the wonderful
power of the priesthood. I know this Church is a vehicle to bring us to our Savior
because it has brought me unto Him. I know that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet
and that all the keys remain in the Church today. I know he saw Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ because I have had the Spirit witness to my soul the validity of his account.
I have felt the power of the words of the modern-day prophets. They uplift and guide
me as I read and hear them. I am so grateful for the sacrament and the power of the
covenants which have been restored. I have lived without being worthy of them and
never want to again.
I can’t believe that I never took the time to find this out before. I took this whole
gospel for granted, and for that I am very sorry. I want so badly for others to find the
peace and blessings which come from living the gospel. I strive each day to remember
my Savior and keep His commandments. Through my repentance process I now have a
hope of something better. My faith has been strengthened to the point that I know that
the Savior did suffer for the sins of the world. He suffered for my sins. Now I must act
upon my faith. I try to develop charity and I pray for it often. It is the pure love of
Christ that has changed my heart and my life. I want to bring that love to others. I seek
to be better each day and I know that it is only possible with the Savior’s Atonement
and the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost.
Seeking charity is how I must make restitution for my sins. Due to the nature of my
transgression I cannot make full restitution. This has caused me a lot of sorrow and
grief. I cannot get back what was lost or give back what I took. The Lord blessed me
with so much, yet I had to take more. I was selfish, rebellious, and devilish. I am trying
with my whole soul to become the opposite. I want to be full of the Savior’s love.
I have sought forgiveness from those directly offended and borne my testimony to
them. I have confessed my faults and published my imperfection to the necessary
people. This has brought a lot of peace to me. A group of those people are my family
members. I never want to lose the trust of my parents again. I have hurt them so much
and I wish that I could take it all back. I am trying my hardest to be a good example, to
obey, and to share the love of Christ, which I have felt, with my whole family and
 everyone around me. I seek to bring charity into our lives. I have, as the sons of Mosiah
have done, “[explained] the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear
them” (Mosiah 27:35). I was not the friend, brother, or son that I should have been, but
through the Savior’s Atonement, the Lord has helped me to become more
understanding, patient, and loving. I must overlook the motes in others’ eyes because I
have the beam in my own. I must forgive to be forgiven.
I know that missionary work brings forgiveness. D&C 84:61 reads, “For I forgive you
your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in
solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things
which are communicated unto you.” I have had the opportunity since I’ve been home to
have many missionary experiences. I remember the first time I actually taught with the
Spirit. How the words and power flowed through me and how I knew I was saying what
the Lord wanted me to say. I also remember the incredible peace that came as I bore
testimony of the things I had seen and of what I have come to know. I feel like the sons
of Mosiah as they were “zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done
to the church” by “publishing all the things which they had seen” (Mosiah 27:35).
I know I was unworthy to go on my mission before and that it is a privilege that I
took for granted. But I have an unquenchable desire to spread the gospel and to be a
servant of the Lord. I plan to serve for the rest of my life. If I didn’t want to serve a
mission, I really wouldn’t understand Christ’s Atonement. I know it is part of my
making restitution, and therefore part of my repentance process, but it is more than
that. I want others to have this light. The first thing that Alma did when he awoke from
his sleep was “manifest to the people that he had been born of God.” He labored from
that day on to bring souls unto repentance (Alma 36:23–24).
I want ever so badly to help others come to our Savior because I know of the joy that
it brings to life. I do not seek to glorify myself or to somehow make myself look better.
Instead, I want to share the testimony that the Spirit has given me. If the Lord can use
me to further His work here on earth, I want to do it. I want to do His will. I know that
my Savior lives. I have felt His Spirit and I have felt the burden be lifted from my
shoulders. I have had a change of heart and am still changing. I am inexpressibly
grateful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is no other power which could have
saved me except the power of God. I have felt the Spirit witness and confirm to my soul
that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that Heavenly Father loves me.14
This young man worthily returned to the mission field and completed an honorable
mission. A decade later, he continues to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, faithful to his
covenants, a righteous husband, father, and servant in the kingdom of God.

On the BYU campus is found a sculpture entitled The Vision by the artist Avard T.
Fairbanks. It depicts the young Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove, looking up.
At the dedication of the statue in 1997, President Henry B. Eyring, who was serving in
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the time, said:
“From studying the various accounts of the First Vision, we learn that young Joseph
went into the grove not only to learn which church he should join but also to obtain
forgiveness for his sins, something he seems not to have understood how to do. And in
more than one account the Lord addressed the young truth seeker and said, ‘Joseph, my
son, thy sins are forgiven thee.’
“I hope that as young people through the generations see this statue, they will
realize . . . [that] this piece of art represents that moment when Joseph Smith learned
there was a way for the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be unlocked fully.
Because of what Joseph saw and what began at this moment, the Savior was able,
through this great and valiant servant and through others He sent, to restore power and
privilege. That power and privilege allow us, and all who will live, to have the benefit of
Jesus Christ’s Atonement work in our lives.
 “I testify to you that Jesus is the Christ. He lives. I know He lives. I know Joseph
Smith saw Him, and I know that because He lives and because Joseph Smith looked up
and saw Him and because He sent other messengers, you and I may know, not just to
hope, that our sins can be washed away.”15
If you are now desiring to serve a mission and are deeply saddened by decisions and
actions in your past, do not be discouraged or deterred.
Joseph Smith felt renewed hope when the Savior lovingly encouraged him: “But
remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is
contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again
called to the work.”16
Please remember that repentance and forgiveness do not come without honesty, godly
sorrow, and a willingness to put your trust in Jesus Christ. Nor do they always come with
the expedited timeline for which we hope. But I promise you that as you honestly and
humbly approach the throne of God, with faith in our Savior, and following the guidance
of your bishop and stake president, the forgiveness you seek will be yours. And as you are
blessed to enter the mission field, you will become a mighty instrument in the hands of
God, and your experience there will build a spiritual foundation for the rest of your life.
Notes
1. Doctrine and Covenants 15:6.
2. Doctrine and Covenants 4:2–7.
3. Neil L. Andersen, “You Know Enough,” Ensign, November 2008.
4. 1 Corinthians 9:14.
5. Doctrine and Covenants 38:42.
6. See Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79.
7. See Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46.
8. Doctrine and Covenants 88:74.
9. Doctrine and Covenants 58:42.
10. Isaiah 41:10.
11. See Marvin J. Ashton, “On Being Worthy,” Ensign, May 1989.
12. “I Stand All Amazed,” Hymns, no. 193.
13. Personal correspondence to the author, used with permission.
14. Personal correspondence to the author, used with permission.
15. Henry B. Eyring, dedicatory address for Avard T. Fairbanks’s statue The Vision, October 17, 1997.
16. Doctrine and Covenants 3:10.

Chapter 17

REPENTANCE, ANGELS, AND FAMILY TIES

Moroni asked, “Have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have
angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. . . . And the office of their ministry is
to call men unto repentance.”1 And Alma added, “O that I were an angel, and could have
the wish of mine heart. . . . I would declare unto every soul . . . repentance and the plan of
redemption.”2
Angels have been part of the Lord’s work throughout the history of time. In many
cases, their purpose has been to bring about repentance. In recounting the parables of
the lost sheep, the misplaced piece of silver, and the prodigal son, Jesus declared: “I say
unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that
repenteth.”3
In some cases, angels physically appear, but in others, as the author of Hebrews said,
“Some have entertained angels unawares.”4 And as Nephi teaches, “Angels speak by the
power of the Holy Ghost.”5
The scripture I heard most often quoted by President Thomas S. Monson spoke of
angels: “And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will
be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine
angels round about you, to bear you up.”6
Many times those most interested in our welfare are those connected to us but now
beyond the veil.

Many times those most interested in our welfare are those connected to us
but now beyond the veil.

In the final years of his life, prior to his marvelous vision on the redemption of the
dead,7 President Joseph F. Smith spoke of our ties to those beyond the veil: “We begin to
realize more and more fully . . . that we are closely related to our kindred, to our
ancestors, to our friends and associates and co-laborers who have preceded us into the
spirit world. . . . They have advanced; we are advancing. . . . They are solicitous for our
welfare, they love us now more than ever. For now, they see the dangers that beset us;
they can comprehend better than ever before, the weaknesses that are liable to mislead
us into dark and forbidden paths . . . hence their solicitude for us and their love for us
and their desire for our well being must be greater than that which we feel for
ourselves.”8
In her own words, a young mother, suffering from the pain of recently learning of the
adultery of her husband, recounts her feelings while sitting outside the priesthood
leader’s office during the council being held for her husband.
My feelings leading up to this day were full of anxiety and trauma. I felt like I could
deal with Jared9 on a personal level, but I had no idea how I could deal with the
decision of the council.
My prayers of the week had focused on little other than this moment. I knew better
than to pray for anything without the clause, “Thy will be done.” So instead of praying
for a specific outcome, my plea to Heavenly Father was that the priesthood leader
would know what Church discipline was necessary to allow Jared to fully change and I
prayed that I would be able to accept the outcome.
I realize that I am far from perfect, but I also feel like I have tried to choose right in
my life. I have loved Jared with all my heart. I have tried to do everything I could to
promote righteousness in our family (daily scripture study, prayers, conference talks,
family home evening, etc.). In some ways these past few weeks, since learning of
Jared’s adultery, I have felt devastated that my obedience didn’t keep this from
happening to our family.
I prayed that Heavenly Father would take me and anything good He thought I had
done into account, so I would know that even if it seemed like my efforts on earth had
not brought what I had hoped for, maybe they would count for something in heaven.
Jared and I arrived at the church a few minutes before 8:00 p.m. I waited in the
chapel.
A few minutes later, the priesthood leader came in and asked me if I would join
them for a kneeling opening prayer and then return afterward to hear the decision of
the council with Jared. I felt so humiliated walking into the room, not because of their
reaction but because I could have never imagined finding myself with a reason to be in
a council like this. It was very sobering for me.
When the prayer was over, I left the priesthood leader’s office, but upon returning to
the chapel, I felt that I should pick up a chair and go sit outside in the hallway parallel
to the priesthood leader’s office. So that is what I did. Once I sat down, I noticed that to
the left of me, there were three folding chairs set up. The two farthest away were right
next to each other and the one that was closest to me was somewhat separated from the
other two chairs, but the three chairs were definitely grouped together.
As I read a general conference talk, I felt strongly that I should underline certain
passages that spoke of the miracle of repentance and forgiveness and reinforced the
idea that with proper efforts, complete forgiveness is possible. As I read the final words
of the talk, I looked at those three chairs again and suddenly, I knew that my beloved
grandmother and grandfather and my great-grandmother were there with me. I didn’t
see them with my eyes, but I knew they were there. I wrote on the talk I had been
reading the words that came to my mind at that moment. “They are here so that you
will know you are not alone.”
I started to cry because I was so grateful that in one of the most difficult moments of
my life, when I could have truly felt completely alone, the Lord saw fit to ensure that I
was not alone.
I had the impression that my great-grandmother was in the chair closest to me and
that my grandmother and grandfather (in that order) were sitting in the two chairs that
were closer together. I wondered why my great-grandmother would have been there, as
I only had a few memories of her when I was a little girl.
My mother later told me of my great-grandmother’s marriage disappointments.
Years before she had joined the Church, her husband had been unfaithful to her and
had left her for another woman. This righteous woman had been devastated by his
infidelity.
I felt like I should close my eyes. I didn’t see them, but I did tell my grandmother
and grandfather in my thoughts how much I loved them, and I thanked them for all
that they had always done for me. I hoped that they were proud of me despite the
terrible events that had taken place. I had the feeling that they were proud of me.
I began to read hymns and verses from the New Testament. I would say the words of
a hymn in my mind, and then I would look at the chairs. The feeling that they were
there was so real to me that it was almost shocking to look at the chairs and not see
them.
The scripture that kept coming to my mind over and over again was 2 Nephi 32:3:
“Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of
Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the
words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” Once in a family home
evening my grandmother told us this was one of her very favorite verses in the Book of
Mormon and she hoped we would all memorize that verse. I did. I couldn’t get this
scripture out of my thoughts. I came to the conclusion that as the scripture says, on this
night, my grandmother and grandfather spoke to me through the words of Christ as
found in the scriptures, the words of His prophets, and the hymns.
This experience lasted for about an hour. The time came when I felt like I should get
up and walk down the hall. I did, and when I returned, I felt like they had gone. It was
truly a miraculous experience. I am so grateful for it and so humbled by it.
The moment arrived that I had been dreading. The priesthood leader invited us into
the room. We both walked in and sat down. It was so interesting because I did not feel
any of the anxiety or dread that I had associated with this moment. Instead, I felt
totally calm and knew that whatever happened would be right. I felt the love and
concern of the priesthood leaders for Jared and me.
The priesthood leader told us of the decision of the council.
Interestingly, I did not cry at all. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude to the Lord
and I felt too peaceful about what was happening to be emotional.
 I would never imagine that a Church council could be an uplifting experience, but
this was one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of my life. I felt so strongly the
Lord’s love for me, for Jared, and for our family. I am optimistic that Jared will never
forget how much he owes the Lord for such blessings and will act accordingly from this
moment forward.10

The Wonderful Link

I heard President Gordon B. Hinckley say on more than one occasion, “I have been
thinking a lot about my grandfather and grandmother. I have been thinking a lot about
my father and mother. I have been thinking a little about my wife and myself. And, I
have been thinking a lot about my children, my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.”
And then he would conclude with this phrase: “And I have been thinking a lot about this
wonderful link that binds us all together.”11
Our work to bring the ordinances of the temple to those who come before us reflects
the doctrine revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith:
“These are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly
passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential
to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be
made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.”12
Interestingly, this scripture explains that not only can our ancestors not be made
perfect without us, but we cannot be made perfect without them. We are tied together,
and their interest in us mirrors our interest in them.
When we spiritually look at our own lives, we look forward into the generations that
will follow us, for our footprints will be seen in homes and on paths where we will never
walk. We repent and return to the Savior not just for what it does for our own salvation,
but also for those who have gone before and those who will follow us. Remember the
words of the king after the teaching by Ammon? “And the great God has had mercy on
us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made
these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth
our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of
salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations.”13
As we repent and are righteous, there is a power that passes through us into our
posterity, helping to shape their eternity as it shapes our own.

As we repent and are righteous, there is a power that passes through us into
our posterity, helping to shape their eternity as it shapes our own.

Angels Are Part of the Lord’s Work

In the April 2016 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson shared an
experience of two angel daughters who intervened to accelerate the repentance and bless
the lives of their good father and brother. Here is the experience, as told in Insights from
a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson.
During the late 1950s, while he was in the early days of his surgical career, Dr.
Nelson had attempted to save the lives of two little girls from the same family—Laural
Ann and Gay Lynn Hatfield, the daughters of Jimmy and Ruth. Both girls had died. It
was a traumatic series of events for all involved.
Understandably, the parents were grief-stricken, but they were also spiritually
shattered. Not only did they lose two daughters, they lost their faith in God. And, from
their point of view, it was their surgeon’s fault. He should have been able to save their
girls’ lives.
For decades they had been angry at Russell M. Nelson for failing them, and that
anger festered and blossomed into a deep resentment that led them away from the
Church. The Hatfields weren’t shy about expressing their anger, even hatred, toward
Dr. Nelson. That anger only intensified when Dr. Nelson became Elder Nelson, called
to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Elder Nelson was well aware of this hostility, and it grieved him. Not only had the
death of those two girls hurt him deeply at the time, but he was devastated that he’d
had a part in the Hatfields’ disaffection from the Church. He felt personally responsible
for their inactivity as well as the invective they spewed anytime someone mentioned his
or the Church’s name. Repeatedly through the years, he had attempted to establish
contact with Jimmy and Ruth—usually working through local priesthood leaders to
help him. But to no avail. . . .
Then, one night in 2015—nearly sixty years after the first failed operation—Elder
Nelson was awakened in the middle of the night by those two Hatfield daughters from
the other side of the veil. He did not see or hear them with his physical senses, but he
felt their presence and, spiritually, could hear their pleadings. They had one short but
clear message for him: “Brother Nelson, we are not sealed to anyone! Can you help us?”
(Nelson, “Price of Priesthood Power”). . . .
With renewed determination, he again tried to contact the Hatfields. . . . He
learned . . . that Ruth Hatfield had passed away. Much to his surprise, the father and
son agreed to meet with him.
The Hatfields lived in a small community south of Provo, Utah. . . . Elder Nelson
arranged to meet with Jimmy and Shawn. . . .
The feeling was strained as Elder Nelson entered the room. . . . Elder Nelson began
the conversation and during the first few minutes felt he was getting nowhere. Finally,
he knelt in front of the eighty-eight-year-old Jimmy Hatfield. He told him about the
thinning of the veil he’d experienced a few weeks earlier and of Laural Ann and Gay
Lynn’s pleadings to be sealed to their parents. He then said, “Jimmy, I would be
honored to be the one that seals your wife to you and your children to you and your
wife.”
As Elder Nelson quietly spoke to Jimmy, the Spirit flooded the room. Jimmy
Hatfield was now listening, and it became clear that Elder Nelson’s words were
resonating with this father’s tender heart. Elder Nelson told him what would be
required for him to prepare to be ready and worthy to enter the temple, and then said,
“You’re eighty-eight and I’m ninety, so that means you’d better hurry.” After a few
moments, Jimmy responded, “All right, I’ll do it.”
Elder Nelson then turned to Jimmy’s son and said, “Shawn, this family is going to be
sealed. Will you be sealed with them?” and he responded, “Yes, I will.”
The Hatfield men were true to their word. With the help of their priesthood leaders,
home teachers, and ward mission leader—as well as young missionaries and a senior
missionary couple—they took the necessary steps to enter the temple to receive their
own endowments. . . .
On November 24, 2015, he had the “profound privilege” of sealing Ruth and Jimmy
Hatfield and then their four children to them in the Payson Utah Temple. President
and Sister Nelson, the Hatfields, and countless friends and family wept that day as
many hearts, including Hatfield hearts on both sides of the veil, were healed. . . .
He . . . spoke about this experience in general conference: “On reflection, I have
marveled at Jimmy and Shawn and what they were willing to do,” he said. “They have
become heroes to me. If I could have the wish of my heart, it would be that each man
and young man in the Church would demonstrate the courage, strength, and humility
of this father and son. They were willing to forgive and let go of old hurts and
habits. . . . [They were willing to submit to guidance from their priesthood leaders so
that the Atonement of Jesus Christ could purify and magnify them.] Each was willing to
 become a man who worthily bears the priesthood ‘after the holiest order of God’”
(“Price of Priesthood Power”).14
The angelic intervention of Laural Ann and Gay Lynn was not just for themselves, but
to bless the lives of their father and brother. The courage, strength, and humility of
Jimmy and Shawn was not just for their own eternal well-being, but for their family on
both sides of the veil.

President Joseph F. Smith spoke of “messengers [that] are sent to minister to the
inhabitants of this earth . . . bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of
warnings, or reproof and instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the
flesh.”15

Allow your heart to be open to the help and blessings received from both
sides of the veil. And remember how your decision to repent may bless those
you do not see but who are tied to you forever.

I have experienced the love, concern, and interest of those who have gone before.
Allow your heart to be open to the help and blessings received from both sides of the veil.
And remember how your decision to repent may bless those you do not see but who are
tied to you forever.
Notes
1. Moroni 7:29, 31.
2. Alma 29:1–2.
3. Luke 15:10.
4. Hebrews 13:2.
5. 2 Nephi 32:3.
6. Doctrine and Covenants 84:88.
7. See Doctrine and Covenants 138.
8. Joseph F. Smith, Conference Report, April 1916, 3.
9. Name has been changed.
10. Personal correspondence to the author. Used with permission.
11. From personal recollection of messages given by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
12. Doctrine and Covenants 128:15.
13. Alma 24:14.
14. Sheri L. Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book
Company, 2019), 298–301.
15. Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 2002), 435–36.
 Chapter 18

UNCOMPROMISING HONESTY

The world has taken a roller-coaster ride down the slippery slope of dishonesty.1 While
comparing your honesty with others may bring you high marks, as members of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and as His disciples, ours is a divine
standard of honesty. God our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are Beings of absolute,
perfect, and complete honesty and truth.2 Our destiny is to become like Them. We will
not reach total perfection in this life, but we can seek to be perfectly honest and true like
our Father and His Son. Honesty describes the character of God and, therefore, honesty
is at the very heart of our spiritual growth and spiritual gifts.
Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”3
“I am the Spirit of truth.”4 “I tell you the truth.”5
On the other hand, Satan is described as “the father of all lies”: “And he became Satan,
yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them
captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.”6
Jesus said, “The devil . . . abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar.”7

Honesty describes the character of God and, therefore, honesty is at the very
heart of our spiritual growth and spiritual gifts.

The Savior constantly rebuked those who professed one thing publicly but lived
differently in their hearts. He praised those who lived without deception. Can you see the
contrasting difference? On the one hand, there is truth, light, honesty, and integrity. On
the other hand, there is lying, deceiving, hypocrisy, and darkness. The Lord draws a
sharp distinction. The world would tell us that truth and honesty are difficult to define.
The world finds humor in casual lying and quickly excuses so-called “innocent”
deception. There is no innocence in deception. The contrast between right and wrong is
dulled, and the consequences of dishonesty are minimized. In any form or degree,
deception and dishonesty are not innocent, but are evil and wrong. For those moving
toward the Savior, honesty and integrity become increasingly important.
There is no true repentance and no true forgiveness without complete honesty.
In our desire to repent, honesty becomes critically important. First and foremost, we
must be honest with our Heavenly Father and with ourselves. Dishonesty and deception
are at the foundation and root of almost all sin. Sometimes when someone begins to
repent, he or she begins by exposing only a part of a larger issue. Sometimes we fool
ourselves into thinking the whole picture need not be told, or that part of what occurred
was another’s fault. Good people can deceive themselves and be deceived. Any deception
delays the repentance process.

The Character of God

God, our Father, cannot be deceived.8 He knows all things.9 As we kneel before our
Heavenly Father with a broken heart and contrite spirit, desiring a clear and honest
understanding of the sins before us, we will be given a better understanding of the true
extent of our transgressions from heaven. Sometimes a trusted priesthood leader can
help us to realize what we did not fully grasp. As we seek forgiveness from the Savior,
only complete and total honesty will open this important floodgate. Remember, God
knows the thoughts and the intents of our heart.10
Amulek taught that as the unrighteous come before the judgment bar of God, “Our
words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; . . . and our thoughts will
also condemn us.”11 Remember Jesus’s teaching on the importance of what enters our
mind: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit
adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart.”12
With all the blessings that come from modern technology, when we see the
devastating effects of pornography and the dark side of virtual reality, we understand
this counsel from President Russell M. Nelson: “Godless forces are all around. You are
literally in enemy-occupied territory. A plague of poisonous pornography abounds. It
ensnares all who yield to its insidious grasp.
“This was foreseen by the Lord, who said, ‘And now I show unto you a mystery, a thing
which is had in secret chambers, to bring to pass even your destruction in process of
time, and ye knew it not’ (Doctrine and Covenants 38:13). Then He added a second
warning: ‘And again, I say unto you that the enemy in the secret chambers seeketh your
lives’ (Doctrine and Covenants 38:28).
“Consider how many people, in however many secret chambers, are seeking to destroy
your life and happiness! If you . . . are viewing pornography, stop it right now! Stop it
absolutely! It is as destructive as leprosy, as addictive as meth, and as corrosive as lye.”13
Clayton M. Christensen gave good counsel in never compromising an important
standard. He said, “It’s easier to hold to your principles 100 percent of the time than it is
to hold to them 98 percent of the time. The boundary—your personal moral line—is
powerful because you don’t cross it; if you have justified doing it once, there’s nothing to
stop you doing it again.”14
The Lord speaks very strongly about not covering or hiding our sins. “When we
undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride . . . in any degree of unrighteousness,
behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; [and] the Spirit of the Lord is grieved.”15 Alma
said to his son: “Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point.”16
In my own life when a loved one or a friend suggests things I need to change, I have
found, at times, the natural man inside of me will be the first to respond, “You are not
seeing it from my point of view.” Or, “Maybe you should work on yourself.” Or, “Who are
you to judge?”17
When I kneel humbly before my Heavenly Father, and ask in the depth of sincerity,
“Father, what do I need to change? Where am I lacking?,” a feeling of calm comes upon
me, and at the appropriate time, the truth penetrates my heart. Sometimes it is
uncomfortable, but if I do not reject the spiritual insight, the Lord’s honesty with me
allows me to be honest with Him, with myself, and with those I have hurt.
Years ago, I wrote a letter to a man who sought my counsel on how he could possibly
return to the worthy person he had once been. The names have been changed, but the
principles remain true. Here is my letter in part:
Dear Brian:
Betrayal and adultery to an innocent and pure family, a righteous wife, and good
children in the process of establishing their own foundation of faith and right and
wrong, is so very sad, so very unfair to the innocent.
The first answer to this most horrific situation may be: “I am addicted to
pornography and it changes the way I think.”
As I have pondered this consideration, I have something that I hope will help you. As
I describe it to you I do not say it to pull you down, but to hopefully help you center in
on issues that are perhaps even more serious than the pornography.
I met with a man the other day whose son has had a terrible pornography addiction
throughout his life. The son, whom I will call John, is about your age, has four children,
and is very successful. In many ways you could say John’s life parallels yours. He got
into his addiction at about thirteen. He got away from it for the years on his mission.
Then got back into it upon his return.
There is, however, one very large difference between John and you. His father told
me that prior to John’s marriage, he explained to his innocent and unsuspecting wife
about his pornography addiction. She was devastated. It delayed their marriage, but
after counseling, she determined to move ahead. During the fifteen or so years they
have been married, pornography has sporadically continued to be an issue. Not every
year and not all the time, but at different times it pokes up its ugly head.
The difference between John and you is whenever pornography emerges, John
rushes for help. He does not lie and he does not hide his sins. During their marriage
this has caused big difficulties. It has caused John tremendous embarrassment. It
means more meetings with his bishop and his stake president. It means losing his
temple recommend. It means facing his wife. It means deep conversations with his
parents. It means that at times he could not go to the temple when there were
important family events. It has strained at times his relationship with his wife. But one
thing she has known is that he cares more about his family, about her, about the
children, and about his own salvation than about his own humiliation and
embarrassment. He knows that if he did not come forward, his pornography addiction
would move him to adultery. To his credit, in his years of marriage, there has been no
involvement with any other person.
I am sorry, Brian, to speak so directly to you, but it seems to me that you have a flaw
in your character that goes beyond pornography. For most, when pornography begins,
lying quickly follows. And of course, one can excuse himself because of the sadness it
will bring to a worthy companion, the embarrassment, the social stigma to a perceived
image in the Church. All this may justify in a person’s mind their lying and covering
their sins, but the Lord does not justify it at all. The Savior speaks clearly about this
deception, the lying, the covering of sins.
“Ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward
part is full of ravening and wickedness” (Luke 11:39).
“There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be
known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light;
and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the
housetops. And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and
after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear:
Fear him, which . . . hath power to cast [you] into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him”
(Luke 12:2–5).
I believe, Brian, that if you do not overcome the issue of dishonesty, you will never
overcome your pornography addiction. Your lying has not just been sporadic, but
pervasive. You have been lying to your wife, lying to the bishop and stake president,
lying to your children, lying to the Lord, lying to yourself. It is very deep rooted and will
not exit easily. You must come to terms with this.
The other troubling thought about your situation is that you have allowed yourself to
become “past feeling.” You remember when Nephi told his brothers they were past
feeling and they could not feel his words? The strength of my friend’s son John is that
his feelings for spiritual truth have overridden the uncomfortable pains of
embarrassment, ridicule, and difficulty. He could not let himself fall further and further
into sin without having it rack his soul. Somehow your sensitivity to sin seems to have
been at a very low level for a long time. You must come to terms with this. It will not
change in a moment of sorrow.
I see your many good qualities and your desire to have the right things in your life.
You have told me that pornography rewires the brain, but there are enough examples
like my friend’s son John that say “not completely”—choice remains. Even with this
terrible addiction, the sin brings a revulsion that brings the person forward.18
Living the Truth
Being honest is living the truth, not simply telling the truth. Brigham Young counseled
us, “We must learn to be righteous in the dark,”19 meaning when no one is watching.

Being honest is living the truth, not simply telling the truth.

Dishonesty and immorality are companions in sin. While many in the world may
condone immoral actions, rationalizing that they are expressions of love, God accepts no
such excuses. The Lord has said, “And verily I say unto you, as I have said before, he that
looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they
shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear. 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.”20
Besides immorality, all other sins are also forms of dishonesty, including stealing,
cheating, gossiping, spreading rumors, breaking God’s holy laws, or breaking the civil,
established laws of our society.21 Any communication that intentionally distorts,
exaggerates, sensationalizes, or minimizes truth is wrong and represents evil forms of
deception and duplicity. Whenever we deny our conscience, or deny a warning and
prompting of the Holy Ghost, we are not being honest, but deceived, and that is when we
sin.
The beloved Apostle John taught that when we fail to acknowledge our sins, we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.22 All sin, including the pride that holds us
back from being completely honest in our confessing sin, is a form of self-deception. We
may deceive ourselves and others, but we cannot deceive God! As stated in the beginning
paragraph, God our Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, are Beings of absolute, perfect,
and complete honesty and truth.
What sadness to not have the Spirit, deny the faith, and live in fear. King Benjamin
says this about the imagery of the lake of fire and brimstone: “And if they be evil they are
consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them
to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment . . .
And their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone.”23
I promise you that as you commit to yourself to be honest in all you do and say, you
will know that you are moving along the right path leading to eternal life. How beautiful
is the promise of the Lord given to the honest and virtuous, “Let virtue garnish thy
thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God . . .
The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter
of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion . . .
forever and ever.”24
Notes
1. See 2 Timothy 3:1–4.
2. See Ether 3:12.
3. John 14:6.
4. Doctrine and Covenants 93:26.
5. John 16:7; see also John 16:13.
6. Moses 4:4.
7. John 8:44; see also Doctrine and Covenants 93:34.
8. See 2 Nephi 9:41, where Christ is described as the being the same.
9. See 2 Nephi 9:20; Matthew 6:8.
10. See Doctrine and Covenants 6:16.
11. Alma 12:14.
12. Matthew 5:27–28.
13. Russell M. Nelson, “Youth of the Noble Birthright: What Will You Choose?” CES Devotional for
Young Adults, September 6, 2013, Brigham Young University–Hawaii.
14. Clayton M. Christensen, How Will You Measure Your Life? (New York: HarperCollins, 2012).
15. Doctrine and Covenants 121:37.
16. Alma 42:30.
17. See Neil L. Andersen, “Eye of Faith,” Ensign, May 2019.
18. Personal letter sent by Neil L. Andersen. Names are changed.
19. Brigham Young’s Office Journal, January 28, 1857.
20. Doctrine and Covenants 63:16–17.
21. See Doctrine and Covenants 63:17; 76:103.
22. See 1 John 1:8–10.
23. Mosiah 3:25, 27.
24. Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46.

Chapter 19

WILLINGLY CONFESSING AND

PURPOSEFULLY FORSAKING SIN

In a powerful teaching to our generation, the Lord said, “By this ye may know if a man
repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.”1 The Lord is not
saying that this is all that is required in repenting, but that these vital steps are an
outward demonstration that repentance has begun. Humbly confessing to God is
required for all sin. Serious sin needs to be confessed to the proper priesthood authority.
Confessing our sins to those we have hurt is also essential if it is possible.
As we kneel in prayer to our Heavenly Father, there is great power in praying out
loud.2 In sincerity, we explain the sadness we feel for not keeping His commandments
and the sorrow we feel in our soul. Praying vocally helps us by hearing our own words to
our Father, articulating the full measure of our sin, and helps us to be complete and
specific, not rationalizing what we have done.
Our Heavenly Father knows all of our sins before we acknowledge them. As we pray to
Him, we acknowledge our accountability to Him and our sadness at not having lived true
to our baptismal and temple covenants.
As we confess our sins to our Heavenly Father, the scripture example of Adam and
Eve can be helpful to us. When they first acknowledged their sins, the Father asked
Adam and Eve, “Where art thou?”3 We might consider acknowledging to our Father in
our prayers where we are in our mortal journey. Honestly speaking to our Heavenly
Father reveals our desire to return closer to Him.
In our prayers, it is important that we openly speak to our Heavenly Father about the
circumstances that now necessitate our repentance. As they were with Adam and Eve,
our feelings of embarrassment and sorrow are the result of following the enticements of
the adversary and not following the commandments of God.
The Lord asked Adam and Eve, “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded
thee that thou shouldest not eat?”4 Although we may not hear His voice asking us this
question, it would be well to symbolically address this question in our prayers to Him.
We need to be honest in acknowledging what we have done that is not in keeping with
His commandments. Alma the Younger acknowledged, “I was in the darkest abyss. . . .
My soul was racked with eternal torment.”5 We sincerely express what we are feeling.
A final question the Lord asked Adam and Eve was, “What is this that thou hast
done?”6 In our day, this question might be phrased, “Do you understand the seriousness
of your actions?” President M. Russell Ballard emphasizes that we should not minimize
or excuse ourselves: “The idea of sinning a little is self-deception. Sin is sin! Sin weakens
you spiritually, and it always places the sinner at eternal risk. Choosing to sin, even with
the intent to repent, is simply turning away from God and violating covenants.”7
We need to acknowledge to God the sadness our actions have brought to others; the
pain and hurt we have brought to those who were completely innocent or those who
followed us into mistaken paths. There will be other things that will come to your mind
and into your spirit that will be important to say as you pray to God. As we begin this
sober and sacred discussion with our Heavenly Father, we will see and feel the
importance of confession in the process of repentance.8
The Lord said to His early Saints, “I . . . am merciful unto those who confess their sins
with humble hearts.”9 And He said, “I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess
their sins before me and ask forgiveness.”10

Confessing to Those We Have Hurt

Once we recognize what we have done, feel remorse for our actions, and once we have
confessed to the Lord, we need to find the courage to confess, if it is possible, to those we
have wronged. Confession is not just an admission of guilt after someone has discovered
our sins but is a desire to acknowledge before the Lord and those we have hurt the wrong
we have done and to seek forgiveness from them. If many have been offended, we should
speak to all the offended parties if possible. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Confessing aids
forsaking. . . . We cannot expect to sin publicly and extensively and then expect to be
rescued privately and quickly. When we face those we have hurt, especially those we love,
although it is a painful experience, it can be a great help in giving us the strength not to
repeat the sins of the past.”11
Once we have made the decision to confess to someone we have deeply wounded, our
first and most compelling thought should be how this confession can be shared in a way
not to further traumatize or intensify the excruciating pain and sadness of the sin itself.
The confession cannot be driven principally by the desire of personally gaining relief
from the guilt or going forward with the repentance process. The prophet Jacob speaks
of tender and sobbing hearts, and losing the confidence of family members.12
I am familiar with a couple’s experience of many years ago, in which a husband, after
feeling extreme remorse after committing adultery, quickly confessed to his local bishop.
His family was across the country completing a Christmas holiday, and his wife was four
months pregnant. While the family had the financial means for the husband to fly to the
location of his companion, in his hurry to move forward and relieve his own conscience,
he called his wife and told her on the phone of his unfaithfulness. His unsuspecting wife
was so distraught that family members found it necessary to rush her to the hospital, as
she needed medical attention to assure the health of the baby she was carrying.
Confessions are best done face-to-face if possible. The offended party needs to see that
the confession is humbly given without offering excuses or blame toward others.
Children acknowledging mistakes to parents may be helped by having a priesthood
leader in the room. For serious sins, it may be important that trusted family members or
friends are close by. Most importantly, our primary concern should be for the hurt and
wounded as we take this very sensitive path.
 Our primary concern should be for the hurt and wounded as we take this very
sensitive path.

Confessing to Proper Priesthood Authority

Very serious transgressions, such as sexual sins,13 need to be confessed to a bishop or
stake president and resolved with the Lord and with the Church. Bishops and stake
presidents have been ordained and set apart to serve as judges in Israel.14 Of course, only
the Lord can forgive sins, but priesthood leaders play an important role in the process of
repentance of serious sins. Alma was wrestling with the important responsibility of
dealing with those who had committed serious transgressions. He was troubled in spirit
and inquired of the Lord.15 He poured out his whole soul, and the voice of the Lord came
to him, directing him as to what he should do,16 including the Lord’s explanation that
there were two confessions and two forgivenesses. “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.”17 Those who
transgress in these cases must confess to Him and to their priesthood leader. Once they
have repented in the sincerity of their heart, the priesthood leader is to forgive them and
the Lord promises He will forgive them. The bishop is not forgiving them personally, but
he is forgiving them as to their standing in the Church: if, for example, they may use
their priesthood, take the sacrament, or return to the temple. It is the Lord, however,
who extends the ultimate forgiveness which includes peace of conscience and a fullness
of joy.18
Alma helps us understand the role of priesthood leaders who work with the Lord in
helping a sincere and humble person to receive forgiveness for grave transgressions.
Describing the duties of the bishop, the Lord revealed that he was “also to be a judge
in Israel, to do the business of the church, to sit in judgment upon transgressors [and]
upon testimony as it shall be laid before him according to the laws. . . . This is the duty of
a bishop. . . . Thus shall he be a judge, even a common judge among the inhabitants of
Zion, or in a stake of Zion, or in any branch of the church where he shall be set apart
unto this ministry.”19
In the Book of Mormon, the Lord commanded the leaders “that ye shall not suffer any
one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it;
For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh
damnation to his soul.”20 A loving bishop has a special responsibility to keep his flock
from partaking of the sacrament unworthily because of the spiritual consequences.
Priesthood leaders are not to act only in the role of judges, but also as guides to help
us find our way. In the prophet Lehi’s dream, he beheld he was in “a dark and dreary
waste.” After traveling “for the space of many hours in darkness,” he prayed that the
Lord “would have mercy on [him].”21 The Lord guided him out of his darkness. Our
bishop, stake president, and other priesthood leaders can help guide us out of our
darkness.

Forsaking Sin
In the powerful scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 58, the Lord emphasizes that
along with confessing sins, those desiring to repent will also forsake their sins.22
 Forsaking a sin means we will never repeat it—never return to it—not in action
or in word or even in our mind. Forsaking means that the sin is totally in our
past.

Forsaking a sin means we will never repeat it—never return to it—not in action or in
word or even in our mind. Forsaking means that the sin is totally in our past. To forsake
a sin will mean more than just feeling the remorse and sadness that it has brought to us
and to others we have hurt; it will mean being certain that we don’t put ourselves into
the same position that brought the sin before. It will mean associating with trusted
friends and family who will help us in moving forward. For some, it may mean changing
friends, perhaps changing our employment or what we do with our time. It will mean
being very open and honest with trusted companions as we go forward. We never want to
return to the sins of our past. The Lord boldly declared, “Go your ways and sin no more;
but unto that soul who [returneth to his sins] shall the former sins return, saith the Lord
your God.”23
Repentance, of course, is never a wasted effort. A person who has repented for being
angry may unfortunately become angry again, or a person who has repented of speaking
ill of someone may unfortunately speak ill of someone else. President Lorenzo Snow
said, “Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be
better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today. The
temptations that perhaps partially overcome us today, let them not overcome us so far
tomorrow. Thus continue to be a little better day by day.”24 We progress step by step, line
upon line, as we shape our character day by day. But for serious sins and for those sins
that will keep us from our eternal goals, we must turn away and never go back.
When King Benjamin taught that “the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been
from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of
the Holy Spirit,”25 he counseled us to “[become] as a child, submissive, meek, humble,
patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon
[us].” King Benjamin helps us realize that our progress in embracing the attributes of
Jesus Christ in our own lives will not come in one experience of confessing and
forsaking. It will come as we evaluate our actions daily and plead for our Savior’s mercy
as we seek to become better. Unfortunately, we may slip back at times, but let us quickly
and humbly return to our knees and move again in the right direction.
The Lord desires that we constantly strengthen ourselves and become better, trying
not to repeat even the small sins of the past. He “cannot look upon sin with the least
degree of allowance.”26 He has, however, promised, “Nevertheless, he that repents and
does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven.”27 The Lord loves to bestow His
mercy and forgiveness upon us as we truly repent.
The Apostle Paul, who before being Paul was an unrighteous Saul, said, “But this one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus.”28
Once we have truly left the sin behind, we do not dwell on it, relish in it, or talk about
it widely with others. While you may desire to warn others of sins you have overcome,
this can lead to the spreading of inappropriate gossip or bringing unwelcomed scenes
into unsuspecting minds, and spiritually hurting the very people you want to help.
I learned this principle in a beautiful way from a righteous missionary companion
when I served as a young missionary in France. He was nearly four years older than I
was and had come on his mission after joining the Church in a large metropolitan city in
Europe. Prior to his baptism into the Church, he had lived a worldly life. Young
missionaries, knowing that he was several years older than we were, and knowing of his
conversion in his young twenties, were anxious to learn more about his life prior to his
conversion. He absolutely refused to speak about it, and said very directly, “That is
behind me. I have forsaken that life. I have embraced the life of Christ. I not only will
never participate in it again, but I plan not to speak of it again or to take any pleasure in
it, for it brings me sorrow and not pleasure.” I have seen my fellow companion on more
than one occasion in the fifty years since we were together in France. I respect him, love
him, and admire him, and to this day, I still do not know the activities that colored his
life prior to his conversion to the gospel.
I once told a university audience that I believed that if one has a history of immorality
or pornography, the person he or she is planning to marry deserves, should she or he
desire, to know that history.29 Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, purity in
thought, honesty, and confidence in the moral compass of our companion are key
foundations to an eternal marriage.
Discussions of very private experiences in our lives are not appropriate as we are
beginning to know someone. Retelling past sins that have been repented of and forgiven
by the Lord may unnecessarily negatively affect a growing relationship. When sins are
far in the past, forsaken, forgiven, and not repeated, it is not productive as you begin a
friendship to ask questions or desire answers in specific and vivid detail. At the same
time, be honest in realizing when sins are not fully in the past.
If you are concerned about the character or discipleship of someone you are
considering for marriage, take additional time to know his or her heart. We live in a
world that is very transparent. The internet can bring experiences from the far past
quickly into the moment. Secrets are devastating to an eternal companionship, and
things of the past that emerge years later, even if one has been forgiven, can stir doubt
and mistrust. My counsel is to be completely honest with the person with whom you are
contemplating loving through the eternities, realizing that these discussions come well
after your relationship has developed.
Focus on the healing power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, not a person’s past
sins. If you can, come to know his or her parents, family, and friends from the past. If
you have questions or concerns, wait and be patient. Time will tell you what you need to
know.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has enlightened us on how we move forward in the
challenging world in which we live: “There is something in us, at least in too many of us,
that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life—either mistakes we
ourselves have made or the mistakes of others. That is not good. . . . It stands in terrible
opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier
mistakes—our own or other people’s—is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from
which we are called to cease and desist. . . .
“Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve. Is
that faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all, it is charity, the pure love
of Christ. If something is buried in the past, leave it buried. . . .
“The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers
from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to
learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead,
we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future.”30

Knowing When Sins Have Been Forgiven

Some may ask, “If I have confessed my sin, and I have forsaken it, why can I not forget
it? Why does it linger in my mind and stay with me?” The memory of some forsaken sins
may stay with us, but the pain, the sadness, the remorse, the guilt, will go away. Even
though the Lord promises to remember our sins no more, it is a blessing for us in this life
to not completely forget past mistakes so that we never repeat them. Satan tries to use
old sins against us, but we can overcome these insidious tactics by immediately praying
in faith and sincerely thanking our Heavenly Father for His Son and His grace, mercy,
and forgiveness. The scriptures exhort us to watch and pray always that we may
overcome Satan and his temptations.31

Even though the Lord promises to remember our sins no more, it is a blessing
for us in this life to not completely forget past mistakes so that we never
repeat them.

President Heber J. Grant taught, “There is no teaching of our Lord and Master, Jesus
Christ, which is plainer than that laid down by him to the effect that there will be none of
our past sins held against us, provided we repent and forsake them, in the future
laboring diligently for the right.”32
President Henry B. Eyring tells of a time when he was serving as a ward bishop and a
young man who “had been moved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to make long and
painful repentance” pleaded to know how he could know he was forgiven by the Lord.
Bishop Eyring, in a moment alone with his uncle, then-Elder Spencer W. Kimball,
asked the Apostle, “How can he get that revelation? How can he know whether his sins
are remitted?”
President Eyring tells what happened next:
I thought Elder Kimball would talk to me about fasting or prayer or listening for the
still small voice. But he surprised me. Instead he said, “Tell me something about the
young man.”
I said, “What would you like to know?”
And then he began a series of the most simple questions. Some of the ones I
remember were:
“Does he come to his priesthood meetings?”
I said, after a moment of thought, “Yes.”
“Does he come early?”
“Yes.”
“Does he sit down front?”
I thought for a moment and then realized, to my amazement, that he did.
“Does he [fulfill his ministering assignment]?”
“Yes.”
“Does he [think of those he has been assigned throughout] the month?”
“Yes, he does.”
“Does he go more than once?”
“Yes.”
I can’t remember the other questions. But they were all like that—little things,
simple acts of obedience, of submission. And for each question I was surprised that my
answer was always yes. Yes, he wasn’t just at all his meetings: he was early; he was
smiling; he was there not only with his whole heart, but with the broken heart of a little
child, as he was every time the Lord asked anything of him. And after I had said yes to
each of his questions, Elder Kimball looked at me, paused, and then very quietly said,
“There is your revelation.”33

When I served as a mission president, a missionary came into the mission full of faith,
desiring to keep the commandments and please his Heavenly Father. After a couple of
months, he came to me in tears, worried that perhaps he had not confessed his serious
sins sufficiently, prior to his mission. I asked him to explain. He said that when he was
sixteen, he had committed a very serious transgression and now on his mission, he
couldn’t get it out of his mind. He wanted to confess it to me all over again. He told me
that perhaps he had not given enough details to his stake president. I listened to his
confession and told him I would speak to his stake president to see if the sin had been
fully confessed. I asked this young missionary if he had forsaken the sin following that
experience when he was sixteen. He said he had and had never returned to it.
I called his stake president. There was no new information. The stake president knew
everything that the missionary had told me. For the first several months in each of our
interviews, the missionary wanted to discuss why he continued to remember this very
sad experience from more than three years before his mission. Finally, after several
months, I told him that I would not speak to him about it anymore, that he should go to
work, and that in time the pain and sadness he felt would disappear. I did not speak to
him about it again and I noticed that he became happier and happier. I could see the
power of the Holy Ghost resting upon him.
I watched this missionary after he completed his mission. He married a wonderful
companion and they have had a beautiful family. I have seen him from time to time in
the last thirty years. We have never since spoken of those discussions held decades ago.
It is evident in my conversations with him that his guilt from those early years had been
replaced with God’s forgiveness.
When a sin has been confessed and forsaken, we go forward, trusting in the power of
the Savior’s Atonement. As the Lord’s servant, I give you my humble assurance that as
you truly forsake your sins, you will be forgiven. “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.”34
Notes
1. Doctrine and Covenants 58:43.
2. See Enos 1:4; Alma 22:17–18; Ether 3:1; Joseph Smith—History 1:14; see also Doctrine and
Covenants 19:28.
3. Genesis 3:9.
4. Genesis 3:11.
5. Mosiah 27:29.
6. Genesis 3:13.
7. M. Russell Ballard, “Keeping Covenants,” Ensign, May 1993.
8. 1 John 1:9.
9. Doctrine and Covenants 61:2.
10. Doctrine and Covenants 64:7.
11. Neal A. Maxwell, “Repentance,” Ensign, November 1991.
12. See Jacob 2:35.
13. See Doctrine and Covenants 42:24.
14. See Doctrine and Covenants 58:17; 107:72.
15. See Mosiah 26:13.
16. See Mosiah 26:14.
17. Mosiah 26:29.
18. See Mosiah 4:2–3.
19. Doctrine and Covenants 107:72–74.
20. 3 Nephi 18:28–29.
21. 1 Nephi 8:7–8.
22. See Doctrine and Covenants 58:43.
23. Doctrine and Covenants 82:7.
24. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow (2012), 103.
25. Mosiah 3:19.
26. Doctrine and Covenants 1:31.
27. Doctrine and Covenants 1:32.
28. Philippians 3:13–14.
29. See “Complete Honesty, Unselfish Humility,” BYU–Idaho Devotional, February 14, 2017,
http://www.byui.edu/devotionals/elder-neil-1-andersen-winter-2017.
30. Jeffrey R. Holland, “Remember Lot’s Wife”: Faith Is for the Future, BYU Devotional, January 13,
2009, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland/remember-lots-wife/.
31. See 3 Nephi 18:15; Alma 13:28; 15:17; Luke 21:36.
32. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant (2002), 39.
33. Henry B. Eyring, “Come unto Christ,” BYU Devotional, October 29, 1989,
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/henry-b-eyring/come-unto-christ/.
34. Isaiah 1:18.

Chapter 20

GENEROUS RESTITUTION

I have sometimes been disappointed with good people who have recognized their sins
and been willing to confess and forsake them, but who show little empathy for the person
or persons who have been hurt or offended. I have sensed, whether expressed or not,
that their feelings are, “All right. I made a mistake. I’m sorry. Let’s all get on with life.”
Unfortunately, this can reveal dismissal of the friend named godly sorrow and the
reemergence of that terrible bully, pride.
On a smaller issue such as raising our voice in anger, speaking harshly of another, or
being selfish in a decision, honestly and humbly saying “I’m sorry” and asking for
forgiveness may be sufficient, if the consequences are not long-standing. However, the
Lord has spoken clearly that we are to restore as much as possible that which has been
lost. In Old Testament times, if you stole or killed someone’s ox, you were to restore five
oxen. If you stole or killed a sheep, the law demanded you restore fourfold.1
This powerful principle of generously restoring was not eliminated with the Savior’s
higher, holier law, although the specifics were not detailed—perhaps encouraging us to
give even more than the law of Moses would have required. Wanting to generously make
restitution to those that have been hurt or wrongly treated by our sin reveals our sincere
desire and intent to repent and receive forgiveness. In trying as much as we can to
restore that which has been lost, if we have stolen something, we seek to replace it or pay
for it. If we have lied and that lie has brought harm to another, we do all that we can to
restore what we have taken. To try our very best to restore to those harmed because of
our sins and mistakes requires great meekness and humility. We do not seek only to
restore those things that we can physically repair or repay, but also to make amends for
the spiritual, emotional, or social anguish that our sins may have caused.
President John Taylor said: “Treat one another aright. Have you sinned one against
another? Then go and make restitution. Have you defrauded one another? Go and make
it right. Have you spoken unkindly to your brother or sister? Then go and acknowledge
your wrong and ask to be forgiven, promising to do better in the future.”2

Not Quickly or Easily Resolved

While confessing and forsaking sins can sometimes be done quickly, restoring can
require much more time, perhaps a lifetime. Serious sins committed by members of the
Church that become widely known may negatively affect perceptions about Jesus Christ
and His Church. Restitution to all of those negatively influenced may not be possible,
except to accept responsibility for the sin, repent, and be a positive example going
forward. Our heartfelt desire and willingness to generously restore reveals our true
repentance.
There are times when one who has been deeply injured is not quick to forgive. That
should not be the major concern of one who has committed the offense. The concern
should be to generously restore what was taken. If those who have been hurt have a
difficult time overcoming their personal pain, be patient and generous in trying to do all
you can to ease their pain. You may feel that the offended party has placed unfair
demands upon you. A repentant heart patiently and meekly attempts to generously
restore as much as possible, even if those demands, at times, seem extreme or unfair.
The Savior said, “And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let
him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him
twain.”3
We can apply His teachings to our efforts to provide a generous restitution to those we
have injured.
There are many wrongs that cannot be made right by the one who has hurt or
offended, and there is pain and suffering that cannot be fully repaired. But never dismiss
the generous restitution you can make, the suffering you can ease, even though love,
purity, virtue, trust, and respect may be impossible to restore without the Lord’s
intervention.
In the case of serious sins and betrayals, restitutions will not be quickly or easily
resolved. One should be willing to think beyond the obvious. Counsel with priesthood
leaders, friends, and family of those who have been harmed to find solutions, if they are
available. Restitution is not simply fulfilling the requirements of a judge’s decree. The
Lord may well ask much more of you than what a court requires. An important
understanding of restitution is realizing that Jesus Christ, who paid for our sins,
becomes our creditor.
We often acknowledge that when we serve others, we are serving the Lord.4 But it is
equally true that when one sins against others, that person sins against the Lord.5 Jesus
Christ gave us great hope for forgiveness of our sins in His powerful parable of the sheep
and the goats.
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

An important understanding of restitution is realizing that Jesus Christ, who

paid for our sins, becomes our creditor.

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an
hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and
ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison,
and ye came unto me.
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred,
and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took
thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came
unto thee?
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren [or sisters], ye have done it unto
me.”6
You may never receive an acknowledgment, a sincere apology, a humble regret, or an
attempt to make restitution from the person who has offended you or harmed you. If this
is your situation, be assured that the greatest comfort or peace you will ever receive will
come from relying on the healing power of God.7 As you go to Him, you will feel His love.
His love can bind and heal your wounds, however deep or old they may be.
A young adult wrote of her deep disappointment with the person who had hurt her,
but at the moment of sadness felt encircled in the arms of the Savior’s love.
When I was six years old, my parents divorced. Though I continued to live with my
mom, my dad was still present in my life after the separation. I stayed at his house on
weekends and for one day in the middle of the week.
Despite his efforts to be a good father, when I was seven, he betrayed my trust in a
very serious way. This breach of trust marked the beginning of a growing distance
between us. When he called the house, I would avoid answering the phone. When I was
older, I demanded that I be able to choose when I went to stay at my dad’s house,
rather than be forced to go when the custody order mandated me.
When I was in high school, visits gradually became a lot less frequent. I saw him
only two or three times a month. When I went to college, the space between calls grew,
until I would talk to him about once a semester. . . .
During my second year of college, I decided to talk to [my father] about the incident
from my childhood that I felt had damaged our relationship so many years ago. I hoped
for closure, forgiveness, and a chance to start over. I e-mailed him my thoughts and
waited for a reply.
Some time later I received his e-mail in reply. Before I read my father’s response, I
prayed and asked Heavenly Father that His Spirit be with me as I read the e-mail. This
was such an important moment in my life. . . . I was scared and felt very alone. . . .
I was alone. . . . I needed support. I continued to pray to Heavenly Father and felt
His Spirit. At last I had the courage to read.
My dad replied with a very short e-mail in which he denied any memory of what I
was saying and said that it was a really bad time for him to discuss our past.
The way he dismissed something that was so important to me and didn’t seem to
want any sort of reconciliation hurt me deeply. I felt deserted by my father, racked with
grief over the troubled relationship we had had for more than a decade.
As I sat in my chair sobbing, I felt the Spirit around me. I had never felt my
Heavenly Father’s presence so strongly. I literally felt “encircled about eternally in the
arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15). I felt reassured and loved as I sat crying.
My relationship with my earthly father may have been lacking, but my Heavenly
Father was with me. His presence is strong in my life. I know He loves me, cares for
me, and will always want a relationship with me. I know that He is my Father.8

Repentance means much more than saying “I’m sorry.” There can be no posturing or
pretense in trying to make restitution. For some sins, the only way to make restitution
may come from blessing the lives of others and being an instrument in the Lord’s hands
to bring His goodness and grace to others.9 President Russell M. Nelson recently said,
“Ministering means following your feelings to help someone else feel the love of the
Savior in his or her life.”10

Working to strengthen the faith of others in the Lord Jesus Christ may be the
greatest gift of restitution we can give to Him, realizing that we will forever be
“unprofitable servants.”

Working to strengthen the faith of others in the Lord Jesus Christ may be the greatest
gift of restitution we can give to Him, realizing that we will forever be “unprofitable
servants.”11
God’s Love for Those Who Have Been Abused
For those who have been sexually abused or unfairly taken advantage of, let me say to
you that God loves you in a way that I can scarcely express. In the eyes of God the Father
and His Son, Jesus Christ, chastity and virtue can never be taken from you by someone
else’s terrible abuse toward you and violation of your God-given body. Chastity and
virtue are spiritual qualities determined by our own choices and cherished by God. No
one can rob or take these away from you. Those who have attempted to do so will pay a
terrible price for their wickedness. When they come to a spiritual recognition of what
they have actually done, whether in this life or the next, they will have to bear the burden
of their sins. Their suffering will be enormous. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall offend one
of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged
about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”12
If they do, in fact, repent in this life, and desire to make restitution, they will cry unto
God with all their soul that He might heal the suffering of the ones violated by them.
Your offender may pay a significant price, but this will never be able to fully make
restitution for the pain and suffering that has come to you. This explains, in part, why
forgiveness from the Church for sexual abuse and unfaithfulness requires much more
than merely acknowledging these sins.
There is a supernal, heavenly love for the innocent that have been harmed by the evil
acts of others. If you, in your innocence, have been a victim of the unholy choices of
others, I promise you that God knows you, loves you, and will help take the pain from
you as you turn to Him in your sorrow. The promise of Jacob, given to those who were
abused or betrayed by those close to them, I extend to you: “Look unto God with
firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in
your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who
seek your destruction.”13
Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I promise you that you will receive
compensatory blessings for the injustices thrust upon your life. The Lord has promised
that through Him you may receive “beauty for ashes.”14 In time, you will also be blessed
with the spiritual gift to forgive. The sins and spiritual sicknesses of others will one day
hurt you no more as you feel the Lord lift the burdens of your broken heart and
completely heal the wounds of your soul.
Notes
1. See Exodus 22:1; see also Doctrine and Covenants 98:47.
2. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor (2001), 25.
3. Matthew 5:40–41.
4. See Matthew 25:40.
5. See Matthew 25:45.
6. Matthew 25:31–40.
7. See, for example, Matthew 5:10–12.
8. Name withheld, “Encircled in the Arms of His Love,” Ensign, February 2012.
9. See, for example, Doctrine and Covenants 62:3.
10. Sheri L. Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book
Company, 2019), 349.
11. See Luke 17:10.
12. Mark 9:42.
13. Jacob 3:1.
14. Isaiah 61:3.
 Chapter 21

FORGIVENESS THROUGH FORGIVING

When I was a student at Brigham Young University, Professor Hugh W. Nibley was a
respected intellectual who at times would speak very dramatically, but would also raise
our vision and challenge our thinking. On one occasion, I heard him say, “[There are]
two things and . . . only two things we are good at: we can forgive and we can repent.
These are the two things the angels envy us for.” In a funeral address for a friend, he
explained his reason for including repentance. “Who is righteous? Anyone who is
repenting. No matter how bad he has been, if he is repenting he is a righteous man.
There is hope for him. And no matter how good he has been all his life, if he is not
repenting, he is a wicked man. The difference is which way you are facing.” He added,
“The man on the top of the stairs facing down is much worse off than the man on the
bottom step who is facing up. The direction we are facing, that is repentance.”1
We have been powerfully commanded to forgive all those who have hurt or sinned
against us, either intentionally or unintentionally, even those who may choose to make
little or no attempt toward restitution. The Savior said, “For if ye forgive men their
trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”2
Jesus admonishes us: “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge
not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive,
and ye shall be forgiven: . . . For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again.”3
In our day, the Savior has been equally clear about the commandment to forgive:
“Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not
his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in
him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required
to forgive all men.”4
The Book of Mormon teaches: “And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses;
for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses when he says that
he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation.”5
Forgiveness is not excusing accountability or failing to protect ourselves, our families,
and other innocent victims. Forgiveness is not continuing in a relationship with someone
who is not trustworthy. Forgiveness is not condoning injustice. Forgiveness is not
dismissing the hurt or disgust we feel because of the actions of others. Forgiveness is not
forgetting but remembering in peace.
Forgiveness is putting more faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. In His time and
in His way, His love and sacrifice for us will take away our pain and heal our souls. As we
wait upon His healing, remembering how unjustly the Savior of the world was treated,
we move forward in faith, believing that in this world or the next, God will generously
and justly bless all who have been treated unjustly.

More Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement

Our faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ not only includes faith in the Savior’s
ability to pay for our sins, but also His ability to heal our wounds when others have
sinned against us. Christ paid for all the sins of the world, including the effects of those
sins. Forgiveness is not excusing sin; it is trusting in the Atonement of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
 Christ paid for all the sins of the world, including the effects of those sins.
Forgiveness is not excusing sin; it is trusting in the Atonement of the Lord
Jesus Christ.

Through the Savior and His Atonement, all that is unfair, all that is evil and
despicable, will be overcome. How can there be healing for those who have been
wickedly treated by others? There may not be complete justice or peace from courts of
law. There may not be complete justice or peace from the jury of public opinion. But for
those who follow the Savior and trust in His all-encompassing, all-powerful Atonement,
His grace and power will completely overcome the bitter cup that has unrighteously, and
sometimes so egregiously, been placed upon you.
I have known Spencer Christensen for many years. Only recently did I learn of this
experience with forgiveness when his brother, Bishop Steven Christensen, was killed.
Here are Spencer’s words.
In a cold, calculated attempt to cover up forgery and deceit, a man killed my oldest
brother Steve, leaving Steve’s pregnant wife and three young sons without a husband
and father. It was devastating.
The months following were a roller coaster of emotions from sadness to grief to
anger. My older brother was my hero. With time I realized that the only path out of the
grief was to try to forgive and allow the Savior to heal the sorrow and the pain. The
Lord blessed me as I turned to Him.
One day while working at the men’s clothing store started by my father, I received a
phone call. It was the mother-in-law of the man who had killed my brother. My dad
had told her during those painful courtroom hearings that if she ever needed anything,
to call him. That’s how he was.
This humble woman was calling on behalf of her grandson, who had been called to
serve a mission in Germany and needed help. With his father serving a life sentence for
murder, the family’s finances had no room for suiting a missionary.
In that moment I stopped to think what I should do. The feeling was overwhelming
to help her. I followed that Spirit and did what my dad would have done. I did what my
brother Steve would have wanted us to do. I outfitted that future missionary with the
clothing he would need to serve his mission.
As I look back on that time, that young man may have received free clothing, but the
gift I received was priceless. I felt no anger or hatred towards his father; that burden
was not mine to carry. This was about doing what the Savior would do.6

Elder Richard Norby, while serving as a missionary in 2016, was severely injured in
the Brussels Airport by a terrorist bombing attack. He has been greatly blessed, but the
physical pain and the effects of the bombing are with him every time he takes a step and
will be with him for the rest of his mortality. He told me that when he dresses his wounds
each day and thinks about the scars of the terrorist attack, he does not think about the
terrorists or the bomb, but rather, he chooses to think of Jesus Christ and His scars. He
thinks of the garden and of the cross.7 As we, too, choose to think of His cross and His
scars, we will not only be able to forgive others, but we will sense that we are being
sanctified, healed, and forgiven ourselves.
The Savior taught powerfully, “Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to
come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee—Go thy way
unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full
purpose of heart, and I will receive you.”8

God’s Mercy
 The Lord did not waver in His commandment to forgive: “Then came Peter to him,
and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven
times?
“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times
seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take
account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him,
which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord
commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment
to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have
patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with
compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
“But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him
an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me
that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying,
Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him
into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done,
they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
“Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I
forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had
compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth,
and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
“So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive
not every one his brother their trespasses.”9
Joseph Smith said, “The nearer we get to our Heavenly Father, the more we are
disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them
upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs. If you would have God have
mercy on you, have mercy on one another.”10

Forgiving Others
Some of the most beautiful, inspiring stories ever written are about saintly women and
men who have forgiven those who have been the cause of terrible and painful
experiences.
In the April 2010 general conference, Bishop Keith B. McMullin told the true story of
Corrie ten Boom.
In Holland during World War II, the Casper ten Boom family used their home as a
hiding place for those hunted by the Nazis. This was their way of living out their
Christian faith. Four members of the family lost their lives for providing this refuge.
Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie spent horrific months in the infamous
Ravensbrück concentration camp. Betsie died there—Corrie survived.
In Ravensbrück, Corrie and Betsie learned that God helps us to forgive. Following
the war, Corrie was determined to share this message. On one occasion, she had just
spoken to a group of people in Germany suffering from the ravages of war. Her
message was, “God forgives.” It was then that Corrie ten Boom’s faithfulness brought
forth its blessing.
A man approached her. She recognized him as one of the cruelest guards in the
camp. “You mentioned Ravensbrück in your talk,” he said. “I was a guard there. . . . But
since that time, . . . I have become a Christian.” He explained that he had sought God’s
forgiveness for the cruel things he had done. He extended his hand and asked, “Will
you forgive me?”
Corrie ten Boom then said:
“It could not have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held out—but to me
it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do. . . .
 “The message that God forgives has a . . . condition: that we forgive those who have
injured us. . . .
“‘Help me!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the
feeling.’ . . .
“Woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. As I
did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my
arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my
whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.
“‘I forgive you, brother!’ I cried. ‘With all my heart.’
“For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former
prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then.”11

In recent years, I have been greatly moved by the story of Bishop Christopher S.
Williams. Bishop Williams was returning to his Salt Lake City home with his family late
on February 9, 2007. A drunken teenager, driving at a high speed, crossed the center line
of traffic and smashed directly into the Williamses’ automobile. Bishop Williams’s wife,
Michelle, who was expecting their fifth child, died, as did two of their children, Ben and
Anna. Sam, their third child in the car, survived the accident. Bishop Williams, sitting in
the driver’s seat, injured and in shock, began to realize what had happened:
What I was witnessing was absolutely unreal. I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned my
head forward and closed my eyes. I was ready for death. I tried to will myself to pass
out; I wanted to succumb to the process of having my spirit leave my body. From deep
inside my body came a sound of excruciating anguish and pain, of body and spirit being
crushed.
At that moment, he looked out and saw the other car, which had flipped upside down
due to the impact of the crash. He said:
I had no idea who had just hit us, and my mind didn’t think to consider if they were
all right or not or what circumstances might have caused them to cross the median and
strike us. I simply looked at the car in silence. My thoughts went quiet, I felt at peace,
and then I heard a voice that was not my own in my mind as clearly as if it had come
from someone seated next to me. It wasn’t a peaceful, whispered voice, nor was it the
still, small prompting of the Spirit; it was straightforward and filled with power, and
the voice said, “Let it go!”
I fixed my eyes on the overturned car. I immediately felt an enabling power beyond
my own, healing and enlarging my crushed soul. I knew exactly what I had to do and
exactly what those three words meant. Regardless of whoever had been driving the
other car and regardless of whatever the circumstances behind this tragedy were, this
was not my burden to carry. . . . I knew who should carry that burden: He who had
already endured the soul-crushing press of the pains of all men, including this burden,
so that I would not have to bear the infinitely miniscule portion of what He bore. In
that instant of grace and revelation, I knew that my Savior lived and that He was
immediately present with me in my time of greatest need.
At the hospital, Brother Williams learned that it was a seventeen-year-old boy who
had hit them. Somehow, this teenager was unharmed in the accident.
As I lay on that gurney I could feel that love the Savior had for that teenage boy. It
was a soul-transforming and refining experience. I had no idea who the teenager was,
but it didn’t matter. All I felt in that moment was that the Savior had succored me,
anxious to heal and bind up rather than have this crash tear up our families and the
community.
 Considering the fatal injuries of his wife, son, and daughter, Brother Williams was
amazed that his injuries were minimal. He immediately desired to be with his son who
had also survived the accident, who was in critical condition.
I quickly arranged to give him a blessing of health, accompanied by my dad and
Michelle’s father. As we laid our hands on his head, a surge of peace and confidence
filled my soul as he was commanded to be healed. I blessed him that he would make a
full recovery. It wasn’t wishful thinking on my part; I knew exactly what the Savior
wanted me to say, and I felt I said what He would have said had He been there in
person.
In the days that followed, Brother Williams, his son Michael, who was with friends at
the time of the accident, and Sam, recovering in the hospital, were surrounded by friends
and loved ones.
Brother Williams eventually learned more about the teenager who had hit them. He
wrote this about his interaction with Cameron:
The first time I saw him was four months after the accident, at his certification
hearing. Cameron, wearing an orange jumpsuit, slowly entered the courtroom and sat
at the defendant’s table. The proceedings began and, amidst the initial legal motions,
he and I shared a quiet, personal moment when our eyes met and he mouthed the
words “I’m sorry” to me. . . . I had wondered what emotions I would feel when I first
saw him and how I would react. I once again felt the Savior’s love for him and his
family.
As time wore on, I continued to struggle with the despair and loneliness that was left
in my life, but I knew where to turn. In prayer with my Heavenly Father, I would vent
my frustrations and anger, “wrestling with the Lord” as it were, and then I would be
greatly humbled as I was reminded of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Then I could ponder His
life, His example, His patience and long-suffering, and finally feel a greater strength to
stay true to the commitment I had made and move forward.
Almost two years after the accident, I received a call from a counselor at the . . .
juvenile detention facility. She had been working with Cameron and wondered if I
would be willing to assist her in helping him more fully appreciate the impact that the
deaths of Michelle, Ben, and Anna had had on the lives of my family. She told me that
Cameron had prepared some questions for me and asked if I would be willing to meet
with him to answer them in person. I agreed.
A date was set for the meeting, and I began to mentally prepare myself for the visit.
In an effort to organize my thoughts and be prepared with something to say, I started
to write down how the crash had impacted my life. I struggled to really capture
something that I could share with him and I felt the need, given my inability to express
my feelings, to fast and pray for greater inspiration.
After checking in at the desk, I entered a small reception area where I awaited the
counselor. A large, thick security door opened, and she stepped forward into the
waiting area, greeting me warmly and thanking me for being . . . willing to come. As we
walked toward the room where I would meet Cameron, my mind was quieted and I felt
a growing sense of considerable peace; I knew that the counselor and I were not
walking alone. She quickly turned into a small conference room where Cameron was
seated, waiting for us to arrive.
We sat down across from each other, and Cameron unfolded a piece of paper and
began to ask about my life since the accident, how it had affected me, my sons, and my
extended family. He wanted to know more about Ben, Anna, and Michelle to help him
know them and appreciate who they were. I don’t know what I said, only that I felt calm
as I answered each question as directly and concisely as I could.
Cameron then dropped the paper, looked directly into my eyes, and asked, “After all
that I’ve done to your family, how is it that you were able to forgive me?”
 I leaned forward and said, “If there is anything you have seen me do, or heard me
say, or have read about me regarding forgiveness, you should know that it was merely
the Savior working through me.” The Spirit that filled that room was profound as it
pierced both of our hearts with an eternal truth: we are loved by the pure love of Jesus
Christ, and He wants us to fulfill our potential.12

President Russell M. Nelson said in his 2018 Christmas devotional, “A . . . gift the
Savior offers you is the ability to forgive. . . . It is usually easy to forgive one who
sincerely and humbly seeks your forgiveness. But the Savior will grant you the ability to
forgive anyone who has mistreated you in any way. Then their hurtful acts can no longer
canker your soul.”13
We better understand the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ when we forgive
someone who, in our mind, does not deserve to be forgiven.
As our faith in Jesus Christ grows, and as we understand His incalculable gift to us,
our ability to forgive others and our ability to feel forgiven increases. We realize that our
lives here upon the earth are but a short part of eternity and, to truly progress, we must
clear our spirits of anger, hate, and any desire for retribution toward those who have
hurt us or hurt those we love. Forgiveness does not mean that we have to associate and
embrace on a daily basis those who have been cruel to us, but it does mean that we
should not postpone our forgiveness, reliving, harboring, and re-experiencing over and
over again the terrible sins others have thrown upon us. This will only cause a delay in
our peace and happiness.
President Thomas S. Monson taught: “The spirit must be freed from tethers so strong
and feelings never put to rest, so that the lift of life may give buoyancy to the soul. In
many families, there are hurt feelings and a reluctance to forgive. It doesn’t really matter
what the issue was. It cannot and should not be left to injure. Blame keeps wounds open.
Only forgiveness heals. George Herbert, an early 17th-century poet, wrote these lines:
‘He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he
would ever reach heaven, for everyone has need of forgiveness.’”14
I testify, as one of His witnesses, that life’s injustices have been borne by Him. It
requires immense trust in our Savior to forgive another and move forward in faith. As
you try, step by step, to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, you
will receive a heavenly gift, a supernal gift from your Heavenly Father that allows you to
forgive and be forgiven.

It requires immense trust in our Savior to forgive another and move forward in
faith.

Notes
1. “Funeral Address,” in The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, vol. 9, ed. Don E. Norton (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book Company, 1989), 301–2.
2. Matthew 6:14–15.
3. Luke 6:36–38.
4. Doctrine and Covenants 64:9–10.
5. Mosiah 26:31.
6. Personal correspondence to the author, used with permission.
7. See Neil L. Andersen, “Wounded,” Ensign, November 2018.
8. 3 Nephi 12:23–24.
9. Matthew 18:21–35.
10. “Minutes and Discourse, 9 June 1842,” p. [62], The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed July 3, 2019,
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/minutes-an-discourse-9-june-1842/2.
11. Keith B. McMullin, “Our Path of Duty,” Ensign, May 2010; see also Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for
the Lord (1974), 54–55.
12. Chris Williams, “Just Let Go: One LDS Man’s Story of Tragedy and the Power of Forgiveness,” LDS
Living, http://www.ldsliving.com/Let-It-Go-A-Story-of-Tragedy-and-the-Power-of-
Forgiveness/s/71058.
13. Russell M. Nelson, “Four Gifts That Jesus Christ Offers to You,” Christmas Devotional, December
2, 2018; https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/christmas-devotional/2018/12/four-gifts-that-
jesus-christ-offers-to-you?lang=eng.
14. Thomas S. Monson, “Hidden Wedges,” Ensign, May 2002.

Chapter 22

THE SACRED ROLE OF THE PRIESTHOOD

Let us always remember that forgiveness for our sins does not come from the Church,
but from our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The Savior taught us that repentance
comes as we come to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit,1 as we come to Him
in prayer with a willingness to forsake our sins. It is because of the Savior’s mercy and
grace, because of His sacred Atonement, that forgiveness of sin is possible. President
Henry B. Eyring, while serving as a bishop, told a young man who “had been moved by
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to make long and painful repentance . . . ‘I [forgive you] in
the name of the Church, . . . The Lord will forgive you in his own time and in his own
way.’”2
We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is His Church,
and we have taken upon ourselves His name. When Jesus Christ came to the earth, He
established His Church. In calling His Apostles, He declared, “Ye have not chosen me,
but I have chosen you, and ordained you.”3 The Apostle Paul taught, “And he gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the
head, even Christ.”4
Following the Resurrection of the Savior, the kingdom of God was not a loose-knit
community of believers but was organized with divine authority to care and watch over
the Church. Many centuries after this divine priesthood was lost, the Savior sent
resurrected beings to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to restore the
authority and ordinances of the priesthood. John the Baptist restored the Aaronic
Priesthood. Peter, James, and John restored the Apostolic or Melchizedek Priesthood.
Special keys were delivered in the Kirtland Temple by Elijah, Elias, and Moses.5
The Savior organized His Church anciently and restored His Church in our day to
bring about the perfecting of His Saints and the gathering of Israel on both sides of the
veil. The New Testament definition of “saint” is a person who is a member of the
Church.6 The organization of the Church, led by those with apostolic authority, is to
administer the ordinances and covenants of the restored gospel, allowing the Saints to
more fully come unto Christ and to prepare for His Second Coming. Elder Dale G.
Renlund reminded us that “a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.”7

The Kingdom of God on Earth

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth
restored in these latter days to help us in our progression. We place our faith in Jesus
Christ, and our conversion is first to our Lord and Savior. In describing the work of the
Savior’s disciples following His visit to the American continent, the scriptures state “that
thus they did go forth among all the people of Nephi, and did preach the gospel of Christ
unto all people upon the face of the land; and they were converted unto the Lord, and
were united unto the church of Christ.”8 Converted unto the Lord and united unto the
Church of Christ.
The Church of God has always been present when the priesthood is upon the earth.
This “priesthood authority [is] to administer the ordinances of salvation and exaltation
to all who are worthy and willing to accept them.”9
In order “to assist individuals and families in this effort, [the Church, and its leaders]:
1. Teach and testify of the pure doctrines of Jesus Christ.
2. Strengthen individuals and families in their effort to make
and keep sacred covenants.
3. Provide counsel, support, and opportunities for service.
“In addition, certain priesthood leaders have the authority to oversee the performance
of the saving priesthood ordinances.”10
The power of priesthood keys, held by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles, is delegated to local leaders to establish, regulate, and govern the Church, as
well as protect the integrity of the doctrine and maintain a standard of worthiness for its
members as they participate in the saving ordinances. The requirements for one to be
baptized are clearly stated in the scriptures: “All those who humble themselves before
God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits,
and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are
willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him
to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of
Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.”11

The Sacred Responsibility of Church Leaders

I emphasize once again that repentance and forgiveness come by and through the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord, however, has called and designated certain Church leaders
as judges in Israel.12 They have a sacred responsibility in protecting the ordinances and
ministering to members relative to their worthiness to participate. Listen to how the
Savior explained this need to protect the ordinances when He visited those in the
Western Hemisphere.
“And now behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not
suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall
minister it; For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and
drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and
drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him. . . . Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him
out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to
minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with
full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing
salvation unto them.”13
 If a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sets aside holy
ordinances and covenants he or she has made with the Lord and willfully disobeys God’s
commandments, the bishop and stake president act as servants of the Lord in helping
the member to repent. President M. Russell Ballard explained why priesthood help is
needed in the case of serious sins: “For those who have strayed, the Savior has provided
a way back. But it is not without pain. Repentance is not easy; it takes time—painful
time! You deceive yourself if you believe you can break the promises you have made with
Heavenly Father and suffer no consequence.”14 The help from a priesthood leader
normally begins with private discussions between the person wanting to repent and the
bishop or the stake president. While these discussions usually begin with only the person
desiring to repent and the priesthood leader, if the person desiring help needs or feels
more comfortable with a parent, spouse, or friend present during the discussions, the
bishop or stake president will be very sensitive in welcoming needed support. Prayer,
sensitive concern, and confidentiality are central to this sacred process.
At times, temporarily withholding the privilege of taking the sacrament or attending
the temple can bless the person desiring to be worthy once again. Elder John H. Groberg
told of this experience:
Some years ago, a young couple we will call the Joneses visited with
their bishop about a [worthiness issue] the wife had. The details are
not important, but through the direction of the Spirit, the bishop
[asked] that, among other things, Sister Jones would not partake of
the sacrament for a period of time. . . .
With [much] love and support, she continued to attend meetings with her family,
and few but her husband and the bishop were aware of the situation or even noticed
that week after week she did not partake of the sacrament. At first she didn’t feel much
difference; but as time went on, she became more and more desirous to be worthy to
partake of the sacrament. She thought she had repented before, but as the real soul-
searching deepened and as her desire to worthily partake of the sacrament increased,
true fundamental changes began to take place in her life and in her actions and in her
thinking.
More time passed. Finally, during one sacrament meeting, the Spirit bore witness to
the bishop and to Brother and Sister Jones that the time had come for her to again
partake of the sacrament. . . .
Next Sunday came, and Sister Jones sat again with her family, nervous, yet excited
and full of anticipation. “Am I really worthy? How I want to be!” she thought. The
sacrament hymn was more meaningful than ever. She sang with such feeling that it was
difficult to hold back the tears. And the sacrament prayers—how profound! She
listened so intently that every word sank deep into her soul—to take His name, always
remember Him, keep His commandments, always have His Spirit. (See D&C 20:77, 79.)
“Oh, how I desire this,” she thought.
The deacons began to move up and down the aisles, and the trays were passed from
person to person across the rows. As one young deacon got closer and closer to her row,
her heart began to pound harder and harder. Then the tray was coming down her very
row. Now her husband was holding the tray in front of her! Tears streamed down her
face. There was a barely audible sob of joy, . . . as she reached for the emblem of the
Lord’s love for her. The congregation did not hear the sob, but they did notice the tears
in the bishop’s eyes.
Life and hope and forgiveness and spiritual strength had been given and received.
No one could be more worthy. Sister Jones truly wanted to have His Spirit. She wanted
to take His name upon her. With all her heart, she wanted to remember Him and keep
His commandments. She wanted to repent, to improve, and to follow the guidance of
His Spirit.15
Ordinances, Covenants, and Councils
The stake president and bishop have been given the authority, when necessary, to
convene a council on worthiness matters.16 These councils are not tribunals of
persecution or punishment. Absolutely the opposite. Their purpose is to lovingly help
someone return to God. The highest priority of the priesthood leaders in these councils is
to protect others who could be harmed. They also have the sacred responsibility to help
the person desiring to repent to access the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. Finally, they
are to help safeguard the integrity and good name of the Savior’s Church by not allowing
the conduct of a member of the Church to impair the moral influence of Jesus Christ and
of His Church.
These councils may be encouraged or required when the following sins are committed:
murder, incest, rape, abuse, apostasy, robbery, theft, selling illegal drugs, fraud, perjury,
other criminal acts, adultery, a pattern of fornication or sexual relations outside the laws
of God, transgressions of a predatory nature, ongoing patterns of transgression, serious
transgressions that are widely known, and serious transgressions committed by an
individual in a prominent Church position.

These councils are not tribunals of persecution or punishment. Absolutely the

opposite. Their purpose is to lovingly help someone return to God.

These serious departures from the commandments of God bring into question
whether an individual is worthy to participate in the ordinances of the gospel and if that
person should remain a member of the Church.
The Lord has warned that the sin of denying the Holy Ghost, the most serious of sins,
is unforgiveable and unpardonable, a sin described by Joseph Smith in this way: “[He]
must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, know God, then sin
against Him.”17 Certain degrees of murder may also be unforgiveable.18
All other sins may be forgiven, depending upon the individual’s desire and willingness
to repent. The Lord Jesus Christ is “the keeper of the gate . . . and He employeth no
servant there.”19 He knows all the conditions, circumstances, and motives of all our sins.
All of God’s judgments will be perfectly just, including an abundance of mercy for the
truly repentant, made possible through the Savior’s infinite sacrifice. In this we see our
Father’s perfect love for His sons and daughters.20
For someone who is a member of the Church and has broken serious laws of God, a
council may be conducted on the ward or stake level, depending upon the seriousness of
the sin and the level of accountability. The proceedings of the council are directed by
fervent prayer, under the influence of the Holy Ghost. All attending priesthood leaders
are instructed that they are to keep the discussions of the council strictly confidential.
There is no desire to embarrass or to rehearse all the details of the sins committed.
Rather, the intent is to understand what took place, the seriousness of the sins, and the
circumstances that contributed to not keeping baptismal covenants and temple
covenants. The person who has come to the council is respected as a child of God and is
lovingly given time to express the feelings of his or her heart about the issues before the
council and about his or her faith in the Savior. At the end of the council, the bishop or
the stake president meets privately with his counselors. In deep, meaningful prayer, they
plead with the Lord to know the decision He would have them make by the power of
revelation. Various outcomes are possible. It may be determined that the individual
remain in good standing in the Church. The individual may remain a member of the
Church but with certain restrictions placed on his or her activity and the opportunity to
participate in the ordinances and blessings of the gospel. In some cases, a person’s
membership in the Church may be withdrawn.
The decisions made in these sacred councils are not meant to be punishment for sin,
but an important step to help a member of the Church who has taken a serious step from
the path of eternal life to repent and return to the Savior. Always remember the divine
gifts of mercy, grace, and forgiveness come directly to each of us through Jesus Christ
and Him alone. It is because of His atoning sacrifice that we may have the stain and guilt
taken from our lives and we may stand clean and pure before Him. “Verily, thus saith the
Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be
forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out
of temptation, and I have loved you.”21
After participating in a council, one member said, “There was a peace to the whole
process. I’ve heard people say that once [your Church membership is withdrawn], you
feel the Holy Ghost leave. . . . But I [disregarded my covenants and lost the gift of the
Holy Ghost] long before this time. In fact, I felt the Spirit in these proceedings more than
I had in [many] years prior to these proceedings. . . . Any anxiety I had, any anxiousness,
any nervousness, it was all swallowed up in that spirit of love and charity that [was in the
council].”22
Another person explained the reason he felt that the Spirit of the Lord was present:
“We don’t have to come forward with [what] we’ve done. We don’t have to [attend] these
councils, but because we want to change and become [more] like our Savior, we do. . . .
We humble ourselves enough to be vulnerable, . . . and that, I think, is where repentance
starts. Showing God . . . a broken heart and a contrite spirit to do whatever . . . He
requires of us.”23

The Lord’s Redeeming Love and Forgiveness

President Spencer W. Kimball said: “Sometimes . . . when a repentant one looks back
and sees the ugliness, the loathsomeness of the transgression, he is almost overwhelmed
and wonders, ‘Can the Lord ever forgive me? Can I ever forgive myself?’ But when one
reaches the depths of despondency and feels the hopelessness of his position, and when
he cries out to God for mercy in helplessness but in faith, there comes a still, small, but
penetrating voice whispering to his soul, ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee.’”24
Through the years, I have had the privilege of meeting with many men and women
who have humbly and willingly sought to reconcile their lives with the teachings of the
gospel of Jesus Christ, who eventually were rebaptized, and who were presented to the
First Presidency to have their priesthood and temple blessings restored. Their sins were
serious, and often there were innocent family members or others who had been wounded
by their selfishness and unrighteousness. And yet, with the assignment from the First
Presidency, as I placed my hands upon their heads to restore their blessings, I
unequivocally felt the love and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ for these men and
women.
On one occasion, I was in a country far away, speaking a language that was not my
native tongue. I was to meet a man and interview him on behalf of the First Presidency of
the Church for the restoration of his priesthood and temple blessings.
After his marriage in the holy temple, and after three wonderful children had entered
into their family, the man, very sadly, was unfaithful to his wife. A single young lady
became pregnant with his child. The young lady desired an abortion.
The noble wife of this unrighteous man pleaded with the young lady not to abort the
baby, and promised that she would take the child once he was born and raise him with
her own children.
It had been more than ten years since the man’s name had been withdrawn from the
records of the Church. I met the family. Normally, the husband and wife would come
alone to meet with a General Authority, but on this occasion, the father and mother
brought their children with them. As I reviewed the report on what had happened over
the past many years, I was so saddened by the great selfishness of this man many years
previous and I truly marveled at the goodness of this righteous wife and mother.
I asked first to speak to this remarkable woman. She was full of love and faith. The
pain and sadness were years in the past. She loved the boy as her own and desired to
have him sealed to her and her husband, becoming part of their eternal family. She had
found the strength through her undaunted faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement to
forgive her husband and prayed that he could return with her to the house of the Lord.
She described how her husband had humbly tried for a decade, in every way he possibly
could, to make amends and to love and care for her and the family.
The man had been rebaptized some years previous to our visit. When he came in the
room with me, though it had been ten years, he was still full of remorse, and his tears
were unending. He had watched his wife suffer. He had watched her take up her cross
daily and follow the Savior. He loved her for her willingness to love him and their
beautiful family.
After establishing his worthiness and inviting his precious wife back in the room, I
placed my hands upon his head and, with the approval of the First Presidency, restored
his priesthood blessings and temple ordinances. Tears flowed freely as we felt the
absolute power of the Savior’s love and mercy for this man, for this noble woman of God,
and for their children, including the ten-year-old boy.
Could this woman who had been so wronged be so forgiving and embracing?
Miraculously, she was! Could the young boy, now ten years old, who could have been a
constant reminder of the unfaithfulness of her husband, be so accepted and loved?
Miraculously, he most certainly was! Could this man who had done such wrong be clean
and forgiven? Yes, in that moment, I knew he was! I felt it powerfully and
unquestionably, as my hands were upon his head, sharing a blessing from God! How
could it possibly be? I humbly witness, as one who knows, that it is only through the all-
powerful gift of the Savior’s Atonement, only through the merits, mercy, and grace of
Jesus Christ, and only by His incomparable gift of redeeming love and forgiveness. This
is the miracle of forgiveness.
Notes
1. See 3 Nephi 12:19.
2. Henry B. Eyring, “Come unto Christ,” BYU Devotional, October 29, 1989,
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/henry-b-eyring/come-unto-christ/.
3. John 15:16.
4. Ephesians 4:11–15.
5. See Doctrine and Covenants 110:11–16.
6. “In the New Testament the saints are all those who by baptism have entered into the Christian
covenant” (Bible Dictionary, “Saint”).
7. Dale G. Renlund, “Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying,” Ensign, May 2015.
8. 3 Nephi 28:23.
9. Handbook 2: Administering the Church, “The Role of the Church,” 1.1.5.
10. Handbook 2: Administering the Church, “The Role of Church Leaders and Teachers,” 1.2.2.
11. Doctrine and Covenants 20:37.
12. See Doctrine and Covenants 58:17; 107:72.
13. 3 Nephi 18:28–29, 32.
14. M. Russell Ballard, “Keeping Covenants,” Ensign, May 1993.
15. John H. Groberg, “The Beauty and Importance of the Sacrament,” Ensign, May 1989.
16. See Doctrine and Covenants 102.
17. “Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff,” p. [138], The Joseph Smith Papers,
accessed July 8, 2019, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-7-april-
1844-as-reported-by-wilford-woodruff/6 .
18. See Doctrine and Covenants 42:18.
19. 2 Nephi 9:41.
20. See John 3:16–17.
21. Doctrine and Covenants 95:1.
22. All In, an LDS Living podcast, Episode 20.
23. All In, Episode 20.
24. Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1969),
344.
 Chapter 23

THE HOLY GHOST—A MESSENGER OF

FORGIVENESS

We have spoken about our loving Heavenly Father and the plan He authored to bring
about our happiness. We have also sacredly considered the central Being of the Father’s
plan, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and His most important gift to all humanity. As we
now consider receiving, recognizing, and retaining forgiveness, our thoughts turn to the
third member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost.
While visiting United States President Martin Van Buren, seeking redress for the
persecution of the Saints, the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked the difference between
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other religions of the day. Joseph
Smith responded to President Van Buren that “we differed in mode of baptism, and the
gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.” He added that “we considered that all
other considerations were contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost.”1
During the first year that President Russell M. Nelson served as the President of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he strongly emphasized the importance of
revelation and the gift of the Holy Ghost. He said, “In coming days, it will not be possible
to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence
of the Holy Ghost.”2
These two statements, by the Prophet Joseph Smith and President Russell M. Nelson,
are quite dramatic. Prophets do not exaggerate. The statements, “All other
considerations were contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost,” and, “It will not be possible
to survive spiritually without the . . . influence of the Holy Ghost,” should rivet our
attention on the importance of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead and has an essential role in our
receiving, recognizing, and retaining forgiveness.3 The Holy Ghost provides the way for
us to feel clean when we have sufficiently repented and know that our new life is
acceptable to the Father and to the Son. When reading the scriptures, how often do we
see the phrase, “Then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy
Ghost”?4 Or, remember how the Holy Ghost blessed those listening to King Benjamin:
“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.”5
You know that you are a son or daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves you and has
sent you to earth to become more like Him. You have developed your faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, rejoicing that His Atonement was for you and that forgiveness can come
through Him as you repent and come unto Him. As you have come to believe in His
mercy and His grace, you may also come to know with certainty of the reality and power
of the Holy Ghost to bestow that cleansing power upon you.
In the centuries following the death of Christ’s Apostles, the true understanding of
God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was confused and distorted as
people interpreted the scriptures in light of Greek philosophy instead of prophetic
insight. Over time, theologians debated and decided that God the Father, Jesus Christ,
and the Holy Ghost were one God that manifests Himself in different ways.6
The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ reaffirmed the truth concerning the
Godhead. The scriptures teach, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as
man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a
personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.”7

The Role of the Holy Ghost

Believe in the Holy Ghost as surely as you believe in the Father and the Son. He is the
third member of the Godhead.
He testifies of the divinity of Jesus Christ. “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but
by the Holy Ghost.”8
The Holy Ghost is a revealer of truth. “For the Lord God hath made them manifest
unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.”9
As Jesus explained, the Holy Ghost is a teacher. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”10
The Holy Ghost brings a warning voice. “And it came to pass that the Lord did warn
me, that I, Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness.”11
The Holy Ghost will confirm decisions we will make. “If it is right I will cause that
your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”12
He is a personal guide. “If ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it
will show unto you all things what ye should do.”13
He is a comforter. “And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of
heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy
Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love.”14
He is a conveyor of gifts. “Deny not the gifts of God, for they are many . . . and they are
given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them.”15
He is a sealer of the ordinances offered through the Holy Priesthood and those
administered in the holy temples. “All covenants . . . that are not made and entered into
and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise . . . are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and
after the resurrection from the dead.”16

The Sanctifier
Of utmost importance, as we repent and forsake sin, the Holy Ghost is a messenger of
mercy, a sacred communicator of forgiveness bought through the blood of Christ,17 and a
sanctifier who confirms our forgiveness. “Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto
me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy
Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”18 “That ye may receive a
remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”19
President Henry B. Eyring has said: “Reception of the Holy Ghost is the cleansing
agent as the Atonement [of Jesus Christ] purifies you. . . . That is a fact you can act on
with confidence. You can invite the Holy Ghost’s companionship into your life. And you
can know when He is there, and when He withdraws. And when He is your companion,
you can have confidence that the Atonement is working in your life.”20
With this holy sanctification, we see in a purer light, and these changing feelings help
confirm the forgiveness we are receiving. “They, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost,
having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look
upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many,
who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.”21
The influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives, the feelings He places in our hearts, the
impressions and confirmations of holiness we feel, are confirmations from God that we
are receiving a remission of our sins and are being forgiven. It is true that there are some
whose repentance and forgiveness seem quickly completed. The resurrected Savior
appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul instantly abandoned his sins, placed his
complete faith in Christ, and was forgiven.22 Alma the Younger spoke with power when
he said, “Yea, I say unto you . . . that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as
were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you . . . that on the other hand, there can be
nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.”23
For most of us, the transformation of being born again and having a new life is more
gradual and steady. As we keep the commandments, we receive added light and spiritual
knowledge, and we are born again step by step. President Wilford Woodruff assured us:
“The nearer we adhere to the commandments of God, the more confident we shall
become that God is our friend and that He is watching over us and that His Son Jesus is
our advocate with the Father.”24

For most of us, the transformation of being born again and having a new life is
more gradual and steady.

Speaking of our Father Adam, the scriptures declare, “The Spirit of God descended
upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man.”25
Sometimes the Spirit comes as subtly as the dews of heaven.26 The voice of Jesus
Christ heard in the darkness by the children of Lehi before His appearance to them
spoke of the Lamanites who “were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they
knew it not.”27
As we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, confess our sins before Him, forsake our
sins, and keep the commandments, the Holy Ghost comes more powerfully and more
continuously in our life, and we see the purposes of mortality and the blessings of
eternity more clearly. This is part of what Alma meant by being “born of God, and
[being] filled with the Holy Ghost.”28
Paul teaches that “the fruit of the Spirit,” meaning the fruit of the Holy Ghost
magnified within us, “is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, [and] temperance.”29
As we feel these spiritual qualities fall upon us more frequently and intensely, we
recognize the power of the Holy Ghost in our lives, helping ease the guilt and pain.
Through this gift of God, we are reassured that we are in the process of receiving a
remission of our sins. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost in greater and greater
abundance is a real evidence that the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ is working
upon us and that our sins are being forgiven.
Believe this and look for the feelings, confirmations, and increased peace given you by
the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is often described as the still, small voice.30 The voice is something we
feel more than a sound we hear.31 We cannot force the Spirit; we must await its
coming.32 We can, however, develop the climate that invites the Spirit. There is no better
climate than true repentance and keeping the commandments of God. Our experiences
with the Holy Ghost build upon one another. If you have had few experiences with the
Holy Ghost in the past, be patient. With time and righteousness, the Holy Ghost becomes
a valued companion that you desire to have with you at all times. Joseph Smith said, “A
person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance,
when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas,
so that by noticing it . . . and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you
may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.”33
Satan always wants you to believe you are not worthy to receive the Holy Ghost, but
your Heavenly Father rejoices at your every effort to repent and come unto the Savior.
The impressions of the Holy Ghost are often felt through words, thoughts, or
feelings34 that are communicated to the mind. Both the intellect and the feelings of the
heart (the emotions) are involved. Sometimes thoughts come into our mind without
explanation. Thoughts that at one time seemed very separate and apart connect together
and we see truth emerge before us. Listen to your conscience, as it is an instrument used
by the Holy Ghost. Keep a prayer in your heart with confidence that in the Lord’s time,
answers will come, and line upon line you will feel the power of His forgiveness.
How do you recognize this precious voice when it is telling you that you are being
forgiven? First of all, believe that the voice is real and believe that as you forsake your
sins, come unto Christ, keep His commandments, and desire to do good, that voice will
grow within you. I like these words from Moroni: “Wherefore, all things which are good
cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto
God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do
that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do
good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to
love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. . . .
“For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from
evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do
good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ;
wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing
persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God,
then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth
the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels;
neither do they who subject themselves unto him.”35

Receiving the Savior’s Approval

As you pray, gratefully thanking your Heavenly Father for the blessings that He has
given to you; as you forsake your sins and desire to follow His Son, you will feel the Holy
Ghost moving you toward those things that are good and right. As you truly forsake your
sins, not looking back upon them, but going forward in righteousness, you will feel His
approval and the forgiveness of your sins. The Holy Ghost many times magnifies for the
righteous members of the Church what in these verses is called “the Spirit of Christ.”
As a mission president in France, I found missionaries frequently asked, “How can I
know when I am forgiven?” Perhaps two or three years before their mission, they had
made a serious mistake. Now they were preaching the gospel. They were testifying of
Christ, yet their sins still troubled them, and they were not sure they were forgiven. One
of the greatest things I could teach them was to have patience and continue in their
goodness, and their forgiveness would be certain. For smaller mistakes, the Lord may be
quick to forgive. But at times, for more serious sins, the Savior desires that we
convincingly demonstrate that we have forsaken them, that we will never return to them.
Many times, we are impatient with His process, wanting to know now. My counsel is to
be patient. Do good and be assured that if you are humbly feeling the Lord’s Spirit upon
you, you are in a state of being forgiven. With time, while the memory of your sin may
not totally leave you, the stain, the pain, and the guilt will be gone, and you will realize
that the Savior has taken the sin from you.

Be patient. Do good and be assured that if you are humbly feeling the Lord’s
Spirit upon you, you are in a state of being forgiven.

Forgiving Oneself
In an impatient world, patience is a divine virtue, greatly needed in our journey to the
remission of our sins. Guilt for the same offense is not felt equally by every person. As a
Church leader for more than four decades, I have attempted to help many women and
men who confide, “I have done everything I can to repent. I have felt the Lord’s love. But
I just can’t forgive myself.” As you feel the Savior’s love and the Holy Ghost more fully in
your life, you will feel the Lord comforting you with the thought, “Go forward. I have
paid the price of your sins. By not forgiving yourself, you are, in your own mind,
devaluing the sacred gift of forgiveness I have given to you.”
Obtaining peace and forgiving oneself can be especially difficult when a mistake or
transgression brings permanent and dire consequences for someone else, with
repercussions that cannot be reversed.
After my call to the Quorum of the Seventy, I served for four years with Elder
Robert E. Wells, until he obtained emeritus status in 1997. He is now more than ninety
years old. I spoke to him recently about a devastating experience in his early life. He told
me of his reluctance over the years to recount the story, although it had occurred nearly
sixty years ago. I could find the experience only one place in print, and that printing was
following his service as a General Authority. Elder Wells spoke with emotion as he
shared his still-tender feelings of those difficult days.
Elder Wells told me that if his journey through agonizing sorrow and guilt could help
ease the pain and suffering of someone else who felt a similar burden, he was willing to
share his very personal experience of coming to know of the Savior’s love and
forgiveness.
While living in Paraguay in 1960, and employed as an international banker, Robert
Wells, then thirty-two years old, lost his wife in a tragic airplane accident. He and his
wife, Meryl, were each pilots in two different planes, flying home from Uruguay to
Paraguay. Encountering thick clouds, Robert and Meryl lost visual and radio contact
with each other. Robert quickly landed at the nearest airport, where he sadly learned his
wife’s plane had crashed. Neither his wife nor the two friends flying with her had
survived. His children, at home in Asunción, were ages seven, five, and two.
Years later, Elder Wells spoke of his grief:
Words will forever be inadequate in expressing the pain that swelled within me,
consuming my emotions and numbing my senses. Profound tears of sorrow simply
wouldn’t stop flowing. To make matters worse, as my mind was attempting to deal with
the devastating realization of my wife’s passing, I found myself experiencing
tremendous guilt for feeling I was responsible for the crash.
Robert Wells believed in Jesus Christ, in His Resurrection, and in the power of His
Atonement to one day reunite their righteous family. But all was not well.
Following my wife’s funeral in the United States, and after returning to Paraguay
with my three children, my mind went into a dark daze. I became a walking vegetable,
able to function only on a minimal level. This I did for the sake of the children and for
no other reason. . . . I simply existed—nothing more.
Robert blamed himself for not having had the plane checked out better before they
flew. He chastised himself for not giving his wife adequate instrument flying
instructions. He felt he was guilty of neglect.
That, combined with the remorse and loss of two dear friends in addition to my
beloved sweetheart, became almost more than I could bear. Once the tears stopped, I
simply lost my desire to continue on.
In his sorrow, Robert was blessed with a deeply spiritual experience that brought an
understanding of the Savior’s Atonement. This sacred communication not only
confirmed the anticipated promises for the next life but gave him the strength to again
find happiness and purpose in this life. He recounted:
One evening, about one year later, while on my knees in prayer, a miracle occurred.
While praying and pleading to my Heavenly Father, I felt as though the Savior came to
my side and I heard an audible voice speaking these words to my soul and to my ears:
“Robert, my atoning sacrifice paid for your sins and your mistakes. Your wife forgives
 you. Your friends forgive you. I will lift your burden. Serve me, serve your family, serve
your employer, and all will go well with you.”
From that moment, the burden of guilt was amazingly lifted from me. I had been
rescued! I immediately understood the encompassing power of the Savior’s Atonement,
and I now had a testimony that it applied directly to me. While I had previously felt like
I could have been swallowed up to destruction—and even desired it—I now realized
that Christ had comforted me. Just as my mind and emotions had been at the darkest
level, I now experienced light and joy like I had never before known. I was filled with a
new desire to serve Christ, His Church, my family, and my employer. The guilt and
despair had disappeared. As my mind assimilated what had transpired, I realized that I
had been given an unearned gift—the Lord’s gift of grace and forgiveness. I felt like I
didn’t deserve it—I had done nothing to merit it, but He gave it to me nonetheless. 36

The Holy Ghost has many purposes: to teach you, warn you, lift you, and comfort you.
Never forget that one of His greatest purposes and blessings to you is that He can
sanctify you and bless you with the feelings that allow you to know with certainty of our
Heavenly Father’s forgiveness. “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.”37 The Holy Ghost can help
you realize that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is working upon you and you are
becoming clean and pure.
“Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be
forgiven; 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.”38
With time, through repentance, obedience, and keeping the commandments, we grow
up in the Spirit of revelation,39 we become new creatures in Christ,40 and, as Alma said,
we are spiritually born again.41
Elder Gerrit W. Gong reminds us that even with a spiritual perspective, we live in
mortality: “To be worthy does not mean to be perfect. Heavenly Father’s plan of
happiness invites us to be humbly at peace on our life’s journey to someday become
perfected in Christ, not constantly worried, frustrated, or unhappy in our imperfections
today. Remember, He knows all the things we don’t want anyone else to know about us—
and loves us still.”42
While we are not perfect, and mortality will continue with its temptations and
distractions, as we are sensitive to our thoughts and desires, and as we keep the
commandments of God, the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion and will testify
of God’s forgiveness.43
The power of the Holy Ghost is not limited to members of the Church and may
influence God’s children in their good and noble efforts. As individuals believe in Jesus
Christ and strive to follow Him and keep His commandments, this heavenly power may
guide and bless them. However, the gift of the Holy Ghost, the right to the constant
influence of the third member of the Godhead, is reserved for worthy, baptized members
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.44 “We believe in the laying on of
hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”45 The Prophet Joseph Smith explains: “There is a
difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius received the
Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which was the convincing power of God unto him of
the truth of the Gospel, but he could not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he
was baptized. Had he not taken this sign or ordinance upon him, the Holy Ghost which
convinced him of the truth of God, would have left him.”46
Once we have received the blessings of this sacred gift of the Holy Ghost, can you
understand why we try to constantly live worthily? We eagerly remember our prayers
morning and night. We study God’s word through His scriptures and the words of the
living prophets. We listen to music that is uplifting and edifying. We seek to minister to
others, that the Lord might use us as instruments in His hands. We associate with those
who are also trying to be worthy of this special gift and others who are trying to live
decent and honorable lives. In the Lord’s own way and in His own time, we feel peace in
our conscience and our guilt disappears. Our despair turns to hope, and those
unrighteous desires that once tempted us become increasingly abhorrent. Can you
understand why President Russell M. Nelson would say so strongly that “in coming days,
it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting,
and constant influence of the Holy Ghost”?47

In the Lord’s own time, those unrighteous desires that once tempted us
become increasingly abhorrent.

Recognizing that we are being forgiven requires that we identify the presence of the
Holy Spirit in our lives. The Lord describes it this way: “I will impart unto you of my
Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy.”48 When we
are repenting, we often hope for an extraordinary surge of heavenly power full of mercy
and grace, a power that irrefutably comes from heaven. At times, intense feelings from
the Holy Ghost come in exactly this way. More often, however, this spiritual influence is
something that is bestowed upon us as the dews from heaven—gently, line upon line, day
upon day, here a little and there a little—until one day, looking back, we realize that we
feel clean, and our guilt has been swept away.
The power of heaven, including the rich blessing of being forgiven and retaining a
remission of our sins, comes as we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Obediently living
the teachings of Jesus Christ and His gospel will bring the promised constant
companionship of the Holy Ghost to abide with us through our mortal journey. We feel
such gratitude to the Savior. The greatest commandment—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”49—and the second, to
“love thy neighbour as thyself,”50 no longer become painful directives, but a natural
consequence of who we have become.
The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of the most priceless blessings of mortality. I affirm
that the voice of the Holy Ghost is real. I know this voice from heaven and promise you
the constant blessing of this third member of the Godhead as you prepare and qualify
your life to receive Him.
Notes
1. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2011), 97.
2. Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018.
3. See John 3:5; 33 Nephi 27:20; Moses 6:64–68.
4. 2 Nephi 31:17.
5. Mosiah 4:3.
6. See Tad R. Callister, The Inevitable Apostasy and the Promised Restoration (Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Company, 2006), 112–14.
7. Doctrine and Covenants 130:22.
8. 1 Corinthians 12:3.
9. Alma 5:46.
10. John 14:26.
11. 2 Nephi 5:5.
12. Doctrine and Covenants 9:8.
13. 2 Nephi 32:5.
14. Moroni 8:26.
15. Moroni 10:8.
16. Doctrine and Covenants 132:7.
17. See Acts 20:28.
18. 3 Nephi 27:20.
19. 3 Nephi 30:2.
20. Henry B. Eyring, To Draw Closer to God (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1997), 49.
21. Alma 13:12.
22. See Acts 9.
23. Alma 36:21.
24. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff (2004), 208.
25. Moses 6:65.
26. See Doctrine and Covenants 121:45.
27. 3 Nephi 9:20.
28. Alma 36:24.
29. Galatians 5:22–23.
30. See 1 Kings 19:12; 11 Nephi 17:45; Doctrine and Covenants 85:6.
31. See Doctrine and Covenants 9:8.
32. See John 3:8.
33. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 125–34.
34. See Doctrine and Covenants 8:2; Enos 1:10; 11 Nephi 17:45.
35. Moroni 7:12–13, 16–17.
36. Wells Family History, as shared by Brad Wilcox, The Continuous Atonement (Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Company, 2009), 54–58.
37. Mosiah 4:3.
38. Doctrine and Covenants 1:32–33.
39. See Doctrine and Covenants 109:15.
40. See 2 Corinthians 5:17.
41. See Alma 5:12–19.
42. Gerrit W. Gong, “Always Remember Him,” Ensign, May 2016.
43. See Doctrine and Covenants 121:46.
44. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Gift of the Holy Ghost.”
45. Articles of Faith 1:4.
46. “Discourse, 20 March 1842, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff,” p. [137], The Joseph Smith Papers,
accessed July 3, 2019, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-20-march-
1842-as-reported-by-wilford-woodruff/4.
47. Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018.
48. Doctrine and Covenants 11:13.
49. Matthew 22:37.
50. Matthew 22:39.

Chapter 24

THE SACRAMENT, THE TEMPLE, AND

CONTINUAL REPENTANCE

Wherever we are on our journey through life, as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ we
constantly treasure the blessing to repent. Repentance is not punishment; repentance is
a redemptive gift from a loving Heavenly Father.
President Russell M. Nelson explained, “Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling,
or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance.
. . . Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a little
better each day.”1
 What does it mean to continually repent? This is a question that a sincere disciple of
Jesus Christ thinks about and applies every day of life—not just repenting when there
has been a serious deviation from the commandments of God. Nor does it mean that we
are casual in our determination. Joseph Smith said, “Repentance is a thing that cannot
be trifled with every day.”2 Trifling with repentance happens when we do not sincerely
repent but anticipate the next day we will be repenting of the same offenses.

Daily Repentance
In prayer we review the happenings of the day, asking, “Where did I see the Lord’s
hand in my life? How did my actions reveal honesty and unselfishness? What more could
I have done? What thoughts and emotions do I need to control? How could I have better
followed the example of the Savior? How could I have been more kind, more loving,
more forgiving and merciful toward others? In what ways was I less than my Heavenly
Father would want me to be?” We then pause and listen. Our personal prayers open the
window to personal revelation from our Heavenly Father.
I heard eight-year-old William tell of this experience in a talk in Primary: “Yesterday,
my mom wanted to use my blanket because she was cold but I told her no. Finally, I let
her use my blanket and I felt bad for not giving it to her and told her I was sorry. Before I
went to bed, I knelt down and asked Heavenly Father to forgive me and then I felt better.
“Each night before bed, I kneel down next to my bed and ask the Lord for forgiveness
for anything bad that I might have done that day. I decide that I will try to be a little
better the next day. As I do this, I feel good because I know that the Lord forgives me.”3
With faith in Jesus Christ, we openly acknowledge to our Heavenly Father our
mistakes, oversights, and unthoughtful actions toward others. We humbly ask for
forgiveness, listen to the quiet impressions of the Spirit, and promise our Heavenly
Father that we will be more attentive to those things we can improve. We confess our
sins and we forsake them.4 We restore that which we can restore to those we have hurt or
offended. It may be an apology to a spouse or a child, a message to a friend or a
coworker, or a resolve to follow a neglected spiritual impression.

The Sacrament
Nothing reinforces and sustains our efforts to have repentance as a continuous and
constant part of our lives more than our privilege of taking the sacrament each week.
Elder Ulisses Soares has said: “Our weekly taking of the sacrament is so important—to
come meekly, humbly before the Lord, acknowledging our dependence upon Him,
asking Him to forgive and to renew us, and promising to always remember Him.”5 The
Lord said, “That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou
shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day.”6

Nothing reinforces and sustains our efforts to have repentance as a

continuous and constant part of our lives more than our privilege of taking the
sacrament each week.

We approach the sacrament each week with a broken heart and a contrite spirit,
remembering our love for our Heavenly Father and our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ.
We arrive early before the sacrament meeting begins. (To parents with young children, I
would say, be patient and do the best you can.) We reverently think about taking the
emblems of the bread and the water, representing the flesh and blood of Christ, and what
that means, even before the sacrament hymn is sung. We consider the solemn covenants
we have made with God. As we sing the sacramental song, we remember the sacrifices of
our Savior and Redeemer, our promises to Him, and our desire for the Holy Ghost to
always be with us. We rehearse in our minds the powerful words of the hymn we are
singing. We hear the words, “and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they
are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep
his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be
with them.”7 The word “always” resounds in our mind and heart.
Always remember Him? We reflect upon the past week: Did I always remember Him?
Did I see the Lord’s blessings? “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be
made glorious.”8 If I was judged unfairly or unkindly, and had the urge to strike back, did
I remember that they “[judged] him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they [scourged]
him, and he suffereth it; and they [smote] him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they [spat] upon
him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards
the children of men”?9 When I made mistakes or was less than I should have been, did I
think of Him and repent? “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”10 Did I have a strong
determination to be more like Him? When I saw others who needed me, did I think of
Him and minister to those in need? As we remember Him and His suffering, His love for
us, and His willingness to take away our sins, we are filled with enormous gratitude and
a desire to offer our souls to Him. We rejoice that we have taken upon ourselves His
name and promised to keep His commandments.
Always have His Spirit to be with us? President Dallin H. Oaks said, “I believe that the
promise [to always have His Spirit to be with us] not only refers to the Holy Ghost but
also to the ministering of angels. . . . Those . . . who worthily partake of the sacrament . . .
enjoy the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord and the ministering of angels.”11
As we partake of the sacrament, we reflect on our own personal needs and concerns.
“Because it is broken and torn,” President Dallin H. Oaks explains, “each piece of bread
is unique, just as the individuals who partake of it are unique. We all have different sins
to repent of. We all have different needs to be strengthened through the Atonement of
the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we remember.”12
In remembering the Savior, we put into our spirit the pattern of His example, His
character, and His teachings that we need in our own life. As President Howard W.
Hunter reminded us: “The solemn moments of thought while the sacrament is being
served . . . are moments of self-examination, introspection, self-discernment—a time to
reflect and to resolve.”13
The Savior put great emphasis on His disciples partaking of the sacred sacrament. In
Jerusalem, He said, “For this is in remembrance of my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for as many as shall believe on my name, for the remission of their
sins.”14 In ancient America, He said, “[The sacrament] shall be a testimony unto the
Father that ye do always remember me. . . . And if ye shall always do these things blessed
are ye, for ye are built upon my rock.”15 We remember Him, and rejoice in His bringing
the remission of our sins. And as we do, we are built upon His rock.

The Name of Jesus Christ and the House of the Lord

Taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ signifies that we belong to Him. His
holy name includes not only the person He is, but includes His work, His character, His
priesthood, His power, and His position in the eternities.16 In the house of the Lord, we
better understand how to take His name upon ourselves.

Taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ signifies that we belong to
Him.

As we enter the temple, we literally enter His house and feel His presence. We obtain
an added measure of power through His ordinances. With our spiritual eyes, we see
more clearly who we are and our purposes for being on earth. We are awed by the
immeasurable blessings our Savior brings to each of us. We are reverenced by His
holiness.
As we refine our repentance, there are insights and revelations that we need
personally that cannot be known with eyes and words only; they are understood with our
hearts and our souls. In the house of the Lord, as we feel His holiness, we deepen our
desire for our own measure of holiness. Our appreciation, our adoration of Him, humbly
moves our soul to want, as best we can, to emulate Him. We are given through the power
of His Spirit the steps we are to follow to continue to repent and come closer to Him.
President John Taylor said, “Let there be no act of my life, no principle that I embrace
that shall be at variance with these words which were first inscribed by the almighty . . .
Holiness to the Lord.”17
The Apostle Paul wrote that we are “bought with a price.”18 Partaking of the sacrament
and worshipping in the temple allow us to think of Him, think of the depth of His
suffering, His anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, the personal
sacrifice He made not just for everyone else in the world, but for you and me. It allows us
to remember that because of Him, we each will be resurrected and rise triumphantly
from the grave. Because He lived a perfect life and willingly took our sins upon Himself,
He can offer us the mercy of His forgiveness. He paid the price for us, and with His blood
our guilt and pain are replaced with hope and healing as we continually lay aside our
sins.
The Greek word for perfection means completed.19 We are completing ourselves as we
continue the process of becoming. Moroni exhorts us: “Come unto Christ, and be
perfected in him . . . that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ.”20
If we find ourselves temporarily facing setbacks, we don’t become discouraged. We
focus on our love of the Savior and His love for us, and we move forward. Week by week,
year by year, our repentance and resolve draw us closer to Him. We become more loving,
more obedient, more holy in our discipleship. We feel the power of His Spirit upon us,
and we know that our sins are being forgiven. We pray that one day, through His grace,
we might stand clean and pure before Him, our tears wetting His pierced hands and feet.
As a humble servant of the Lord, I assure you that for the righteous, that day will come.
Notes
1. Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign, May 2019.
2. “‘The Prophet’s Instruction on Various Doctrines,’ 27 June 1839, Discourses, between ca. 28 June
and ca. 2 July 1839 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] [addenda],”
p. 8 [addenda], The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed July 3, 2019,
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838–1856-volume-c-1–2-
november-1838–31-july-1842/543.
3. Personal story, used with permission.
4. See Doctrine and Covenants 58:43.
5. Ulisses Soares, “Becoming a Work of Art,” BYU Devotional, November 5, 2013,
https:/speeches.byu.edu/talks/ulisses-soares_becoming-work-of-art/.
6. Doctrine and Covenants 59:9.
7. Doctrine and Covenants 20:77.
8. Doctrine and Covenants 78:19.
9. 1 Nephi 19:9.
10. John 14:15.
11. Dallin H. Oaks, “The Aaronic Priesthood and the Sacrament,” Ensign, November 1998; see also
chapter 17, “Repentance, Angels, and Family Ties.”
12. Dallin H. Oaks, Introductory Message, given in the Mission Leadership Seminar, June 25, 2017.
13. The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997), 110.
14. JST, Matthew 26:24.
15. 3 Nephi 18:6–7, 12.
16. See Dallin H. Oaks, His Holy Name (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998).
17. Journal of Discourses, Vol. 23, 177.
18. 1 Corinthians 6:20.
19. See Russell M. Nelson, “Perfection Pending,” Ensign, November 1995.
20. Moroni 10:32.

Chapter 25

THE DIVINE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS

President David O. McKay was the prophet and President of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints from the time I was born in 1951 until 1970, the year I left for
my mission to France.
Even though I remember seeing President McKay only one time in person, I had a
firm testimony that he was the mouthpiece for the Lord and His holy prophet upon the
earth. President McKay once told of an experience during his early days as an Apostle
that made a deep impression on me. Elder McKay was sailing toward what is now
Western Samoa. He recounted:
Toward evening, the reflection of the afterglow of a beautiful sunset was most
splendid! . . . Pondering still upon this beautiful scene, I lay in my [bed] at ten o’clock
that night. . . . I then fell asleep, and beheld in vision something infinitely sublime. In
the distance I beheld a beautiful white city. Though it was far away, yet I seemed to
realize that trees with luscious fruit, shrubbery with gorgeously tinted leaves, and
flowers in perfect bloom abounded everywhere. The clear sky above seemed to reflect
these beautiful shades of color. I then saw a great concourse of people approaching the
city. Each one wore a white flowing robe and a white headdress. Instantly my attention
seemed centered upon their leader, and though I could see only the profile of His
features and His body, I recognized Him at once as my Savior! The tint and radiance of
His countenance were glorious to behold. There was a peace about Him which seemed
sublime—it was divine!
The city, I understood, was His. It was the City Eternal; and the people following
Him were to abide there in peace and eternal happiness.
But who were they?
As if the Savior read my thoughts, He answered by pointing to a semicircle that then
appeared above them, and on which were written in gold the words:
“These Are They Who Have Overcome the World—Who Have Truly Been Born
Again!”1

Imagine being once again with our Savior and Redeemer.2 He has invited us all to live
with Him in this “City Eternal.”3 The “city” has no limits to its size. There is room for all
“who have overcome the world—who have truly been born again.”4 There are no zoning
laws to restrict one more than another. A place in the “city” cannot be purchased or
acquired.5 No one is told not to come. All are welcome. “He inviteth them all to come
unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black
and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are
alike unto God.”6
 President McKay said, “The city, I understood, was His.” Jesus Christ offers to every
person who has lived or will live in this earth the incomparable gift of living with Him in
the presence of the Father, with his or her righteous family, in a state of never-ending
peace and happiness. He, alone, is the giver of the gift. “The keeper of the gate is the
Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there.”7
“He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world,
even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he
commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.”8
How do we prepare ourselves to receive this eternal gift from our Father and His Son?
President McKay said that these words were written in gold above the city:
“These are they who have overcome the world—
who have truly been born again.”
To overcome the world we must come unto Christ. Amid all the confusion, difficulties,
temptations, and distractions around us, our faith and genuine desires must contemplate
His life, His atoning sacrifice, and His gift as central to how we think and act. We must
receive Him.
John taught, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name.”9
To receive Him, to come unto Him, to know of His priceless gift of forgiveness, we
must seek Him through our faith and repentance. Overcoming the world means we do
not rely upon the ways of the world, but that we humbly forsake our sins and rely upon
Him. As we receive Him, He receives us. “Whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a
little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have
laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye
ends of the earth, and be saved.”10
Our residency in the “City Eternal” cannot be earned by our own efforts, for the gift is
both free and priceless. We can, however, prepare ourselves and sanctify our lives so that
we may continually receive the divine gift of forgiveness. Overcoming the world through
true and constant repentance throughout our mortal life allows us to experience the joy
of receiving this heavenly gift.11
The Lord spoke of those who overcome the world and find themselves in the “City
Eternal.”
“They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and
were baptized after the manner of his burial, . . . That by keeping the commandments
they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit . . .
And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the
Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. . . . And they shall overcome all
things. These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.”12
As we repent and feel of the Savior’s love and grace, our perspective on life is
transformed forever, and we are born again. As the Apostle Paul taught, we each become
“a new creature [in Christ].”13 “Since we have known Christ, now henceforth live we no
more after the flesh.”14 Alma added, “A mighty change [is] wrought in [our] hearts, and
[we humble ourselves] and put [our] trust in the true and living God. And [we are]
faithful until the end.”15 As Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.”16

As we repent and feel of the Savior’s love and grace, our perspective on life is
transformed forever, and we are born again.

Suddenly, the things of eternity take their place more powerfully within our mind and
heart. The words of the Lord to Adam that previously seemed confusing are now
anchored securely in our understanding: “By reason of transgression cometh the fall,
which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and
blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye
must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be
cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified
from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world
to come, even immortal glory; For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit
ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.”17
As one of His Apostles, I declare with certainty that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He
lives. God knows you and loves you. You are eternally precious to Him.18 You can meet
any difficulty of life with faith in Him. He has promised that you may always have His
Spirit to be with you.19 He will keep His promise and He will bless you with the courage
to be clean and pure before Him. Wherever you find yourself today on the path of life, as
long as you have breath, you can reach up and feel the outstretched arms of the Savior.
“Come,” He beckons. “Come unto me.”20 The scriptures declare Him to be “the author
and finisher of our faith.”21 I love Him. You love Him. As you put your trust in Him, I
promise you that He will walk with you and bless you. He will give you strength and bless
you with His heavenly gifts of mercy and grace. You will feel His love, a love that
transcends all other love, as our Savior and Redeemer bestows upon you the divine gift
of forgiveness.
Notes
1. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay (2003), 1–2.
2. See Alma 5:14–16.
3. See Revelation 7:9–17; 21:1–7, 10–26; 22:1–5; Doctrine and Covenants 137:1–4.
4. See John 14:2–3.
5. See Isaiah 55:1–2; 22 Nephi 9:50; 26:25.
6. 2 Nephi 26:33.
7. 2 Nephi 9:41.
8. 2 Nephi 26:24.
9. John 1:12.
10. 3 Nephi 9:22.
11. See Mosiah 4:2; Alma 21:9; Romans 5:9–11; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Revelation 1:5; 5:9;
7:14; Doctrine and Covenants 20:79; 38:4; 54:4–5; 76:69.
12. Doctrine and Covenants 76:51–53, 60, 62.
13. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
14. JST 2 Corinthians 5:16.
15. Alma 5:13.
16. John 3:3.
17. Moses 6:59–60.
18. See Doctrine and Covenants 109:43.
19. See Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79.
20. Matthew 11:28.
21. Hebrews 12:2; see also Moroni 6:4.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For more than ten years I have felt a gentle spiritual impression that I should put
some of the important principles of repentance and forgiveness into one manuscript. The
past decade as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has greatly enlarged my
understanding of the love of our Savior Jesus Christ and the power of His sacred
Atonement. Personal experiences during this time have deepened my sensitivity to the
blessings of repentance and the gift of forgiveness. I thank the Lord for His patience with
me, for His tutoring lessons, and for the urgency I have felt in recent months to complete
the manuscript. I acknowledge His hand in the book’s combination of divine principles
and mortal experiences to highlight His love for each of us. The magnificence of the
Savior’s incomparable gift of forgiveness has become a beacon to my soul.
My wife, Kathy, is an angel whose spiritual sensitivity and pure discipleship have
immeasurably blessed my life and our family for more than forty-five years. Her
supernal judgment and refined thinking have elevated the content of this book. She has
also been invaluable in remembering and discovering experiences from the past that
illustrate the principles being taught. She is a living example of a righteous follower of
Jesus Christ.
I am also very grateful for my children and their spouses, who read the manuscript
and offered important suggestions.
I am deeply indebted to David Durfey, who, having developed and taught a course
entitled “Repentance and Forgiveness” for ten years at Utah Valley University Institute,
willingly helped me organize relevant principles and contributed important insights for
the manuscript.
Richard Holzapfel, Mark Eastmond, Clyde Williams, Cory Maxwell, and Blake Roney
read the manuscript and added significant observations and highly relevant scriptures.
I express gratitude to the women, men, youth, and children who allowed me to share
their stories, sometimes reopening painful wounds from the past, but bringing
authenticity to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His prophets.
Alisa Hale, my very able assistant for the past twelve years, prepared the endless
drafts, watched over a multitude of details, and brought her professional skills to the
final preparation.
Finally, I thank Laurel Christensen Day for her encouragement and oversight and the
very capable talents of her Deseret Book colleagues, especially Richard Erickson and
Tracy Keck, who helped convert a manuscript into an inviting book to open.
I am solely responsible for the content of this book. With many reviewing the book, I
have carefully tried to accurately reflect the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and the
doctrine of His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, if
there are errors, they are mine alone.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ELDER NEIL L. ANDERSEN was sustained a member of the Quorum of

the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
on April 4, 2009. He was called as a General Authority Seventy in April
1993 at the age of forty-one. He served as a stake president in Tampa,
Florida, and as the president of the France Bordeaux Mission. He served
as a young missionary in the Paris France Mission. Elder Andersen has
lived twelve years in Europe and South America as a missionary, mission
president, and General Authority. He received his undergraduate degree
from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Harvard University.
He was the president and owner of an advertising agency in Florida and
partnered in real estate development. After his service as a mission
president, he became a vice president for a large healthcare system. He
and his wife, Kathy, are the parents of four children and have seventeen
grandchildren.