In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe we are saved by grace "after all we can do." We believe the Lord is asking us to do. Not just believe in him and praise his name, but follow him, and his instructions to us. It is not a gospel of "I believe in Christ, therefore I am saved! hallelujah". It is a gospel of grace and works. To be doers of the word, not hearers only.
The gospel of Jesus Christ motivates us to change .
When my son Joshua was little he used to say, whenever I corrected him: "Stop trying to change me, Mom. Why are you always trying to change who I am?"
And I laughed and told him Because my sweet boy, that is the purpose of life.
To improve. To become.
More than we were before this life.
To reach our full potential as offspring of God.
To always be progressing.
Receiving more and more light, as much as we are willing to receive, through obedience to God's instructions.
Until we are new creatures, in Christ, through not only his influence, his teachings, but his atoning power that can literally transform us; redeem us, from a fallen state to a perfected one.
There’s a very strong message in the world today to resist personal change. Be who you are. You do you. Don’t let anyone tell you to be different than exactly who you are, right now. Embrace yourself, love yourself.
While we are supposed to love ourselves, Satan is deceiving people to resist personal changes in their life; that they don't have to change things about themselves, including sinful behavior. He is against reform; he’s against repentance, because he knows this whole plan of redemption is about repentance - consistent, daily repentance. Not just for big sins, but in every detail of our lives. God asks us to step outside of our comfort zones and experience things that cause us to stretch, to grow, to be ever learning, changing, improving.
One of the most important things we can realize and teach our children is how to see repentance in a healthy way; that it is not a negative thing. It's not a punishment. It is a joyful invitation; a gift, from a patient, merciful God.
Elder Renlund recently said "My message to all—especially to the youth—is that repentance is always positive. Too often we think of repentance as something miserable and depressing. But God’s plan is the plan of happiness, not the plan of misery! Repentance is uplifting and ennobling. It’s sin that brings unhappiness. Repentance is our escape route!"
We all need to repent. We need to "get up off the couch, put down the remote, and wake up from our spiritual slumber". It is time to put on the full armor of God so we can engage in the most important work on earth. It is time to “thrust in [our] sickles, and reap with all [our] might, mind, and strength.” The forces of evil have never raged more forcefully than they do today. As servants of the Lord, we cannot be asleep while this battle rages.
Stephen Owen, YW General Pres said: Brothers and sisters, we are all prodigals. We all have to “come to ourselves”—usually more than once—and choose the path that leads back home. It’s a choice we make daily, throughout our lives.
Elder David A. Bednar taught: “Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for saints—for good men and women who are obedient, worthy, and … striving to become better.”
President Nelson recently spoke about repentance being a part of our daily routine. Things to repent of daily:
The way we take care of our bodies - healthy food, enough sleep, exercise.
The balance in our lives; the way we spend our time. The battle between laziness and being productive, between being selfish and serving others.
What we look at or what we post on social media, maybe the way we think, the way we treat others.
Our neglect of ministering to people that could use our service and kindness.
Our apathetic attitudes about standards of the church or doctrines of the gospel.
There's always something to change.
The Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression. But He does expect us to become increasingly pure. Through our own efforts and through the transforming power of Jesus Christ, who we put our faith in.
Daily repentance is the pathway to purity, and purity brings power.
When we speak of repentance, we aren’t just talking about self-improvement efforts. True repentance is more than that—it is inspired by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His power to forgive our sins. As Elder Dale G. Renlund has taught us, “Without the Redeemer, … repentance becomes simply miserable behavior modification.” We can try to change our behavior on our own, but only the Savior can remove our stains and lift our burdens, enabling us to pursue the path of obedience with confidence and strength. The joy of repentance is more than the joy of living a decent life. It’s the joy of forgiveness, of being clean again, and of drawing closer to God. Once you’ve experienced that joy, no lesser substitute will do.
I love Lehi's vision of the tree of life. We’re all on the path, at different points along the path, hanging onto this rod of iron, the word of God. Sometimes we let go and wander in the darkness but not too far off the path so that we can get back and cling to the rod again.
It's been hard for me to see some of my siblings let go and leave the path, struggling in mists darkness and doubt, or who have entered into the building where people point fingers and mock those who are still holding on to the rod.
They were taught in the ways of the Lord. In my home growing up, my parents were diligent in studying the scriptures and discussing God's word, and praying daily as a family. We filled our home with sacred music and videos and experience that invited the Holy Ghost to be there and I felt the Spirit testify of these truths countless times.
Why was the principle of repentance so difficult for them to understand? Why did they see it as such a negative thing? Why did they feel such pressure to keep the commandments, to the point that they decided to give up, thinking they could never measure up to the Lord's requirements?
I think one of the missing keys for them was that repentance is a joyful thing. That there is no shame, no need to hide from God. God knows we're going to screw up, it shouldn't be this huge thing where we feel like we're a disappointment to our parents and to everyone in the church. We all should have the attitude of "not if you need to repent, but when you need to repent" and that applies to literally everyone.
Another missing key for them was faith. Faith in the Savior, that he was the one that could do it, not them; that they could measure up but only with his healing and enabling power. We are saved by his grace, after all we can do, after we try our best and ask for his help. Our works alone, our efforts, will never be enough. It has to be combined with the saviors grace, and that is offered through the gift of repentance.