King Lamoni, his wife, and all those who were converted through Ammon’s ministrations to the king also testified “that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil” (Alma 19:33). . . One most significant indicator of forgiveness, described in the Book of Mormon, is found in Enos’s declaration upon hearing the Lord assure him that his sins were forgiven: “My guilt was swept away” (Enos 1:6). The Book of Mormon helps to dispel this myth and to clarify what is meant by a “peace of conscience.” It is obvious from Alma’s record that he could vividly remember his sins as he counseled his sons a generation later. Alma declared, “I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit” (Mosiah 27:24). Seek to be increasingly pure in thought, word, and deed. “And ye will not have a mind to injure one another,” he declared, “but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due” (Mosiah 4:13). They took with them their scriptures, including the books of Moses and the writings of Isaiah, which are found in the Old Testament. to A.D. 400 and takes place primarily in the Americas. The scriptures record that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins” (Mosiah 4:3). God’s Image Engraven upon Our Countenances, Speaking to the Church in Zarahemla, Alma posed a simple, yet significant, question to the Saints regarding the level of their spiritual transformation: “Have ye received [God’s] image in your countenances?” (Alma 5:14). This mighty change of behavior, thoughts, attitudes, and desires comes as a merciful gift of grace—“after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). Helping is noble but you also owe it to yourself to set parameters to protect yourself from generosity burnout and other signs that you're giving too much. That stark realization of guilt, King Benjamin declared, awakens “you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state” (Mosiah 4:5). Thus the worst danger of this superficial view of repentance is that it causes an unwitting but crucial oversight of the most important “R” of repentance—Redeemer. “Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely” (Alma 5:33–34). and if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ” (Moroni 6:7). these and many other good things are the results of a Godly sorrow for sin. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The “Rs of Repentance” (such as restitution) may not apply. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible.” [12]. It is the word of God and, like the Bible, gives us guidance and inspiration in our daily lives. If we desire to know whether our repentance is accepted of the Lord, we should take spiritual inventory of our feelings of concern for others and our involvement in compassionate service. After Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected near Jerusalem, He visited the people of the Book of Mormon. Just one. Church members study the Bible and the Book of Mormon together. Together, the Bible and the Book of Mormon invite all people to follow Jesus Christ and be saved through His grace. True repentance that leads to confession is, as Paul said, born of a “godly sorrow” (see 2 Corinthians 7:9–10). The Apostle Paul spoke of confession that involves both the heart and mouth (see Romans 10:10). Like those spoken of by President Benson, we often struggle mightily, even with the best of intentions, trying to overcome our carnal ways through our own efforts. . A dynamic, interactive, web-friendly presentation of the Book of Mormon. . Speaking of the Nephite Church, Moroni wrote that “they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; . “If He Confess His Sins before Thee and Me . . In fact, there is no scriptural evidence that he had previously performed any of the actions traditionally taught as sequential steps to forgiveness. Additional info. Even in the Book of Mormon, most of the people who exercised faith, repented of their sins, and kept the commandments received a remission of their sins through a gradual process rather than a singular event (see Helaman 3:35, Moroni 8:25–26). “And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth. [7] Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), 236. Enos learned what Nephi had taught earlier—that a remission of sins and ultimate salvation cannot be obtained merely by righteous deeds but rather through “unshaken faith in [Christ], relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save” (2 Nephi 31:19). Confession is a natural response to faith and godly sorrow. This great love is more fully explained in a striking quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love.”. The bishop is empowered to forgive sins as far as the church is concerned, meaning that he can choose to retain the repentant person in full fellowship and not impose court penalties upon him. The Book of Mormon is evidence that God’s love and influence extends beyond the lands and people of the Bible. Under such conditions, the necessary action of confession as taught by Alma, as a fruit of the attitude of confession, as taught by King Benjamin, becomes a blessing rather than a burden. God has the power to make our way easier. She approached me, showed me my actual standing in class, and offered to have make up classes with me. Keep an eternal perspective. Four Ways Jesus Christ Has Shown He is a Champion of Women, 3 Signs That You’re Giving Too Much And What To Do About It | Faith.ph. All who desire to be clean, to have the heavy burden of sin lifted, and to once again feel God’s divine approbation may receive the miracle of forgiveness if they will but approach the Savior with “faith unto repentance.” “Come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel,” wrote Amaleki as he closed the book of Omni, “and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. But what about us? Our spirits will be contrite—filled with desire to submit to God’s will and to learn from Him what we must do to obtain a remission of our sins. The Bible was written by prophets and historians living in the Middle East. A perpetual work-in-progress. Name and email. His guidance far surpasses any emotional lift or well-meant advice from mere mortals. This comprehensive view of forsaking sin was articulated by President Joseph F. Smith: “True repentance is not only sorrow for sins, and humble penitence and contrition before God, but it involves the necessity of turning away from them, a discontinuance of all evil practices and deeds, a thorough reformation of life, a vital change from evil to good, from vice to virtue, from darkness to light.” [8]. It is much more than mere recognition of sin. “And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. Faith is the starting point—the foundation and cause of our repentance.” [3]. Other than this, the Book of Mormon (and the other standard works) gives no list of “Rs” of repentance. Godly sorrow is the indicator of true faith in Christ and the only genuine motivation for bringing forth “fruit meet for repentance” (Alma 12:15). The people of King Benjamin experienced something similar when they penitently petitioned God for His mercy and forgiveness. Can you imagine how overwhelming that is to know that the Lord has full confidence in our capacity to return to Him? Enos, Alma the Younger, King Lamoni and his wife, and King Benjamin’s people all underwent a sudden change of heart during a singular event or experience. Nothing is more distant from the truth. “We must be careful, as we seek to become more and more godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. To confess without a proper repentant attitude is merely to take another ineffectual step in the checklist of repentance. King Benjamin declared, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). Although he could continue to remember his sins and even the pain that he had suffered, his conscience was no longer tortured by guilt. Two requisites of repentance included in sub are "to turn from evil, and to turn to the good." . and be saved at the last day” (Alma 22:18; emphasis added). [1] Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969), 194. The miraculous conversion of King Lamoni and his wife also resulted in the feeling of joy and love that accompanies forgiveness and spiritual rebirth. What does Scripture teach about repentance? “Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature” (Mosiah 27:35–36; 28:3; see also Helaman 5:17). Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the significance of these two types of confession: “There are thus two confessions and two sources of forgiveness. Increased devotion to God. Because of the sincerity of their repentance and the intensity of their faith in and gratitude for the Atonement of Christ, they were later “zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them. . He emphatically declared that faith must precede repentance for the cleansing mercy of the Messiah to be enjoyed: “And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. Increased love and service to our fellowmen. It is not just the abandonment of an action—it is the changing of one’s entire being. This beautiful imagery from Isaiah is a thought-provoking representation of the Lord’s justice and the Lord’s mercy. has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). The central message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is and has always been that through the Atonement of the Lamb of God, the scarlet sins of man can become “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).