The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(8/30/98)
"In the battle of life, the adversary takes enormous numbers of
prisoners,
and many who know of no way to escape and are pressed into his
service.
Every soul confined to a concentration camp of sin and guilt has
a key to the
gate. The adversary cannot hold them if they know how to
use it. The
key is labeled Repentance. The twin principles of
repentance and
forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of the
adversary." — Elder Boyd K. Packer, "Our Moral
Environment," General Conference, April 1992
(8/31/98)
"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." — Elder
Boyd K. Packer, "The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness," General
Conference, October 1995
(9/1/98)
"Once we have sufficient faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we
believe he
has paid for our sins, then we will repent. And no one truly
repents until they
believe in Christ. You see, there is a difference between
stopping sinning and
repentance. In the first instance we are still guilty; in the
second we are free
of the sin and guilt. People stop sinning all the time because
they are afraid
they will get AIDS or die of lung cancer or some other reason,
but they do not
get rid of their sins. That can happen only when a nonmember
follows Jesus
Christ down into the waters of baptism, then comes forth and
receives the Holy
Ghost by the laying on of hands by priesthood authority. That's
how we get clean
before the Lord (see D&C 84:74)." — Hartman
Rector, Jr., "Ensign," Nov. 1994 (October Conference) page 25-26
(9/2/98)
"The Redeemer can settle your individual account with justice
and grant
forgiveness through the merciful path of repentance. Full
repentance is
absolutely essential for the Atonement to work its complete
miracle in your
life." — Richard G. Scott,
"Ensign," May 1995 (April Conference) page 75
(9/3/98)
"Pride keeps repentance from even starting or continuing.
Some fail
because they are more concerned with the preservation of their
public image than
with having Christ's image in their countenances!" — Neal A.
Maxwell, "Ensign," Nov. 1991
(October Conference) page 31
(6/12/01)
"I thought that repentance, like soap, should be used
frequently. I found
that when I apologized for mistakes, things were better. But for
serious
mistakes, an apology was not enough—sometimes not even possible.
While these
mistakes were, for the most part, not major ones, the spiritual
pain called
guilt invariably set in. Sooner or later they must be resolved,
but I didn’t
know what to do. That happens when you break something that you
alone can’t
fix." — Boyd K. Packer, "Washed
Clean," "Ensign," May 1997, p. 9–10
(2/4/01)
"As children of our Father in Heaven, we can have setbacks of
sin. But we
must never quit or give up hope. Heavenly Father has provided a
way to overcome
spiritual setbacks through the great gift of repentance. He
truly loves us and
wants to forgive us. All we have to do is to go through the
process of
repentance, and we will triumph over our mistakes." — Peter
Vidmar (LDS Olympic gymnastics
champion), "Pursuing Excellence," Ensign, May 1985, p. 39
(2/5/01)
"The scriptures say, 'Behold, he who has repented of his sins,
the same is
forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.' (D&C
58:42.) It’s true.
We can learn to repent and to forgive ourselves. Unfortunately,
some of us would
rather carry a cross farther than we need to rather than confess
and start
anew." — Marvin J. Ashton,
"Carry Your Cross," Ensign, Feb. 1988, p. 70
(2/6/01)
"There are only two elements that separate us from the Holy
Spirit: first,
our lack of desire to repent, and second, our lack of desire to
forgive." — F. Enzio Busche, "Hitting the Mark,"
New Era, Oct. 1997, p. 8
(2/7/01)
"John the Baptist went on to say to Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery that
this priesthood, which he bestowed upon them, included the keys
of the gospel of
repentance. What a marvelous and wonderful thing this is! It is
our privilege,
yours and mine, as those who hold this priesthood, to repent of
evil with the
expectation that we will be forgiven if we live worthy of the
forgiveness of the
Lord." — Gordon B. Hinckley,
"The Aaronic Priesthood—a Gift from God," Ensign, May 1988, p.
46
(2/8/01)
"Free agency in the plan of salvation contemplates that men and
women are
free to choose the direction of their lives for themselves.
Repentance means
that as imperfect beings sometimes make imperfect decisions,
they may correct
their course. By following the rules of repentance, and through
the atonement of
Jesus Christ, mistakes don’t count. The Lord agrees to 'remember
no more.'
(Heb. 8:12.) Because of the miraculous gift of forgiveness,
transgressions are
forgiven—and forgotten. Men can be cleansed and return to the
path of purpose
and progress and peace." — F. Burton
Howard, "Repentance," Ensign, May 1983, p. 60
(6/13/01)
"If you have a bad habit, do you think death is going to change
it? Do you
think that habit will simply dissolve in some miraculous way and
will no longer
be with you? I believe that the Lord impresses upon you and me
the need to
repent and live the law, keep the commandments, and keep our
lives aligned to
the celestial goal because it is when we are here in mortality
that the body and
the spirit can learn together." — M.
Russell Ballard, "Is It Worth It?" "New Era," June
1984, p. 42
(6/14/01)
"Let us rejoice that Jesus Christ’s Atonement really makes it
possible
for us to truly repent, wipe clean our slate, start over, and
virtually begin a
wonderful life. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that regardless
of any
inadequacies we have—or feel we have, or have been told we have,
whether real
or perceived—the Lord Jesus Christ can make up any difference
that may remain
after we have done all we can to overcome our weaknesses (see
Ether
12:27)." — Jack H Goaslind,
"Look to the Future with Optimism," "Ensign," Apr.
1997, p. 24
(6/15/01)
"The gospel offers us the only way to eternal life, and whenever
accepted,
a new era in life begins. The glorious principle of repentance
makes it possible
for each of us to be born again and to go forward in the
knowledge that our sins
are forgiven, and we can now begin to strive for that perfection
which will
bring the promised reward. We are told: '...except ye repent ye
can in nowise
inherit the kingdom of heaven.' (Alma 5:51.)" —
N. Eldon Tanner, "Walking in Obedience to the
Commandments," "Ensign," Feb. 1972, p. 3
(6/16/01)
"Do not doubt your abilities. Do not delay your worthy
impressions. With
God ’s help, you cannot fail. He will give you the courage to
participate in
meaningful change and purposeful living. We need to repent,
straightway, and
trust in His reality and capacity to assist us in knowing the
abundant life. He
will help us learn to be sensitive to our own needs and to those
of others.
Those who fear, procrastinate. Those who change for the better
show progress
straightway and become wiser and stronger. We need to develop
the courage to
straightway take the first step. We need to remember that
children learn to walk
only because someone encourages them to take the first step." —
Marvin J. Ashton,
"Straightway," "Ensign," May 1983, p. 32
(6/03/02)
"Which of us is not in need of the miracle of repentance?
Whether your life
is lightly blemished or heavily disfigured from mistakes, the
principles of
recovery are the same. The length and severity of the treatments
are conditioned
to fit the circumstances. Our goal surely must be forgiveness.
The only possible
path to that goal is repentance, for it is written: 'There is no
other way nor
means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood
of Jesus
Christ....'" — Richard G. Scott,
"Finding Forgiveness," "Ensign," May 1995, p. 75
(6/04/02)
"When you choose to see or hear filth portrayed, for instance,
you may at
first feel you have just spent some time. But if you persist,
you will find that
beyond time wasted you have allowed Satan to draw you toward sin
and then into
it. And then you will have incurred debts that will burden and
diminish every
minute of existence that follows, unless and until you find the
healing balm of
the atonement of Jesus Christ through repentance, which takes
pain, and
time." — Henry B. Eyring, "Child
of Promise," "New Era," Aug. 1993, p. 6
(6/05/02)
"Again, while we are blessed with and need the principle of
repentance,
with its soothing, prescriptive balm, prevention is still the
primary
task!" — Neal A. Maxwell, "Talk
of the Month," "New Era," May 1971, p. 29
(6/06/02)
"Your personal chain that anchors your souls to the gospel can
be as strong
as you want to make it through a daily review of your life. Be
grateful for the
principle of repentance, which provides the way for us to
strengthen any weak
links in our chain." — M. Russell
Ballard, "Steadfast in Christ," "Ensign," Dec. 1993, p. 53
(6/07/02)
"Repentance is a great blessing, but you should never make
yourself sick
just so you can try out the remedy." — M.
Russell Ballard, "Purity Precedes Power," "Ensign," Nov.
1990, p. 36
(12/15/03)
"Generally we understand that, conditioned upon repentance, the
ordinance
of baptism washes our sins away. Some wonder if they were
baptized too soon. If
only they could be baptized now and have a clean start. But that
is not
necessary! Through the ordinance of the sacrament you renew the
covenants made
at baptism. When you meet all of the conditions of repentance,
however
difficult, you may be forgiven and your transgressions will
trouble your mind no
more." - Boyd K. Packer, "Washed
Clean," General Conference, April 1997
(12/30/03)
"The resurrected Savior taught the people in the Americas 'that
whoso
repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he
endureth to the
end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that
day when I shall
stand to judge the world' (3
Ne. 27:16). In writing of repentance, President
Boyd K. Packer said: 'In the universal battle for human souls,
the adversary
takes enormous numbers of prisoners. Many, knowing of no way to
escape, are
pressed into his service. Every soul confined in a concentration
camp of sin and
guilt has a key to the gate. The key is labeled Repentance. The
adversary cannot
hold them, if they know how to use it. The twin principles of
repentance and
forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of the tempter
(The Things of
the Soul [1996], p. 114)." - Jerald L. Taylor, "Gratitude,"
General
Conference, April 1997
(1/22/04)
"Along with all the foregoing reasons for our individual
repentance, Church
members have a special rendezvous to keep, brothers and sisters.
Nephi saw it.
One future day, he said, Jesus' covenant people, 'scattered upon
all the face of
the earth,' will be 'armed with righteousness and with the power
of God in great
glory.' (1 Ne.
14:14.)
This will happen, but only after more members become more
saintly and more
consecrated in conduct." - Neal A. Maxwell, "Repentance,"
Ensign,
Nov. 1991, p. 32
(2/28/04)
"In a very real way, repentance is one of the gifts we give to
our Savior
when we 'offer a sacrifice unto the Lord [our] God in
righteousness, even that
of a broken heart and a contrite spirit' (D&C
59:8). Through
repentance, we may 'come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need' (Heb.
4:16). Nephi taught: 'For
we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can
do' (2 Ne.
25:23)." - Ted E.
Brewerton, "Rejoice
in
Christ," Ensign, Dec. 1994, pp. 7-8
(3/16/04)
"Through repentance we can become at one with Christ, or, as
Jacob put it,
we can 'be reconciled unto him' (Jacob
4:11). Amaleki invited
the people of his day-and us as well-to 'come unto Christ... and
partake of his
salvation... and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him'
(Omni 1:26).
We become
reconciled with him when we willingly give our souls to him as
he offered his
life for us." - Spencer J. Condie, "The
Fall
and Infinite Atonement," Ensign, Jan. 1996, p. 26
(3/19/04)
"In the anguishing process of repentance, we may sometimes feel
God has
deserted us. The reality is that our behavior has isolated us
from Him. Thus,
while we are turning away from evil but have not yet turned
fully to God, we are
especially vulnerable. Yet we must not give up, but, instead,
reach out to God's
awaiting arm of mercy, which is outstretched 'all the day long.'
(Jacob 5:47;
Jacob 6:4; 2
Ne. 28:32; Morm.
5:11.) Unlike us, God
has no restrictive office hours." - Neal A. Maxwell, "Repentance,"
Ensign,
Nov. 1991, p. 31
(4/4/04)
"The sixth and final point I wish to make about the process of
repentance
is that we must be careful, as we seek to become more and more
godlike, that we
do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is
a lifetime
pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow,
almost
imperceptible. The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men
whose lives
changed dramatically, in an instant, as it were: Alma the
Younger, Paul on the
road to Damascus, Enos praying far into the night, King Lamoni.
Such astonishing
examples of the power to change even those steeped in sin give
confidence that
the Atonement can reach even those deepest in despair." - Ezra
Taft Benson,
"A
Mighty Change of Heart," Ensign, October 1989, p. 5
(6/9/04)
"Heavenly Father knew the grave dangers we would face on our
journey
through life, but He remains resolute in His desire to have each
and every one
of His children return home. Therefore, He gave us time-time to
work out our
mistakes, time to overcome our sins, time to prepare for
reunion. 'There was a
space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this
life became a
probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God' (Alma
12:24)." - Keith B.
McMullin, "Welcome
Home," Ensign, May 1999, p. 80
(6/29/04)
"Contrition is costly-it costs us our pride and our
insensitivity, but it
especially costs us our sins. For, as King Lamoni's father knew
twenty centuries
ago, this is the price of true hope. 'O God,' he cried, 'wilt
thou make thyself
known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee...
that I may be
raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.' (Alma
22:18.) When we, too,
are willing to give away all our sins to know him and follow
him, we, too, will
be filled with the joy of eternal life." - Howard W. Hunter, "Jesus,
the
Very Thought of Thee," Ensign, May 1993, p. 64
(7/26/04)
"So the question of questions is: What makes people repent? As
near as I
have been able to determine, once a person has sufficient faith
in the Lord
Jesus Christ that he believes Christ has paid for his sins, then
he will repent.
And it seems that very few, if any, will repent until they
believe this truth.
Therefore, it is vital to teach the truth about Jesus Christ as
the literal son
of God and our Lord and Savior and Redeemer in order to bring
souls to
repentance. Faith in Jesus Christ unto repentance is the saving
power of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. (See Alma
34:16.)" - Hartman Rector Jr., "The
Resurrection," Ensign, November 1990, p. 76
(11/14/04)
"For some months, I've tried to emphasize repentance, one of the
most vital
and merciful doctrines of the kingdom. It is too little
understood, too little
applied by us all, as if it were merely a word on a bumper
sticker. Since we
have been told clearly by Jesus what manner of men and women we
ought to
become--even as He is (see 3
Ne. 27:27)--how can we do so, except each of us employs
repentance as the
regular means of personal progression? Personal repentance is
part of taking up
the cross daily. (See Luke
9:23.)
Without it, clearly there could be no 'perfecting of the
Saints.' (Eph.
4:12.)" - Neal A. Maxwell, "Repentance,"
Ensign,
November 1991, p. 30
(5/30/05)
"Those who make one serious
mistake tend to add another by assuming that it is then too
late for them. It is never too late! Never!" - Boyd K. Packer,
"To
Young Women and Men," Ensign, May 1989, 59
(10/1/05)
"I know it isn't easy to go back and to undo and to make a new
beginning, but I believe with all my heart that it is easier
to begin anew than it is to go on believing that justice will
not take its toll. As Elder Richard L. Evans was fond of
saying, 'What's the use of running if you're on the wrong
road?' A favorite British scholar said, using the same
metaphor, 'I do not think that all who choose wrong roads
perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the
right road. A [mathematical] sum [incorrectly worked] can be
put right; but only by going back till you find the error and
then working it fresh from that point. [It will] never [be
corrected] by simply going on. Evil can be undone, but it
cannot 'develop' into good. Time does not heal it. The spell
must be unwound.' (C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, New
York: Macmillan Co., 1973, p. 6.) God is just, but
mercy claimeth the penitent, and the evil can be undone. There
is some repenting to be done in every life, and we ought to be
about it." - Jeffrey R. Holland, "However Long and Hard the
Road," p.56
2/19/06
"...For heaven's sake, forget your regrets. The many
years you have lived have been filled both with success and with
experiences you might change if you could. But you can't, so
stop any self-inflicted sadness or despair. When the Savior
said, 'Judge not,' he was speaking, in part, about your
relationship with yourself (see Matt.
7:1). Live the repentant life happily. The scripture 'Men
are, that they might have joy' (2
Ne. 2:25) applies to you right now." - Hugh W. Pinnock, "We
Will Go with Our Young and with Our Old," Ensign (CR),
November 1979, p.74
3/3/06
"And when God has forgiven us, which He is so eternally anxious
to do, may we have the good sense to walk away from those
problems, to leave them alone, to let the past bury the past. If
one of you has made a mistake, even a serious mistake, but you
have done all you can according to the teachings of the Lord and
the governance of the Church to confess it and feel sorrow for
it and set it as right as can be, then trust in God, walk into
His light, and leave those ashes behind you. Someone once said
that repentance is the first pressure we feel when drawn to the
bosom of God. For real peace may I recommend an immediate rush
to the bosom of God, leaving behind you all that would bring
sorrow to your soul or heartache to those who love you. 'Depart
from evil,' the scripture says, 'and do good.' (Ps.
34:14.)" - Jeffrey R. Holland, "The
Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," Ensign (CR), November
1996, p.82
5/27/06
"As we plead for mercy, we need to show mercy to others. The
injury people do us may appear at the moment to be very great.
Yet, just as time heals the wounds of the body, so time also
heals the wounds of the soul. As we apply disinfectants to aid
in healing the wounds of the body, we need to apply love and
understanding in disinfecting the wounds of the soul. To the
extent we give forgiveness to others, we can expect to receive
forgiveness for ourselves. It is all part of the process of
repentance." - Theodore M. Burton, "To
Forgive Is Divine," Ensign (CR), May 1983, p.70
1/30/07
"Lets face it. All of us have done something that we ought not
to have done, or we have neglected to do things we should have
done. All of us then have made mistakes, and every one of us
needs to repent. The old devil would have you believe that if
you have made one mistake, why don't you just keep on making
mistakes? That is Satan trying to tell you that there is no
chance to come back. But you must turn your face towards the
rising sun, and through repentance turn from the thing you have
done that is wrong and never go back again thereto. The Lord
said, 'Go [thy way] and sin no more; but unto that soul who
sinneth [meaning again] shall the former sins return, saith the
Lord your God' (D&C
82:7)." - "Teachings Of Presidents Of The Church: Harold
B. Lee," p.27
5/5/07
"The doctrine of repentance is much broader than a dictionary's
definition. When Jesus said 'repent,' His disciples recorded
that command in the Greek language with the verb metanoeo.
This powerful word has great significance. In this word, the
prefix meta means 'change.' The suffix relates to four important
Greek terms: nous, meaning 'the mind'; gnosis,
meaning 'knowledge'; pneuma, meaning 'spirit'; and pnoe,
meaning 'breath.'
"Thus, when Jesus said 'repent,' He asked us to change—to change
our mind, knowledge, and spirit—even our breath. A prophet
explained that such a change in one's breath is to breathe with
grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath. King
Benjamin said, 'If ye should serve him who has created you...
and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath...
from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with
all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.'
"Yes, the Lord has commanded us to repent, to change our ways,
to come unto Him, and be more like Him. This requires a total
change. Alma so taught his son: 'Learn wisdom in thy youth,' he
said. 'Learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God....
Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the
affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.'" -
Russell M. Nelson, "Repentance
and Conversion," General Conference, April 2007
8/3/07
"We grow in two ways—removing negative weeds and cultivating
positive flowers. The Savior's grace blesses both parts—if we
do our part. First and repeatedly we must uproot the weeds of
sin and bad choices. It isn't enough just to mow the weeds.
Yank them out by the roots, repenting fully to satisfy the
conditions of mercy. But being forgiven is only part of our
growth. We are not just paying a debt. Our purpose is to
become celestial beings. So once we've cleared our heartland,
we must continually plant, weed, and nourish the seeds of
divine qualities. And then as our sweat and discipline stretch
us to meet His gifts, 'the flow'rs of grace appear,' (There
Is Sunshine in My Soul Today,
Hymns, no. 227.) like hope and meekness. Even a tree of life
can take root in this heart-garden, bearing fruit so sweet
that it lightens all our burdens 'through the joy of his Son.'
(Alma
33:23.) And when the flower of
charity blooms here, we will love others with the power of
Christ's own love. (See Moro.
7:48.)" - Bruce C. Hafen, "The
Atonement: All for All," Ensign
(CR), May 2004, p.97
7/5/08
"Repentance
is the one important part of the 'refiner's
fire' that brings the human soul to celestial glory. God
placed Satan on this earth to tempt man. Man has appetites and
human frailties to master and conquer. The human, Godlike mind
must be trained to be in full control of the soul and life of
man. Fear and the appetites too often creep in and crush out
the control of the mind. Self-control and self-mastery in
righteousness is the real joy of this life."
- Bernard P. Brockbank, "Conference Report," April 1965,
Afternoon Meeting, p.132
9/13/08
"God
has said that if we really repent of our sins, we will be
forgiven. He said, '...though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.'
(Isa. 1:18.) The Lord has indicated that if we repent, he
will wash the memory of our sins out of his mind and just forget
the whole thing. But what good does it do for the Lord to wash
them out of his mind if we keep running them through the
delicate tissues of our own?"
- Sterling W. Sill, That Ye Might Have Life , p.191
2/11/09
"No man can know
the things of God, but the Spirit of God can bear witness of
their truth; and it is absolutely essential to every one who
would know that this is indeed the work of God, beyond all
question, that he shall obtain first the Spirit of God. As
this Spirit will not and does not dwell in an unclean
tabernacle, it follows that we must cleanse and purify our
hearts by sincere faith in God, and repentance from sin. Every
soul that will adopt this method and seek to obtain
forgiveness of sin, from Him who alone can remit our sins,
through the holy waters of baptism, he shall come to a
knowledge of the truth. If, perchance, after these initial
ordinances of the gospel have been complied with, you find
yourself still lacking in knowledge and understanding, and in
a testimony, do not blame in any degree the ordinances
themselves or the truth of those principles, but look deep
into your own souls, into your own hearts, and you will find
the reason there and nowhere else."
- Rulon S. Wells, "Conference
Report," October 1910, Afternoon Session, p.29
9/20/09
“Of this mortal developmental process, which requires so much
ongoing repentance, the rhetorical question might be asked,
‘Is there not another way?’ But we are clearly told that the
Lord’s name and God’s plan are the only way. The answer,
therefore, is a stark ‘No!’ ‘And now, behold, my beloved
brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor
name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the
kingdom of God’ (2 Nephi 31:21).” - Neal
A. Maxwell, “Not My Will, But Thine,” p. 71
12/18/09
“The scriptures speak of His arms being open,
extended, stretched out, and encircling. They are described as
mighty and holy, arms of mercy, arms of safety, arms of love,
‘lengthened out all the day long.’
“We have each felt to some extent these spiritual arms around us. We have felt His forgiveness, His love and comfort. The Lord has said, ‘I am he [who] comforteth you.’
“The Lord’s desire that we come unto Him and be wrapped in His arms is often an invitation to repent. ‘Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.’” – Neil L. Anderson, “Repent… That I May Heal You,” Ensign, November 2009
1/4/10
“Formulas have been crafted to help remember some of the
essential actions required for full repentance. While these
can be helpful, generally they ignore the most fundamental
aspect of repentance-that it is centered in Jesus Christ and
in His Atonement, that it has efficacy because He willingly
paid the full price through His redeeming sacrifice, motivated
by a perfect love of His Father and of each of us.” - Richard
G. Scott, “The Path to Peace and Joy,” Ensign (CR), November
2000, p. 25
3/2/10
“Now,
there is one thing I have learned, and it has been a wonderful
thing for me as a religionist in my present position. I've
learned from these men that there isn't a man living who isn't
greater than his sins, who isn't greater than his weaknesses.
That's a wonderful thing to know. It is a wonderful thing to
know that even though a man may sink so low that he is at the
bottom of the gutter, yet within him there is a greatness that
can regenerate him if he will submit himself to the right
influences and to the power above and beyond himself.” -
Matthew Cowley, “Matthew Cowley
Speaks,” p. 219
3/14/10
“John
Locke, the English philosopher, expresses it this way,
‘Repentance is a hearty sorrow for our past misdeeds, and a
sincere resolution and endeavor, to the utmost of our power,
to conform all our actions to the law of God. It does not
consist in one single act of sorrow, but in doing works meet
for repentance in a sincere obedience to the law of Christ for
the remainder of our lives.’
“The ability to receive the blessings of repentance lies within our individual power. It is a never-ending endeavor. There is no restriction to those who may achieve: All may partake of this gift from God.” - John H. Vandenberg, “Conference Report,” October 1962, Afternoon Meeting, p. 64-65
3/28/10
“I
am not sure what your most painful memories might be. I’m
certain there are lots of problems we could all list. Some may
be sins among the most serious God himself has listed. Others
may be less serious disappointments, including a poor start in
school, or a difficult relationship with your family, or
personal pain with a friend. Whatever the list, it's bound to
be long when we add up all the dumb things we’ve done. And my
greatest fear is that we will not believe in other chances,
that we will not understand repentance, that on some days we
will not believe in any future at all.” - Jeffrey
R. Holland, “However Long and Hard the Road,” p. 68
5/2/10
"Why will not the people of the world engage in
national and
international repentance and humiliation? God is not
responsible for
our calamities. He has pointed out the means of escape. If we
will turn
our faces towards him and repent this depression will vanish
like
magic. Let the spirit of the Prince of Peace be firmly fixed
in the
councils of the nations and observed; then all talk about war
will
cease, and nations shall no longer learn war for their 'swords
shall be
beaten into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.'"
- Charles A. Callis,
"Conference Report," April 1935, First Day—Morning Meeting,
p. 17
9/8/10
"As the Savior
demonstrated, the
consecrated life is a pure life. While Jesus is the only one to
have
led a sinless life, those who come unto Him and take His yoke
upon them
have claim on His grace, which will make them as He is,
guiltless and
spotless. With deep love the Lord encourages us in these words:
'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' (3
Nephi 27:20)." - Todd
D. Christofferson, "Reflections
on a Consecrated Life," Ensign (CR) October 2010
10/18/11
Thus, if we repent, we can be forgiven of our sins, the price
having been paid by our Redeemer. This is good news for all of
us, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23). Those who have strayed significantly from the
paths of righteousness desperately need this redemption, and if
they fully repent, it is theirs to claim. But those who have
worked hard to live good lives also desperately need this
redemption, for none can get to the presence of the Father
without Christ’s help. Thus, this loving redemption allows the
laws of justice and mercy to be satisfied in the lives of all
who repent and follow Christ. - LeGrand R. Curtis, Jr. "Redemption,"
Ensign (CR) October 2011
10/19/11
Repentance exists as an option only because of the Atonement of
Jesus Christ. It is His infinite sacrifice that “bringeth about
means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance” (Alma
34:15). Repentance is the necessary condition, and the grace of
Christ is the power by which “mercy can satisfy the demands of
justice” (Alma 34:16). - D.
Todd Christofferson, "