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The Road to Forgiveness

Repentance can be a rough road, especially if what we have done is serious enough that making amends is almost impossible or not easy. What are your thoughts?

"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 also 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. We must, as the scripture says,
'[become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord' (Mosiah
3:19). This is what the scripture means in its explanation that a person
who has repented of his sins will 'forsake them' (D&C 58:43). Forsaking
sins is more than resolving not to repeat them. Forsaking involves a
fundamental change in the individual."

(Dallin H. Oaks, "Sin and Suffering," Ensign, July 1992, 73)

Forgiveness Road The

Awesome quote!

I spent a lot of years in an "inactive" state, where sinning is just a way of life. Not just simple transgressions like smoking or drinking, but serious sins. Once you get so deep in the mud, you don't notice how dirty you're getting.

At this point in my life, I've had a true "conversion" -- I'm not merely "convinced" of the truth. I forget which of the presidents of the church said it, but the quote goes something like this:

"You can convince any man of the truth, but true conversion comes only by the Spirit." (this is not the exact quote, but close)

I will NEVER repeat those heinous sins again as long as I live. I know (now) how those sins effected me and my family. I have truly repented, and I know the Lord has forgiven me, because the Holy Ghost has made it known to me. I have lived with the influence of the Spirit in my life, and I have lived without it. I choose, now and forever, to have the Holy Ghost as my constant companion, a gift and a responsibility placed upon me at baptism. Something I didn't truly understand at the time, and even now I'm not sure I have the fulness of the meaning. But I'm working on it, and I'm so grateful to be alive and to know who I am and where I'm going.

Offtopic but, should your poll have another option?..."When I'm aware of sinning."

Roz

The Road to Forgiveness Studies Doctrine Mormon

One important element is also to forgive self, which sometimes can be very difficult. Sometimes I wish I could reverse time and start all over again, but unfortunately that is not reality, therefore believing that a new start has begun through forgiveness from our God must be the re-birth in our 'new' correct choices of lifestyle.

Offtopic but, No, I don't think so, since this is based on one being 'already' aware and decides to repent or in other words, one can only repent if they know they have sinned.

Forgiveness Road The

elder neal a maxwell of the twelve said"real persoal sacrifice never was placing an animal on a altar it  was putting the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed such is the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit".we must give away all our sins in order to know god.by doing such you would experience complete forgiveness  

Forgiveness Road The

"How glorious it is to contemplate that we have been invited into that
perfect unity that exists with the Father and the Son. How can this happen?
Pondering this question, it becomes clear that we must begin by becoming
one within ourselves. We are dual beings of flesh and spirit, and we
sometimes feel out of harmony or in conflict. . . . [And] the appetites
and temptations to which the flesh is subject can, if permitted, overwhelm
and dominate the spirit. . . .We may look to Jesus to help restore the
inner unity of our soul when we have succumbed to sin and destroyed our
peace. . . . The power of His Atonement can erase the effects of sin in us.
When we repent, His atoning grace justifies and cleanses us (see 3 Nephi
27:16-20). It is as if we had not succumbed, as if we had not yielded to
temptation."

(D. Todd Christofferson, "That They May Be One in Us," Ensign, Nov. 2002, 71)

The Road to Forgiveness

"The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to change. 'Repent' is its most
frequent message. . . . The purpose of the gospel is to transform common
creatures into celestial citizens, and that requires change."

(Dallin H. Oaks, "Repentance and Change," Ensign, Nov. 2003, 37)

The Road Forgiveness

My problem is that I never think I've committed a sin. You can't repent unless you first recognize sin. I've heard that we all do things on a daily basis that need repentence. My mind has never worked that way. As long as I get through the day without committing murder or adultery, then I don't see anything to repent of. I guess I need to look a little closer at my actions.

For example today, what have I done that requires repentence? On the way to work, I was going 50mph in a 45mph zone. This was because I was running a little late. Also, I didn't make the bed this morning. My wife leaves for work before I do, so I usually make the bed but since I was running late, I blew it off. I'm writing this post when I really should be working, and I left my room without praying.

So, are these really things that need to be repented of? Or are they too trivial to worry about? Maybe some of you could share some minor sins that you have repented of in the past.

The Road Forgiveness Mormon Doctrine Studies

Gaucho, the problem is that some people think that Repentance is for those who committ serious transgressions but the truth is that we all need to travel the Road to Repentance. Recently I gave a talk in Church about it, and I have research quiet a bit about it. We all are human beings and therefore we all sin, we commit sin almost every day in our lives, no matter how small a sin may seen compared to the 'serious' one, we need to remember that the Lord have said " For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance" (D & C 1:31). It is quiet clear to me that for the Lord a small sin, still a sin, therefore, we need to repent of ALL of them. And these are the steps towards Repentance:

1) Recognition: We need to recognize we did something wrong without excuses or rationalizations.

2) Sorrow: We must feel bad about what we did. This pain comes from knowing we have dissapointed ourselves and Heavenly Father.

3) Abandonment: We need to stop doing the wrong thing. If we comitt the same sin over and over, it is obvious we have not repented truthfuly.

4) Confession: To the people involved, to the Lord and in some cases to the Bishop (serious sins).

5) Restitution: Saying 'I'm sorry' is not enough. If we stole, we return what we stole, if we lie then we establish the truth.

Forgiveness comes through this road and we know through the Holy Ghost that we have been forgiven, forgiving ourselves is also a very important step.
Gaucho, do not listen the voice that tells you that only serious sins need Repentance. Satan uses these tactis to put us away from Heavenly Father. I always say just because we don't kill, or steal, or commit adultery, doesn't mean we do everything right and definetly we are sinners who need the mercy of God in all things.