Sermoncitos, a family tradition
Repentance
The Lord calls His people to repentance “because my people hath forgotten me... and they have ...stumbled in their ways from the ancient paths...” (Jeremiah 18:15). The Lord knows His people. “Can anyone hide himself in secret places so I shall not find him?” (23:24). “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (31:33). “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and shall increase. I will set up shepherds over them who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking, saith the Lord” (23:3,4). The Lord is not satisfied with hypocritical compliance of the outward appearances of religion. When the Pharisees criticized him for spending time with “sinners”, he replied, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13).
Repentance is clearly an important task of every man, for “the wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God will render to each one according to his deeds” (Romans 2:5,6). On the day of Pentecost, Peter gave such a powerful witness of the Resurrection and the Atonement that the people were “cut to the heart” (filled with faith) and desired to know what to do. Peter replied with basic principles of the Gospel: “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). They became changed in all their actions and thoughts, joined the church, and contributed their time and resources to the building up of the Kingdom and helping one another (2:44-47). Indeed, repentance brings about a change of heart and a change of behavior, including a commitment to serve in the Kingdom.
The first step of repentance is to admit that we have sinned. We cannot repent unless we recognize shortcomings in our ways (Luke 16:15-16).
We must feel sorrow for our sins. The scriptures call this “a broken heart and contrite spirit” (Psalms 51:17; 3 Nephi 9:20).
Our sincere sorrow should lead us to forsake our sins. “By this ye may know if a man repententh of his sins - behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:43).
We must confess our sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Part of repentance is to make restitution. This means that as much as possible we must make right any wrong that we have done (Ezekiel 33:15-16; 18:7). Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23,24).
A vital part of repentance is to forgive those who have sinned against us. “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:26).
To make our repentance complete we must keep the commandments of the Lord. “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:10).
Repentance is the great gift of the Atonement of Christ. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the dpresence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). When you are cleansed by the mercy of Christ, your burdens are lifted and you are freed to be of service to others.
Repentance
Yesterday I spent several hours enjoying the company of a professional musician. We shared compositions, and he played recordings and showed me articles about his performances. I was impressed with not only the depth of emotion elicited by his work, but also the perfection of his craft. He noted the months it would take to get one perfect recording. Attaining perfection takes a lot of course corrections, adjustments, and practice. I noticed that his live performances are also perfect. Perfection is a way of life earned by great effort and sacrifice. I remember what Jesus said at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount: “be ye therefore perfect, as my Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:28). The quest for perfection requires recognizing areas of the need for improvement, then taking action to do better. Repentance is God’s gift to help us. By practicing the eternal principle of repentance, we can have a way of life that is more like Heavenly Father.
Today in Egypt, a fashionable symbol of piety is the “Zebibah”, a scar on the forehead caused by pressing the forehead to the ground during frequent prayer. We may all be tempted to make others notice our piety, but the quest for spiritual perfection is a private one of humility, not outward show. The Lord is not satisfied with hypocritical compliance of outward appearances. Jesus was invited to the home of a community leader. I suppose the guy did not really want to be seen as a follower, but he did want to get a closer look at the popular teacher. A woman came in a washed Jesus’s feet with her tears. The man thought, this can’t be a prophet or he would know what manner of person this is at his feet. Jesus knew the man’s thoughts and rebuked him: this woman has not stopped washing my feet with her tears, but you have done nothing for my comfort. Woman, thy sins are forgiven. The people were shocked that sinners could be forgiven.
The first step of repentance is to admit that we have sinned. We cannot repent unless we recognize shortcomings in our ways (Luke 16:15-16).
We must feel sorrow for our sins. The scriptures call this “a broken heart and contrite spirit” (Psalms 51:17; 3 Nephi 9:20).
Our sincere sorrow should lead us to forsake our sins. “By this ye may know if a man repententh of his sins - behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:43).
We must confess our sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Part of repentance is to make restitution. This means that as much as possible we must make right any wrong that we have done (Ezekiel 33:15-16; 18:7).
A vital part of repentance is to forgive those who have sinned against us. “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:26).
To make our repentance complete we must keep the commandments of the Lord. “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:10).
Repentance is your tool for correcting mistakes and seeking a better life. Repentance is also the great gift of the Atonement of Christ. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). When you are cleansed by the mercy of Christ, your burdens are lifted and you are freed to be of service to others. Repentance begins with Faith in Christ and leads to peace of heart.