What Do Mormons Believe? - Repentance

Several months ago, my toddler son found a lot of joy in ripping the internet cable out of the wall. Not just the cable, mind you, but the entire faceplate with the cable still attached. I started having him sit on my lap with his arms forcibly folded right after he did it. He totally hated it, so I knew it was working. After a half-dozen "time outs" (that lasted like 5 seconds each), he stopped pulling the cable out of the wall.

Do I remind him of how he used to pull the cord out of the wall? Do I continue to punish him retroactively for how he was disobedient before he figured it out?

Heavens no. I'm just glad that he is catching on to things and becoming a better, smarter, more obedient boy. Because that is the reason why he was born--to learn these kinds of things.

In fact, that is the reason that all of us were born. Our Heavenly Father sent us down here so that we could learn about how the world works, how relationships are made strong, how our bodies operate, and how to have faith in Him and serve His children. We all make mistakes--sometimes because we don't know any better, and sometimes even if we do. But that is part of the program. Our whole earth experience is involved in this learning process, and Heavenly Father has given us a lot of help to know what is appropriate and what is not.

Mistakes do count against us, though. So God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to take upon Him all of the sins and mistakes, sicknesses and temptations, suffering and injustices of the whole earth so that we can ask Him for help and forgiveness when we mess up. Since Christ already paid for our mistakes, we can be made clean again through Him. It is such an amazing and merciful plan. But we have to do our part. We have to repent.

Repentance has kind of a dour connotation. Like dressing up in sackcloth and ashes, flagellating ourselves (or hitting our faces with boards), hating our mortality and never forgetting how lowly and evil we are. This is how we feel we should react when we've messed up royally, but that isn't repentance.  That's how Satan wants us to feel, so that we never get around to the actual repenting.  Think of my son and the cable faceplate. That is how God sees us. When we do those really stupid things, He corrects us. Sometimes we are thicker than we should be and it takes a long time to realize that what we are doing isn't good. But when we figure it out, what we need to do is:

1) Recognize that we have been wrong. Ask Christ for His atoning power to make it right.
2) Change our actions. Ask Christ for the strength everyday to make the change.
3) Make it right, if we have wronged someone else. Ask Christ how to do this--He suffered for their pains (perhaps inflicted by you) as well as yours.
4) Promise not to do it again and then not do it again. Ask Christ for help all along the way.

It is a simple process, but it can be extremely difficult.  Addictions, habits learned through the years, and even doing things that go against the natural man's tendencies have to be pulled out by the root.  Its hard.  But it is possible, everything is possible with Christ's help.  He's already overcome it, so He knows how to help you do the same.  

It's just a process of changing ourselves to become better. God wants us to be better. He wants us to figure it out. He wants us to be healthy and at peace with our neighbors, ourselves and Him. And He wants us to learn this as quickly as possible. And once we figure it out and change, God doesn't keep reminding us of it. He doesn't say, "well, yeah, you are sober now, but remember how you used to drink and drink until you couldn't even stand up?" He says, "Well done. You've figured that out. I'm proud of you. Now to the next thing."  So we should forgive ourselves too.

Repentance is really one of the most merciful and kind blessings that our Heavenly Father has given to us. He allows us to change. He expects us to become better and to really (eventually) keep the commandment that Christ gave to us to "Be ye therefore perfect." He has got everything in place through His Son's sacrifice to make it possible for us to move on past our mistakes and be forgiven, if we can just be obedient and not fight the "time outs" He gives us.

Smoking

Q. Why do you think smoking is so bad? Why is everything so bad?

You sound like a struggling nicotine addict I knew, who wanted me and God and his conscience to stop pestering him to straighten up. By demanding from me an ever-better-but-never- good-enough reason to quit, he was really making for himself an excuse to keep smoking. Sound familiar?

Way deep down, though, you want peace. A quiet conscience and confident self-control. This peace will not come to you as long as you bind yourself to your cigarette master. You know it, but you also know what a terrible and difficult road it is to quit. You have probably tried several times already.

Get help. If you don't have friends or family who want you to give up smoking, contact the local LDS missionaries. They have a highly-successful stop-smoking program that they will teach you for free, just because it's their job to help people repent and come closer to Christ and feel the peace that only He can bring.

Don't focus on the tough road ahead of you. Think of your destination. How wonderful will it be to put your $5 per pack into groceries or gifts for your children? You won't feel compelled to take a five-minute break every hour. You will start tasting delicious foods again. You will have energy. Your shame and guilt will turn into confidence. Think of how nice it will be not to have to ask the question above; never having to rationalize your habits.

Question Box: Repentance before Baptism

Q. I am a non member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but looking into it. What is the belief Mormons have on becoming a member of the church: do you have to repent before you are baptized?

Yes, you do. While we believe baptism is a new beginning and cleanses the individual from sin, the repentance process must also be integrated into one's life. The fourth article of faith states, "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost." Note that repentance is listed before baptism, although repentance must be an ongoing, lifetime process. Baptism itself is a sign that we have repented. It is a covenant that signifies that we have turned our lives around to become disciples of Christ.


Investigators of the Church are taught by full-time missionaries the commandments God sets forth for his people. With that knowledge, they can begin a life of obedience to these commandments, which begins with repentance. When investigators repent and make changes to their lives, they show that they are ready to enter into the baptismal covenant with the Lord.

In Doctrine & Covenants 20:37 we read,

"And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church."

For further reference, see also the conversion of people in the Book of Mormon as described in Moroni 6.

The missionaries play a very important role in this entire process. Not only are they teachers, but they are guides in helping people to repent. Obviously, repentance involves more than changing one's actions: an individual must plead with God for forgiveness and strength. The missionaries help with that as well, by directing, encouraging and supporting.

I would like to encourage anyone who needs help with repentance to contact the missionaries serving in your area.

The Question Box: Salvation in a Nutshell

Q. What is the Mormon message of salvation in a nutshell? (like, two paragraphs)?

Not a fan of reading, eh? All right, I'll do it, but you have to promise to do a little more research before you tell your friends at your next barbecue that you 'studied' Mormonism.

This is the very center of our beliefs -- The Gospel of Jesus Christ:

We are mortal. We will all die. We, alone, are powerless to stop it. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross; then, after three days He was resurrected. Many deceased souls were awakened from the grave at that time and were given immortal bodies also. We have all been promised an eventual release from death also, all because of Jesus Christ.

We make mistakes; not just bad, embarassing choices, but often downright wicked decisions. If you haven't ever murdered, stolen, or lied, you might be tempted to say this is a problem for other people, but consider this: Is there someone you dislike whom you treat like garbage? Do you do things in secret that you are ashamed of? Are you holding on to a long-running grudge? Do you snap at people? Just as pain is an indicator to your body that your physical body is in danger, guilt warns us when we are in (or approaching) spiritual danger, and few of us are free of guilt.

The punishment for sin is separation from God. We are powerless, on our own, to avoid this consequence. Once again, Jesus Christ provided the way out. He suffered an infinite atonement for our sins, thus making payment for the wrong moves we made (but He never made). We must choose to accept this gracious gift, and along the way start learning how to make good, holy choices. Our purpose isn't just to fulfill a debt, but to become the sort of person Jesus is.

The start of our path is having faith in Christ. I know He loves me and will help me with the problems in my life. You can have this faith, too. Next comes repentance: turn your life away from your sins and pray for forgiveness. Then, to set out as a new beginning, covenant with God that you will be His disciple your whole life long with baptism by immersion in water. Receive the Holy Ghost after it has been conferred to you through laying on of hands, and finally, live up to your promise and seek the godly road.

This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I realize this was double the paragraphs you had anticipated, but it's such an important topic that you should probably read it again.

Fundamentally

Of all the many topics and teachings in the church, I have been most impressed with the simplicity and the all encompassing power of the most fundamental points of the gospel. A month or two back, a post in this blog quoted the Articles of Faith as a summary of our beliefs and I would like to focus on the fourth: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” These topics can be handled individually for specific treatment but I would like here just to cover them as they relate to each other and how they relate to personal life.

Faith is the beginning. It is by faith that we act. It is a belief in that which is not seen. A most basic but firm belief impels us to seek after the object of our faith. Faith centered in Christ compels us to believe in His existence, words, example, sacrifice and love. As in any true belief, faith causes one to act. I believe that what Christ taught can be applied for my benefit therefore I employ my ability to follow those teachings because I believe in Him. I can be improved by doing those things which he taught. If it is a true principle, then I will be blessed. Naturally, as I perceive the blessings, my faith will increase because I saw the effect of my decision to follow. Action increases faith and faith results in action, but decisions keep the cycle going.

Of course, there are always times when one fails to obey and distances himself from God. That distance does not have to be permanent. There is a manner for everyone to be reconciled with God through repentance. Denoting a change in thought and action, repentance is essentially the ability to change our lives from misery to happiness by relinquishing one’s grasp on harmful activities that damage the body and the spirit. It can be a harsh process, to be sure, to discard habits or control actions but it is at its very core a wonderful blessing allowing us to grow closer to God and thus become happier.

This heartfelt change of body and soul allows healing, forgiveness and growth. It is completed in baptism. As an external ordinance, baptism is a symbolic sign of our dedication to follow Christ. Complete immersion suggests to the mind the death and burial of our former sins followed by a rebirth and resurrection as a disciple of Christ, just as Christ also died and rose again on the third day. Here in baptism, a sacred covenant or promise is made with the Lord where receiving the Holy Ghost is conditional upon compliance to the promise.

By taking upon us the name of Christ, keeping His commandments, and always remembering Him, we fulfill our part and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost serves as our constant companion, guide, comforter, and purifier of the repentant soul. Wherein baptism washes us clean with water, the Holy Ghost purifies us as with fire and Christ mends our broken heart and soul.

This is a continual process of exercising our faith by repenting then qualifying for the covenant of baptism and the healing power of the Holy Ghost. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ in its specific sense, that all may come to Him and receive help. It is the manner of happiness that God intended for us and it is only possible through the power of the atonement and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

“And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”
Doctrine and Covenants 14:7