Repentance — by Elder M. Taylor
* REPENTANCE * by Elder Taylor
A/ The A-B-C-D’s of repentance
- A – admit your sin by confessing to yourself, Heavenly Father, and anyone offended
- B – beg for forgiveness from Heavenly Father and anyone you’ve offended
- C – correct the problem
- D – don’t do it again!
- S – feel godly sorrow
B/ The Eleven myths of repentance
- Repentance is easy. (Alma 36:14-15)
- Repentance simply means to stop doing that which is wrong. (1 Nephi 7:19-20)
- Repentance is simply saying, “I’m sorry”. (D&C 58:42)
- Repentance is simply confessing the sin. (D&C 58:43)
- Repentance can wait. I’ll repent when I am ready to go on my mission or get married in the temple. (Alma 24:30)
- Repentance is between me and the Lord. I really don’t need to tell my branch president. (D&C 64:7)
- Sexual sins committed before marriage are not as serious as sexual sins committed after marriage. (Alma 39:5)
- I will have greater empathy and understanding for sinners if I experience sin myself. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
- If I have committed one sin, I might as well commit other sins since I will have to repent anyway. (Moroni 10:30)
- Sexual sins that do not involve another person aren’t that serious. (3 Nephi 12:28)
- Since I have sinned, all hope is lost. The Lord might forgive others, but not me. (Matthew 11:28-30)
C/ Quotes from President Ezra Taft Benson
- “It is better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent.”
- “Repentance is to stop doing a wrong thing and to start doing a right thing. Repentance is not complete until a bad habit has been replaced by a good habit.”
D/ Another way to remember the pathway to repentance (S-A-C-R-O)
- S – sorrow
- A – abandon
- C – confess
- R – restore
- O – obey
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