Repentance

Given that through the ordinances of baptism and confirmation we are permitted, figuratively speaking, to place our feet upon the path that is intended to lead us back to God and life eternal, and given also that no unclean thing may exist in God’s presence, it stands to reason that repentance would be a requirement for entrance into His Church or the Kingdom of God on the earth. It is also reasonable to assume that if the ordinances of baptism and confirmation are to accomplish their intended purpose namely, the remission of sins, then proper repentance for past sins must have been accomplished prior to the performance of the enumerated ordinances.

Repentance is a process that requires considerable effort and humility on the part of the repentant person. Initially, the individual must recognize that one or more of God’s laws have been broken, and this recognition must produce feelings of sorrow and remorse. If the wrongful action was responsible for causing hurt to another person, then forgiveness must be sought from the injured individual and, if possible or required, compensation must also be made to the injured party. That accomplished, forgiveness of such sins is then sought through prayer to our Heavenly Father. If the transgressions are not of an unforgivable nature and our seeking of forgiveness has followed the established pattern with honest intent, then forgiveness from God will be forthcoming. As the burden of sin is lifted from us, we actually experience a sense of relief from the sorrow and remorse that we felt. Through the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, the penalties that we brought upon ourselves through sinning are removed. By means of the Lord’s atonement, He took upon Himself the suffering for the sins of all mankind. Thus the penalties stemming from the sins for which we repent have been paid by Him. However, inherent in these two ordinances is a covenant-making process with God pertaining to our future conduct. We covenant to serve Him and to keep His commandments. In return, He promises that His Spirit will be with us subsequent to our receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. As with all such promised blessings, they will be realized in our lives to the extent that we live worthy of them.

Recognizing that His Saints in all dispensations would commit sins after they had been washed clean initially, God provided a means by which the remission of subsequent sins might be accomplished. Until the Lord took upon Himself flesh and fulfilled the Law of Moses, the Saints were commanded to look forward in time and acknowledge the coming day of His atonement in a tangible manner through the sacrifice of unblemished animals. After the Lord fulfilled the Law of Moses, the ordinance whereby we gain a remission of our repented sins is through the partaking of the Sacrament. While we participate in this ordinance, we are commanded to remember His great sacrifice wherein He shed His blood and sacrificed His body for us. Thus the renewal of those covenants whereby the Saints since the days of Adam have entered the Kingdom of God was accomplished through blood sacrifice during the first five dispensations and through partaking of the Sacrament in the final two.

Our progress down that path that is intended to bring us back into the presence of our Heavenly Father and obtain eternal life within His kingdom is very much within our control. Diligence on our parts to adhere as closely as possible to His commandments and expectations thus minimizing our accumulation of sins will facilitate our progress along the path if combined with a humble and repentant approach to living life fully. For no matter how successful we are in emulating the Lord’s example in our individual lives, we will never be found worthy to enter God’s presence based on our efforts alone. For as Nephi clearly taught, “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23).