Repentance

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me

Confused at the grace that so fully he profers me

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified

That for me a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine

To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine

That he should extend his great love unto such as I

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt

Such mercy, such love, and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet

Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me

Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me…

LDS Hymn #193

Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns.

They can fill our souls with heavenly thoughts and bring us a Spirit of Peace. 

Hymns can help us withstand the temptations of the adversary.

They have the ability to lift our spirits, give us courage, and move us to righteous action.

Hymns build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.  Hymns move us to good works and repentance.

During a particularly difficult time., the Sacrament hymns took on greater meaning for me.  I recall sitting in Sacrament as tears of peace, joy, and understanding streamed down my face. The songs testified to me so strongly of the power of the Atonement.

What it means to me….

            That I can be forgiven

            That I am loved beyond measure

            That my trials can be made bearable

And also to my husband and children…

            They have these same blessings…

                        They can be forgiven

                        They are loved beyond measure

                        Their trials can be made bearable…

                                    I learned I can have an impact on their lives as I have faith in the

Atonement and trust in Christ’s redeeming love…

I understood the need for personal repentance and unconditional forgiveness

Fourth Article of Faith

We believe the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are 

First faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 

Second repentance…

Faith comes first.

Faith in the love Jesus offers

Faith to live the Gospel

Faith in the power of the Atonement

It is the little seed planted in our hearts that, if nourished will grow and expand and beg for action to be taken so it’s beauty can be felt by others.

Faith in Jesus Christ naturally leads to repentance. There has been the need for repentance in the world from the time of Adam to the present day. The Lord instructed Adam, “Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence” (Moses 6:57). (Gospel Principles)

As we develop faith, several things can happen as we act on that faith

1.     We learn…line upon line…precept upon precept,

2.     As we learn, we have a desire to follow our Saviors example by serving others.

3.     As we serve, we are given an understanding of God’s profound love for each of us, Our dependency on Christ, The importance of the Atonement, and therefore the need for repentance. 

2 Nephi 25:23, 26

For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophesies, that our children may know that source they may look for a remission of their sins. 

Last week we had the Gospel Doctrine lesson from Alma 5… Have ye received, his image in your countenances.

Bro Haroldsen posed the question….If the people were keeping the commandments, why were they called to repentance? 

I have thought about this question all week long, and the more I pondered and studied, and prepared for today… answer that came strongest to my mind was

Repentance means we understand the Atonement.

It is our way of dynamically showing we understand that “it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do.”

We are not repentant if we do not sustain the authorities of the Church and do not love the Lord and our fellowmen. If we do not pray and are unkind to others, we are surely not repentant. When we repent, our life changes.(GP)

Years ago I was given a book called, “Songs of Redeeming Love”

The title of that book stuck with me more than the content.  Now when I study the scriptures, the “Songs of Redeeming Love” seem to pop off the page for me.

Nephi

Alma

Heleman

Mosiah

King Benjamin

Moses.

The Psalms of David

All have as Song of Redeeming Love and all have an eloquent Spirit of Repentance

In Psalms 25…

I would like to pick out some of the blessings of Repentance found in this Song of Redeeming Love

Souls are lifted and Dwell at ease

Trust is Gained

We can stand unashamed

Learn that God is unchanging, Good, and upright.

Sins and transgressions are forgiven and forgotten,

Brought out of distress

God sees us and our pain

Inherit the earth and receive salvation.

President Spencer W. Kimball declared: “There is no royal road to repentance, no privileged path to forgiveness. Every man must follow the same course whether he be rich or poor, educated or untrained, tall or short, prince or pauper, king or commoner” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 38; italics in original).

We Must Recognize Our Sins

To repent, we must admit to ourselves that we have sinned. If we do not admit this, we cannot repent.

Alma counseled his son Corianton, who had been unfaithful in his missionary calling and had committed serious sins: “Let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance. … Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point” (Alma 42:29–30). The scriptures advise us further not to justify our sinful practices (see Luke 16:15–16).

We cannot hide any act of our lives from ourselves or from the Lord.

We Must Feel Sorrow for Our Sins

In addition to recognizing our sins, we must feel sincere sorrow for what we have done. We must feel that our sins are terrible. We must want to unload and abandon them. The scriptures tell us, “All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and … have truly repented of all their sins … shall be received by baptism into his church” (D&C 20:37).

                  • Study 2 Corinthians 7:9–10 and Mormon 2:10–14. In what ways do you think “godly sorrow” is different from expressions of regret?

We Must Forsake Our Sins

Our sincere sorrow should lead us to forsake (stop) our sins. If we have stolen something, we will steal no more. If we have lied, we will lie no more. If we have committed adultery, we will stop. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:43).

We Must Confess Our Sins

Confessing our sins is very important. The Lord has commanded us to confess our sins. Confession relieves a heavy burden from the sinner. The Lord has promised, “I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts” (D&C 61:2).

We must confess all our sins to the Lord. In addition, we must confess serious sins—such as adultery, fornication, homosexual relations, spouse or child abuse, and the sale or use of illegal drugs—which might affect our standing in the Church, to the proper priesthood authority. If we have sinned against another person, we should confess to the person we have injured. Some less serious sins involve no one but ourselves and the Lord. These may be confessed privately to the Lord.

We Must Make Restitution

Part of repentance is to make restitution. This means that as much as possible we must make right any wrong that we have done. For example, a thief should give back what he has stolen. A liar should make the truth known. A gossip who has slandered the character of a person should work to restore the good name of the person he has harmed. As we do these things, God will not mention our sins to us when we are judged (see Ezekiel 33:15–16).

We Must Forgive Others

A vital part of repentance is to forgive those who have sinned against us. The Lord will not forgive us unless our hearts are fully cleansed of all hate, bitterness, and bad feelings against other people (see 3 Nephi 13:14–15). “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin” (D&C 64:9).

We Must Keep the Commandments of God

To make our repentance complete we must keep the commandments of the Lord (see D&C 1:32). We are not fully repentant if we do not pay tithes or keep the Sabbath day holy or obey the Word of Wisdom. We are not repentant if we do not sustain the authorities of the Church and do not love the Lord and our fellowmen. If we do not pray and are unkind to others, we are surely not repentant. When we repent, our life changes.

President Kimball said: “First, one repents. Having gained that ground he then must live the commandments of the Lord to retain his vantage point. This is necessary to secure complete forgiveness” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 43).

(Gospel Principles)

As we apply these steps we can grow closer to our Heavenly Father and have a greater understanding of the love He has for us. We will more fully understand the Atonement of His Son Jesus Christ, and have a greater desire to align our lives to His teaches.  

Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

All Things According to His Will

I have been trying a little harder to remember God's will this week in my life and again find I fall short! So I turned to the Book of Mormon Class Member Study Guide to see the question posed...
What can you learn from Nephi about how to make your heart more receptive to the teachings of the prophets.
1 Nephi 2:16, 19 reads...
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.  


And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.

Could it really be that simple?
Nephi sought out the Lord, softened his heart, and did not rebel.
Maybe the key is a soft heart, tender to the mercies God is willing to bestow upon each of us if we will just seek Him out.

1 Nephi 1:20
...But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto deliverance.

Goal for the coming week...
Be mindful of the Tender Mercies of God.
Seek for them
List them
Express gratitude for them.
Try to be a Tender Mercy for others.

New Year...New Posts

I don't know why I don't write more often.  I really love placing my thoughts, goals, and beliefs on the page.  There is something very healing about writing, it reminds me of what is in my heart, that there is more to life then just the busy run around of my daily schedule.  

This year in Sunday School we are studying the Book of Mormon.  

I love this Book and know it is of God.  

I would like to share my love for it with anyone 

willing to read my ramblings.

In Relief Society we are studying the words of George Albert Smith. 

I will also add my lesson thoughts since 

I teach the third Sunday each month.

(my dream calling)

I hope to spend more time studying the Scriptures this year.

I see my dear husband reading every day and know I fall short. Please comment, share your thoughts, and help keep me on task.  I know the gratification I get from lessons learned should be enough motivation. But, in reality, it truly helps to be accountable to others who are willing to study also and push me to be a better person.  

I will start with the upcoming Sunday School lesson and see if I can explore it throughout this week...by Sunday I hope to also have my lesson up.

Lesson 2: All Things According to His Will

Book of Mormon Class Member Study Guide poses the question:

Why do some people today rebel against the Lord and his Servants?

Nephi states that "the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center."

Hard truths are never easily faced but readily ignored.  None of us like to believe we are wrong, or living in a way that would disappoint our Lord, or even our parents or loved ones. It is easier to rationalize and believe we are right, doing our best. 

I remember when I was younger I had someone dear in my life tell me that I had to live with who they were, they wouldn't change. It seemed like such a strange concept to me. 

Aren't we here on earth... 

to change? 

to grow? 

to perfect ourselves here on earth? 

As time has passed, it seems more often than not that people want to just be accepted as is...no refunds...this is who I am...deal with it.  Such people may not even feel they are rebelling, just living their lives and want to be left to do so.  When in fact, it is as rebellious as those who deny the laws of God...in truth, it is it the same. 

I find I often fall into this trap and others. 

Life is so busy, there isn't time to do all that is required in the Gospel.  

How can I 

raise a family

work

clean house

pay bills

do laundry

cook

AND 

fulfill my church responsibilities? 

The solution is 

COMMITMENT

  

Much of Stake Conference this week spoke of commitment.

That which we commit to, we accomplish. 

No commitment, no accomplishment.  

   

1 Nephi 3:7

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way that they may accomplish the things which he commandeth them.  

The question now lies before me...Will I go and do?

He Is Not Here, For He is Risen!

This July has been an unusual month for me. My family had a wonderful reunion over the Fourth of July weekend, surrounded by the people I hold most dear.  Unfortunately, not everyone was able to attend.  My dear sister and her family had other commitments and my loving brother is no longer with us. His children were there. Grown, with children of their own. They represented him well with their joy for life and sense of humor.  Two days later was the 21st anniversary of  his death and another six days brought his birthday.  

The reunion seemed to bring a deeper sorrow at losing him. Seeing his grandchildren the age of his children when they lost their father, watching his characteristics appear on their faces and come out their mouths... I miss him even greater.  It is as if I just heard the words, "your brother has been killed in an accident..."  He was my only brother, so there was no question as to who my father meant.  

While reading the lesson for Sunday School last week, "He is not here, for he is Risen!", I ached for the women who went to wrap Christ's body is spices and found He was not there. Few things parallel the loss of a loved one.  How they must have felt, the fear, uncertainty, and despair coupled with their sorrow! Such overwhelming emotions could hardly be contained. But even in sorrow, Mary found peace and teaches me how I can find peace if I will just open my eyes and listen for Christ's voice as she did.

John 20 tells us that Mary found the tomb empty, the stone rolled away and ran to tell the disciples. They ran to the sepulcher and believed her words, yet did not understand that Christ would rise from the dead and each returned home ~

11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

His love for her was so great that he spoke to her, questioned her weeping, and desired to ease her pain.

Her love for him was so great that she recognized the way he spoke her name.

I believe his love for each of us is as strong.  

He desires to ease our pain and sorrow, increase our joy and peace.

We must in turn love him enough to recognize his call. If we continue reading we will find out what we are to do when he calls us...

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Christ testified to Mary that he was going to his Father and God, who is her Father and God, and is our Father and God.  Then Mary did what Christ would have each of us do...she spread the word.  

"He is not here, for He is Risen!"

"Come Unto Me..."

Matthew 11
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye will find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 
This well known passage of scripture has always brought hope and a feeling of safety. A feeling similar to when I go to my parent's home.  For years I packed up my little family to make the drive to their farm up on the hill.  Each mile my anxiety and stress would dissipate and comfort would fill me.  We would visit together, play together, cook together, and clean together. I knew the time there would be a rest from my daily life.  My parent's would lift my burdens and make them easier to bear.  

Jesus asks us to take his yoke upon us and learn of him.
This means to humbly do his will and allow him to guide and direct our lives.
Lesson 10 for Gospel Doctrine today goes on to talk about what Christ did on the Sabbath Day.

He healed, blessed, taught, fed, and in all he glorified God.  

I surely had never put the two ideas together...
Take My Yoke - Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
At least not in such a direct line.
His Yoke is to be taken each week on the Sabbath Day.
We can begin literally by partaking of the Sacrament and taking His name upon us.  A weekly reminder of his invitation to Come Unto Him.

To heal, bless, teach, feed, and glorify God in all.

As we emulate him, we learn of him...
His Spirit will attend us and our burden's be made light.

One of the additional scriptures brought this lesson even closer to home...
Isaiah 28
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasures, nor speaking thine own words.
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord have spoken it. 

I took the test today, stopped thinking of the list I had in mind of MY study time, MY quiet time, MY day of rest and instead tried to bless, teach, and feed my family. I am not sure I accomplished any healing or Glorifying, but I do know I had a more delightful Sabbath.  Silly how often I forget that by looking outside myself I can find peace....I forget how quickly my Savior will lighten my burden.
 
I no longer pack up my family and drive 60 miles to that corner of paradise. My kids are leaving the nest and my parents now live less than 10 miles away. The feeling of safety and rest still resides at their home, but I am finding it is now my turn to create that atmosphere for my children. I pray I do as well as my parents, both spiritual and earthly, have for me. I pray I can be an example of following the Savior and my children will forever come unto Him, learn of Him, and know of His atoning sacrifice.