"Repentance is a divine gift, and there should be a smile on our faces when we speak of it," said Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve during the Saturday afternoon session of conference. "It points us to freedom, confidence and peace."
Noting the subject of repentance is expansive, Elder Christofferson mentioned five fundamental aspects of the gospel principle.
1. The invitation to repent is an expression of love.
"If we do not invite others to change or if we do not demand repentance of ourselves, we fail in a fundamental duty we owe to one another and to ourselves." He said that at times the call to repentance is regarded as intolerant or offensive and may be resented, but guided by the Spirit, it is an act of genuine caring.
2. Repentance means striving to change.
"It would mock the Savior's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross for us to expect that He should transform us into angelic beings with no real effort on our part....
"Real repentance, real change may require repeated attempts, but there is something refining and holy in such striving," Elder Christofferson said. "With repentance we can steadily improve in our capacity to live the celestial law… ."
3. Repentance means not only abandoning the sin, but committing to obedience.
"For our turning to the Lord to be complete, it must include nothing less than a covenant of obedience to Him." Elder Christofferson said without the covenant of baptism, "repentance remains incomplete, and the remission of sins unattained."
4. Repentance requires a seriousness of purpose and a willingness to persevere, even through pain.
Elder Christofferson said attempts to create a list of steps to repentance may lead to a mechanical "check off the boxes" approach with no real feeling or change. True repentance is more than a casual "I admit it; I'm sorry." The two overarching requirements, Elder Christofferson said were confessing and forsaking sins.
"With faith in the merciful Redeemer and His power, potential despair turns to hope. One's very heart and desires change, and the once appealing sin becomes increasingly abhorrent," Elder Christofferson said.
"Any pain entailed in repentance will always be far less than the suffering required to satisfy justice for unresolved transgression."
Whatever the cost of repentance, it is swallowed up in the joy of forgiveness.
Elder Christofferson related an address given by President Boyd K. Packer in which the Donner Party straggled into the Sacramento Valley. Upon seeing the green grass and singing birds, 15-year-old John Breen said, "The scene that I saw this morning seems to be photographed on my mind. Most of the incidents are gone from memory… ." President Packer said, "I have seen some who have spent a long winter of guilt and spiritual starvation emerge into the morning of forgiveness. When morning came they learned this: 'Behold he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord remember them no more" (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42).
"The divine gift of repentance is the key to happiness here and hereafter," Elder Christofferson concluded.
