Repentance

Repentance is the second principle of the gospel. Our faith in Jesus Christ and our love for Him lead us to repent, or to change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are not in harmony with His will and teachings. When we sincerely repent of our sins the Lord forgives us and remembers them no more.

Faith in Jesus Christ leads you to desire to change your life for the better. As you study the gospel, you will recognize that you have sinned, or acted against the will and teachings of God. Through repentance, the second principle of the gospel, you change thoughts, desires, habits, and actions that are not in harmony with God’s teachings. He promises that when you repent, He will forgive your sins.

To repent, you:

•Recognize that you have sinned and feel sincere sorrow for what you have done.
•Stop sinning and strive never to commit sin again.
•Confess your sins to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. If you have sinned against another person, you must ask that person for forgiveness.
•Make restitution. You should do everything in your power to correct any problems your actions may have caused.

•Keep the commandments. Obeying God’s commandments brings the power of the gospel into your life and gives you strength to abandon your sins. Keeping the commandments includes giving service, forgiving others, and attending Church meetings.
•Acknowledge the Savior. The most important part of repentance is the realization that forgiveness comes because of Jesus Christ. The Savior suffered for your sins so they can be put behind you, even the serious ones.

Cultivating a spirit of forgiveness in your home will help you find peace, comfort, and joy. When a spouse or other family member hurts your feelings, try not to hold a grudge. Remembering the wrong every time you become frustrated or upset with them can be very damaging to your marriage and family. Everyone makes mistakes and all of us need forgiveness. Jesus Christ taught that if we want to be forgiven of our wrongs, we must forgive others ( Matthew 18:21–35).

Even after you have accepted Christ and repented of your sins, you may fall short and sin again. You should continually try to correct these transgressions. In addition, you should continually strive to develop Christlike qualities, to grow in knowledge, and to serve more effectively. As you learn more about what the Savior expects of you, you will want to show your love by obeying Him. Thus, as you repent daily, you will find that your life will change and improve.

Repentance requires changes. It requires an increased commitment to live according to God’s will. As you change, you will recognize that you are a child of God and that you need not continue making the same mistakes. If you sincerely repent, your desire to follow God will grow stronger and deeper. You will feel God’s forgiveness and His peace in your life, and guilt and sorrow will be swept away, allowing you to feel the influence of the Spirit in greater abundance. When you pass from this life and are fully repentant, you will be more prepared to live with your Heavenly Father and His Son. Heavenly Father wants you to be happy and knows that sin makes you unhappy and brings unhappiness to those you love, for “wickedness never was happiness” ( Alma 41:10).

Jesus Christ established his Church

Prior to His death and Resurrection, the Savior established His Church again on the earth, built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Himself as the chief cornerstone.

Holy Bible, Ephesians 2:20

A few hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, people had fallen into apostasy. When the Savior began His mortal ministry, He restored His gospel and established His Church again on the earth. He built His Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, He himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

Jesus Christ called twelve men to be His Apostles—including Peter, James, and John—and laid His hands on their heads to give them priesthood authority ( Matthew 10:1; John 15:16; Matthew 28:19-20). Before the Savior’s death and Resurrection, He gave His Apostles priesthood authority to teach His gospel, perform the ordinances of salvation, and continue to establish His Church in the world.

The Savior's coming fulfilled prophecy. He set a godly example and showed men what Heavenly Father was like. Yet He was rejected of men and crucified. He made the Atonement by suffering for the sins of all men. After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ guided His Apostles through revelation, making the Church of Jesus Christ a church led by God and not by men ( Acts 10; Revelation 1:1).

In addition to the Twelve Apostles, Christ appointed other leaders to assist the Apostles in the work of His Church. These included:

Seventies (missionaries)
Evangelists (patriarchs)
Pastors (presiding leaders)
Elders
Bishops
Priests
Teachers
Deacons

These officers were given the authority (or priesthood) necessary to do the work of Christ’s Church. They did missionary work, performed ordinances such as baptism, presided over congregations, and instructed and inspired Church members. As long as those who had the priesthood were alive, the Church grew and prospered.

When His followers asked Jesus Christ what kind of people He wanted them to be, His answer was simple: “Even as I am” ( 3 Nephi 27:27).

Jesus showed you by His example and His teachings how you should live to be able to return to your Father in Heaven. Although you make mistakes, as you sincerely repent of your mistakes and try to follow the example of Jesus Christ, your life will be filled with peace and inner joy, regardless of the circumstances around you.

From the beginning, God has called special witnesses, known as prophets, and commanded them to keep records of His dealings with His children. Both the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon are such records. The Holy Bible contains a record of Jesus Christ’s dealings with and ministry to the people in the Holy Land. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is a record of Christ’s dealings with and His appearance to the people of ancient America. Both books teach about our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and of Their love for us.

You lived with God

God is literally the Father of our spirits, and we lived with Him as His spirit children in a premortal existence before we were born on this earth.

Your life did not begin at birth, nor will it end at death. You have a spirit body (sometimes called the soul) and a physical body. Heavenly Father created your spirit, and you lived with Him as a spirit before you received your physical body and were born on earth. This period is called pre-earth life or premortal life.

Throughout your pre-earth life, you were taught the principles and commandments that would lead to happiness, with freedom to choose to grow in intelligence and love of the truth, or not. During this pre-earth life, Jesus Christ, then known as Jehovah was chosen as the Savior and you learned that, through Him, you would be able to overcome the effects of any wrong choices.
God’s purpose—His work and His glory—is to bring to pass the immortality (resurrection) and eternal life (life with God) of His children. He desires every one of His children to find peace in this life and a fullness of joy in His presence after this life. Heavenly Father knew that you could only progress to a certain point without the experience of mortality. In order to become more like Him, you would need to receive a physical body.

God our Father is the creator of our spirits, and we are created in His likeness physically when we are born.
Our mortal life also provides us with an opportunity to:

Gain experience from overcoming trials and temptations.
Learn to walk by faith.
Learn to choose between good and evil.
Thus, our Heavenly Father instituted His plan to help us reach our divine potential.

Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness

God’s plan of salvation and happiness helps you understand the purpose of life and your relationship with Him. Centered on Jesus Christ, God’s plan teaches where you came from, the purpose of life, and what happens when you die.

God’s plan of salvation answers life’s great questions, such as: “Where did I come from?” “What is my purpose in life?” “What happens when I die?”

Where did I come from? Your life did not begin at birth, nor will it end at death. You are made up of a spirit body (sometimes called the soul) and a physical body. Heavenly Father created your spirit body, and you lived with Him before you were born on earth. You knew and loved Him, and He knew and loved you.

What is my purpose in life? Your purpose in leaving God’s presence to come to earth includes obtaining a physical body, gaining experience, and learning to make right choices. God influences you to do good and to follow Him, while Satan tempts you to ignore God and commit sin. When you commit sin, you separate yourself to some degree from God. You cannot overcome sin and its effects without Jesus Christ. He voluntarily suffered for your sins, pains, sicknesses, and sorrows. This payment is called the Atonement. Christ’s atoning sacrifice makes it possible to be forgiven, which brings inner peace and happiness.

What happens when I die? Physical death is a step forward in Heavenly Father’s plan. At death, your spirit will leave your body and go to the spirit world, which is a place of learning and preparation. One of God’s gifts is the Resurrection, the reuniting of the physical body and spirit, made possible by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. After you are resurrected, you will go before God to be judged according to your works and the intents of your heart. If you have believed in Jesus Christ, repented of your sins, and followed His commandments, you will be able to enjoy eternal life in our Heavenly Father’s presence.

A greater knowledge of the plan of salvation has come because of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. You can know for yourself that these things are true by asking Heavenly Father in prayer.

Jesus Christ: Our Saviour

Our loving Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to show us how to live meaningful and happy lives and experience eternal joy after this life.

Heavenly Father loves you and wants you to live in His presence after this life. His plan, called the gospel of Jesus Christ, will lead you back to Him if you choose to follow it.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. It begins with faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ is believing in Him, trusting Him, and depending on Him. Faith in Jesus Christ leads you to want to change your life for the better. Through repentance, you change those thoughts, desires, habits, and actions that are not in harmony with God’s teachings. Heavenly Father promises that when you repent, He will forgive your sins.

Faith in Jesus Christ and repentance prepare you for baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ taught that everyone must be baptized of water and of the Spirit for the forgiveness of sins. Through baptism by one who holds God’s priesthood authority and through receiving the Holy Ghost, you will be spiritually reborn. After baptism, God promises to give you the gift of the Holy Ghost, who will guide, comfort, and help you know and recognize truth.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored through revelation from God to the Prophet Joseph Smith and other prophets. You can know for yourself that these things are true by asking Heavenly Father in prayer.

How can I know if this is true?

Well here are some ways to find this out for yourself, because everyone has a different way of finding out. It is a personal experience, the Lord does not let everyone know in the same way.


“I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:4

Your Heavenly Father is the source of all truth. He loves you and wants to answer your questions. Therefore, He will help you recognize the truth as you sincerely seek it and ask Him for guidance. You can know if the things you are learning are true if you ask your Heavenly Father in prayer. He desires for you to know the truth, and you can receive an answer from Him through the Holy Ghost. As taught in the Bible, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23). These feelings from the Holy Ghost are personal revelation to you that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true. You will then need to choose whether you will live in harmony with the knowledge you have received.

As the Savior taught in the Bible, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7). Feelings from the Holy Ghost are personal revelation to you that confirm the truth of the Book of Mormon and the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

The last prophet of the Book of Mormon, a man named Moroni, gave this remarkable promise to anyone who wants to know whether the Book of Mormon is true: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:4).

You can discover for yourself that what you’ve been learning is true by:
Sincerely praying to your Heavenly Father and asking Him if what you are learning is true.
Continuing to study and give thoughtful consideration to what you are learning.
Listening with your heart for the Holy Ghost to whisper the truth to you.
Following God’s commandments so you can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost.