Adapted
from a
Sometime
in your life you need to
visit
Jay E. Jensen,
“Do You Know How
to Repent?” New Era, Nov. 1999, 4
Twenty years ago my bishop was interviewing me for my temple recommend. Because
I was a member of a stake presidency, I knew all the temple recommend interview
questions. I asked them weekly to other members, and I was prepared to
answer each question that my bishop asked me. But following the formal
questions, he caught me totally off guard with an additional inquiry about my
understanding of the gospel.
He asked, “Jay, do you know how to repent?” My first
thought was to say, “Yes, of course I know how to repent.” I paused for
a moment to think about it, and the more I thought about it, the more
uncertain I was of my answer. The standard five or six R’s of repentance
(recognition, remorse, restitution, reformation, resolution, etc.) did not seem
adequate. In fact, they were meaningless to me at that time.
They seemed to be too trite, too compartmentalized.
I know there are some great doctrines and principles in those R’s of repentance,
but I did not feel comfortable giving an immediate answer or using them in my
answer. Finally I said rather hesitatingly, “Yes, bishop. I think I do.” I do
not remember any other details of the interview because I was so struck with
that one question. “Jay, do you know how to repent?” Since then I
have thought a lot about that question and the associated doctrine.
The
Power of Repentance and the Atonement
Some years ago I worked in the Missionary Department of the Church. We were
developing materials to help missionaries be better and do better.
One of the General Authorities shared this experience about repentance:
“A little over a year ago, I had the privilege of interviewing a young man to
go on a mission. Because he had committed a major transgression, it was
necessary for him under then-existing policy to be interviewed by
a General Authority. When the young man came in, I said, ‘Apparently there’s
been a major transgression in your life, and that has necessitated this
interview. Would you mind telling me what the problem was? What did you do?’
“He laughed and said, ‘Well, there isn’t anything I haven’t done.’ I said,
‘Well, let’s be more specific then. Have you … ?’ And then this General
Authority began to probe with some very specific questions. The young man laughed
again and said, ‘I told you, I’ve done everything.’
“I said, ‘How many times have you …’ He said very sarcastically, ‘Do you
think I numbered them?’ I said, ‘I would to God you could if
you can’t.’ He said, again quite sarcastically, ‘Well, I can’t.’
“I said, ‘How about …’ And then the General Authority probed in another
direction. He said, ‘I told you. I’ve done everything.’ I said, ‘Drugs?’ He
said, ‘Yes,’ in a very haughty attitude. I said, ‘What makes you think you’re
going on a mission then?’ He said, ‘I know I’m going. My patriarchal blessing
says I’ll go on a mission, and I’ve repented. I haven’t done any of those
things for this past year. I have repented, and I know I’m going on a
mission.’
“I said, ‘My dear friend, I’m sorry but you are not going on a mission. Do
you think we could send you out with those clean, wholesome young men who have
never violated the code? Do you think we could have you go out and boast and
brag about your past? You haven’t repented; you have just stopped doing
something.
“ ‘Sometime in your life you need to visit
“He started to cry, and he cried for several minutes. I didn’t say a word.
Finally, he said, ‘I guess that’s the first time I have cried since I was five
years old.’ I said, ‘If you had cried like that the first time you were tempted
to
violate the moral code, you possibly would be going on a mission.’
“He left the office, and I think he felt I was really cruel. I explained to
the bishop and the stake president that the boy could not go on a mission.”
About six months later the same General Authority returned to that city to
speak in a lecture series held in the evening. When he finished, many young
adults lined up to shake hands with him. As he shook hands, one by one, he looked
up and saw the young man that he had previously interviewed standing in the
line about four back. The General Authority relates the following:
“My mind quickly flashed back to our interview. I recalled his
laughing and haughty attitude. I remembered how sarcastic he was.
Pretty soon he was right in front of me. I was on the stand bending over, and
as I reached down to shake his hand, I noticed a great change had taken place. He
had tears in his eyes. He had almost a holy glow about his countenance. He took
my hand in his and said, ‘I’ve been there; I’ve been to
Conditions
of Repentance
The words “conditions of repentance” (see Hel.
5:11; Hel.
14:11; D&C
18:12) have great meaning. I have studied and pondered
the scriptures to learn what those conditions are and discovered that these
conditions could also be called prerequisites to the five or six
R’s. These R’s are important and much needed, but the following conditions need
to
precede them.
• The first condition is that God lives. He is in heaven. He knows us by
name. We cannot hide from Him. He has a fullness of divine attributes and
perfections, including all knowledge. In order for repentance to begin, we must
start with God and our relationship to Him.
Elder Jeffrey Holland made a very insightful comment about repentance and
God. “Someone once said that repentance is the first pressure we feel when
drawn to the bosom of God” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, 83).
• We are fallen, mortal, unclean and we need help. We are estranged and
cannot live with Him being mortal.
• We need to know the doctrine that one day we will die. Some die early,
some late. But that day will come; it is absolute.
• There will be a final judgment. An important condition of repentance is to
believe that one day we will all stand before the judgment bar. That day will
come.
• Another prerequisite or condition to repentance is to
know that no unclean thing can dwell with God (see 1
Ne. 10:21; 1
Ne. 15:34; Alma
7:21; Alma
40:26; and Hel.
8:25). You can hide sins from your bishop, you can
hide them from your parents and friends, but if you continue and die with
unresolved sins, you are unclean and no unclean thing can dwell with God. There
are no exceptions.
• We are saved only though the merits, the mercy, and the grace of the Holy
One of
I have worked with many, including my own self, and have seen the miracle of
forgiveness, the miracle of cleansing, and I bear witness of Him, as one of His
witnesses. I know that He lives. May you ever be blessed to stay on that
straight and narrow path that leads you to God.
Gospel topics: Atonement, forgiveness, repentance
[illustration] Painting
by William Henry Margetson
[illustration] Painting
by John Scott
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