How can we use repentance and the Atonement daily, even when we don’t think we’ve sinned?
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When we think of repentance, we often think of making mistakes, taking the sacrament, righting our wrongs, and becoming clean again. But it’s much more than that. Repentance shouldn’t just be used when we make major mistakes; rather, we should employ the power of repentance in our daily efforts.
Before we make repentance a daily element in our lives, we need to have a positive attitude toward it. In the talk “Repentance Is Always Positive,” Brother Stephen W. Owen discusses the ways we can change negative perceptions of repentance:
- Know that repentance brings happiness. One of the main purposes of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is so we can repent of our sins, allowing us to become clean and live with Heavenly Father again. That’s the big reason we’re here on earth?
- Remember that repentance requires persistence. We must work at repenting every day. Even when repentance seems difficult or pointless, we have to try consistently to fully use the Atonement to repent, even at times when we don’t want to.
- Recognize that repentance is for everyone. Brother Owen says, “Repentance both puts us on the right path and keeps us on the right path.” No matter where we all are in our lives, we can always use Christ’s Atonement to become better.
- Know that repentance is a lifelong pursuit. We can’t just repent once and call it good. We need to practice repenting and becoming better. Compare repentance to reading the scriptures. We don’t learn from them unless we’re consistently reading and learning from what we’re reading.
Daily repentance can help us have an eternal perspective. We can become more observant of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the blessings we receive from it.
To discover more about the joys of repentance and Christ’s forgiveness, read or watch Brother Stephen W. Owen’s talk: “Repentance Is Always Positive.”
Source: LDS General Conference
—Catherine Watson, Mormon Insights
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Find more insights
Check out “Repentance: A Joyful Choice” for Elder Dale G. Renlund‘s perspective on repentance and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Watch the video “Atonement—Not a One-Time Thing” to learn of one young adult’s experience repenting.