How can we get over the shame of talking to our bishop? Trusting in God’s desire for us to return, despite imperfection, can lead us to healing, worthiness, and deeper discipleship.
Recently, I’ve felt God’s presence strongly in my life. I work hard throughout the day, and at night as I lie down to sleep, I feel assuring peace from striving to live as a disciple of Christ.
But it wasn’t always like this. Three years ago, I promised God that I would change, so I went to talk to my bishop for the first time. For so long, I carried a weighty shame, which prevented me from feeling worthy to enter God’s temple. I tried to fill my temple absence by doing family history, but it wasn’t enough; I knew the consequences of my actions had wounded my self-esteem. However, when my bishop said, “God wants you in his house,” I felt that if God wanted me there, he also desired for me to be cleansed from sin.
In his general conference talk “The Atoning Love of Jesus Christ,” Elder Neil L. Andersen reminds us that humbly submitting our will to God includes talking to our bishop or branch president about serious sins. However, most importantly he teaches, “Forgiveness is a divine gift offered through the grace of Jesus Christ.” With time and trust in the goodness that comes from virtuous actions, I fulfilled my promise and received my endowment. My relationship with God has become much stronger as I have relied on the atoning power of Jesus Christ.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not a perfect person. I step in puddles here and there, but as I practice daily repentance and daily prayer and scripture study, the wetness dries off. I’ve never felt as much joy and peace as I do now. I know the positive outcomes of my persistence will be eternal. Remember, repentance and cleanliness can take time, but faithfully trusting in our Savior and the power of his Atonement can help us grow into something beautiful.
Learn more about the power of Christ’s Atonement in the general conference address by Elder Neil L. Andersen, “The Atoning Love of Jesus Christ.”
Source: General Conference
—Samantha Caceres, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Find more insights
Discover how to gain confidence with virtue and charity by reading President Russell M. Nelson’s talk, “Confidence in the Presence of God.”
Read how the miracle of the Atonement of Jesus Christ transforms lives in Elder C. Scott Grow’s talk, “The Miracle of the Atonement.”