what i believe: repentance

Last week I talked about a spiritual death, or separation from the presence of God. This spiritual death was caused when Adam and Eve partook of the fruit in the Garden of Eden. As imperfect people, we cannot overcome this spiritual death on our own. A Savior was required to overcome it for us, which He did when He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. However, "further spiritual death comes as a result of our own disobedience. Our sins make us unclean and unable to dwell in the presence of God" (True to the Faith, p. 48). Each of us sin, because each of us are imperfect. In the Pearl of Great Price (a book of scripture) it says, "Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence;" (Moses 6:57 ). We cannot return to live with Heavenly Father in heaven if we are unclean. In the Book of Mormon it says,

"For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.

But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance" (Alma 12:14-15).

Repentance is necessary for us to return to live with God. Romans 3:23: "For all have ^asinned, and come short of the glory of God". But how do we repent? How can we be forgiven of the things we do wrong? In our church we believe there are four steps:

1. Feel truly sorry for the sin
2. Confess the sin to your Priesthood leader (in our case, the Bishop of our ward) or, for less serious sins, simply confess in your prayers and acknowledge you know that you've done wrong.
   
3. Right the wrong, or make restitution if possible (if you stole something, give it back or pay the money for it, etc.)
4. Forsake the Sin

Repentance is not easy. But it is worth it. Elder Richard G. Scott, an apostle in our church, said:

"If you have repented from serious transgression and mistakenly believe that you will always be a second-class citizen in the kingdom of God, learn that is not true. The Savior said:

'Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more'" (D&C 58: 42-43).

Through the Atonement, Jesus Christ offers redemption from spiritual death, but only when we exercise faith in Him, repent of our sins, and obey the principles and ordinances of the gospel. The third article of faith says,

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel (Articles of Faith 1:3).

I believe that repentance is necessary for us to return to live with Heavenly Father. I believe repentance is made possible through Christ's Atonement. I believe we must repent to return to the presence of God when we die. Repentance gives me hope that even though I'm not perfect, Christ was, and he will make up the difference for me. I believe in repentance.