Week 40 (more thoughts) - January 28 - February 3

In Sunday School President Michael J. Sherrill taught from the conference talk of D. Todd Christofferson "The Divine Gift of Repentance" from the October 2011 General Conference.  This talk has some interesting ideas in it for me.

"First, the invitation to repent is an expression of love.  When the Savior 'began to preach, and say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand' (Matthew 4:17), it was a message of love, inviting all who would to qualify to join Him 'and enjoy the words of eternal life (itself) in the world to com' (Moses 6:59)....  

Second, repentance means striving to change....we seek His grace to complement and reward our most diligent efforts (see 2 Nephi 25:23)....Real repentance, real change may require repeated attempts, but there is something refining and holy in such striving....With repentance we can steadily improve in our capacity to live the celestial law for we recognize that 'he who is not able to abide the law of celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory' (D&C 88:22)....

Three, repentance means not only abandoning sin but also committing to obedience.  The Bible Dictionary states, 'Repentance came to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, (as well as) a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined.'....For our turning to the Lord to be complete, it must include nothing less than a covenant of obedience to Him.  

We often speak of this covenant as the baptismal covenant of obedience to the Father....Without this covenant, repentance remains incomplete and the remission of sins unattained.  In the memorable expression of Professor Noel Reynolds, 'The choice to repent is a choice to burn bridges in every direction (having determined) to follow forever only one way, the one path that leads to eternal life'....

Fourth, repentance requires a seriousness of purpose and a willingness to persevere, even through pain.....True repentance is not superficial.  The Lord gives two overarching requirement:  'By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins-behold, he will confess them and forsake them' (D&C 58:43).   

This article helps me see the importance of baptism for even the Savior of the world who lived a perfect life on earth but who needed a covenant of obedience to  his Father in Heaven.  The baptismal covenant is that covenant between the person baptized and Heavenly Father.  Our Father in Heaven will work with us if we are changing to make our lives better.  It is a process of change and with change there may be back sliding but if we pick ourselves up and try again we are still on the covenant path.

I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who knows that I need more than one chance to change.  When I am changing to be more like him I am on the covenant path.