I Can Repent and Be Happy

By Linda Magleby

Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ … to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise (Moro. 7:41).

There was a girl who got a splinter in her finger. Her dad took his pocketknife, cleaned it, and gently scraped it across her finger to catch the end of the splinter and pull it out. Even though her dad was gentle, it hurt to have the splinter removed! The next time the girl got a splinter, she didn’t tell anyone. After a few days, her finger became infected. It hurt so much that she wanted the splinter removed no matter what. Her dad gently removed it. After the splinter was gone, her finger began to heal.

When we do something wrong, it always hurts us and it often hurts others. We may think the hurt will go away if we ignore it. But left alone, the wrong will continue to hurt us and make us sad.

Heavenly Father loves us. He wants us to be happy. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make it possible for us to repent. Through His Atonement, Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we can repent and be forgiven.

Repentance is a way of removing and healing from a sin that hurts us spiritually. The first thing we need to do is to realize that we have done something wrong and to feel sorry that we did it. This feeling comes from the Holy Ghost. We must ask Heavenly Father and any people we have wronged to forgive us. We need to do the best we can to correct any problems caused because of our wrong choices. We must also decide not to do the wrong thing again. After we have done all that we can to repent, because of Christ’s Atonement, Heavenly Father will forgive us. Repentance makes us happier now and makes it possible for us to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus forever.

Activity

You can play this game by yourself or with your family. Cut out the shape on page 15 on the heavy black lines. Fold it on the dotted lines to make a pyramid. Glue or tape the tabs so they are on the inside of the pyramid. Choose a case study from the list, toss the pyramid, and tell how to apply the part of repentance that is facing you to the situation described by the case study.

Illustrated by Thomas S. Child; photograph by Christina Smith, posed by model

Feel sorry
Don’t repeat the wrong
Right the wrong
Ask for forgiveness
Case Studies
Josh says something unkind about someone. What should Josh do?
Jenny does not share her toys. What should Jenny do?
Some boys do not include someone in their game. What should they do?
Lisa takes something that does not belong to her. What should Lisa do?

Sharing Time Ideas

(Note: All songs are from Children’s Songbook unless otherwise noted; GAK = Gospel Art Picture Kit, TNGC = Teaching, No Greater Call.)

1. Teach the children that in the premortal life Heavenly Father chose Jesus Christ to be our Savior. Before we came to earth, we lived with Heavenly Father. Show Primary picture 3–3 (The Pre-Earth Life). This is one artist’s idea of what heaven is like. Explain that Heavenly Father presented a plan for all of us to get a physical body and to learn to choose the right. Read Moses 4:1–4, and have the children tell the story in their own words. Ask, “Who is the ‘Beloved Son’ Heavenly Father spoke of?” Show GAK 240 (Jesus the Christ). On the chalkboard list the following statements: “An earth would be created where we could live and show we would obey Heavenly Father’s commandments”; “We shouted for joy when we heard Heavenly Father’s plan”; “Jesus was prepared to redeem us”; “There was a war in heaven.” Write another list of the following scriptures in random order: Abr. 3:24–25; Job 38:7; Ether 3:14; Rev. 12:7–9. Have the children read the scriptures and match each scripture to a statement. Testify of Jesus Christ.

2. Read and discuss with the children 2 Ne. 2:27. Point out that the most important choices we make will be between good and evil. Divide the children into three groups and give each group one of the following pictures: GAK 309 (Alma Baptizes in the Waters of Mormon), GAK 310 (Ammon Defends the Flocks of King Lamoni), GAK 311 (The Anti-Nephi-Lehies Burying Their Swords). Each of these stories tells of people who lived lives of rebellion, repented, and turned to serve the Lord. With the help of teachers and using the scriptures and stories on the back of each picture, have each group prepare and present their story in a simple role play. Ask how each person or group of people showed they had repented. (They taught the gospel, went on a mission, refused to fight.) Ask how we can know when we have repented. (We want to keep the commandments and serve the Lord.) Bear testimony of the principle of repentance and of turning our hearts to the Lord. Sing “Choose the Right Way” (pp. 160–61).

3. Use the song “He Sent His Son” (pp. 34–35) to help the children understand how Heavenly Father sent the Savior to bless us. Using questions and GAK pictures that relate to lines of the song, have the children review the life of the Savior. For example, review the birth of the Savior by holding up GAK 200 (The Birth of Jesus). Ask the children who is in the picture, what they know about this story, and what the people in the picture make them think of. Use similar questions with the following pictures: GAK 209 (Calling of the Fishermen), GAK 230 (The Crucifixion), and GAK 239 (The Resurrected Jesus Christ). Give each child a piece of paper and a pencil. Divide the children into four groups. Assign each group a section of the song to illustrate. For example, the first group would draw pictures for the first lines: “How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness? He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.” Have the pianist play the song quietly in the background as the children draw. Invite each group to show their pictures and describe them. Have the group with the final lines (“What does he ask? Live like his Son.”) stand in front of the room and share their pictures of things we can do to live like His Son. Invite the children to hold up their pictures for their lines as they sing the song. Express gratitude for the Savior and for the blessing of having Him come to earth.

4. Using a glove, teach the children about resurrection. Show your hand without the glove and tell the children that before we came to earth we were spirits. We could move, think, choose, and learn. When we came to earth we each received a body (put hand in glove). We can still move, think, choose, and learn, but now we have wonderful bodies to take care of. When we die, the body and the spirit separate (take off the glove). The body can no longer move, but our spirit still lives. When we are resurrected, our body and our spirit are together again (put on glove), and the body and the spirit will never be separated again. Jesus was the first one to be resurrected. Because He was resurrected, all people who have ever lived will be resurrected. There are many witnesses who saw Jesus after He was resurrected. Sing a story about some of those witnesses (see TNGC, pp. 174–75). Use GAK pictures and ask the children to read or tell in their own words the summary on the back of each picture. Choose a song to sing after each picture. Some suggested pictures and songs are: GAK 233 (Mary and the Resurrected Lord) and “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” (p. 64); GAK 315 (Christ Appears to the Nephites) and “Easter Hosanna” (pp. 68–69); GAK 403 (The First Vision) and “On a Golden Springtime” (p. 88). Have the children read D&C 76:22–23. Testify, as these many witnesses have, that Jesus Christ lives.

5. Song Presentation: “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” (p. 64). Verse one asks a question, answers it, and tells what Jesus did. Ask the children to listen and raise one finger when they hear the question, two fingers when they hear the answer, and three fingers when they hear what Jesus did. Sing the first verse of the song for the children. What is the question? What is the answer? Sing that much together. Show GAK 233 (Mary and the Resurrected Lord). Say, “The song tells us three things Jesus did when the third day came. As I sing, count them on your fingers as you hear them.” (1—“wakened,” 2—“left the tomb,” 3—“called Mary’s name.”) Review the three things, and sing and count together. Use the same technique for verse two. The third verse tells how the people knew it was Jesus. Sing the first half, and ask how the people recognized Him. Sing that much together. Now the song asks a question and gives a wonderful promise. Have the children listen for the question, hold up one finger when they hear it, and fold their arms when they hear the promise. Sing the rest of the verse for them; then sing it together. Testify of the Resurrection.

6. Friend references: “Look to the Savior,” Oct. 2003, 33; “Repentance and the Atonement,” Mar. 2004, 36; “No Candy for Easter,” Apr. 2004, 4–6; “Jesus Is Risen,” June 2003, 10–15; “Missing Jarom,” Mar. 2004, 4–5; “Jesus Suffers in the Garden of Gethsemane,” Mar. 2003, 10–13; “The Savior’s Atonement,” Mar. 2002, 2–3; “Heavenly Father’s Plan,” June 2003, 46–47.