Lesson 4

What does it mean to repent?

Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for our sins so that we could repent. Repentance is a change of heart and mind that brings us closer to God. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and a sincere desire to obey His commandments.

As a teacher, prepare yourself spiritually

What experiences have you had with repentance? Without discussing personal sins, how can you share ways repentance has helped you come closer to Heavenly Father?

Some service members may be struggling with unresolved sins. This will affect their ability to serve as faithful members of the Church. How can you be sensitive to them and invite the Spirit to help them desire to repent?

Prayerfully study these scriptures and resources. Other resources may be included later in the outline as well. What inspires you to seek the divine gift of repentance?

• Isaiah 1:18 (Through repentance, we can be cleansed from our sins)

• Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8 (We all have sinned)

• Mosiah 27:8–32; Alma 36:6–24 (Alma repents and receives forgiveness through the grace of the Savior)

• Alma 19:33 (Repentance brings a change of heart)

• Alma 39:8 (We cannot hide our sins from God)

• D&C 19:16–19 (Christ suffered the penalty of our sins)

• D&C 58:42–43 (To repent, we must confess and forsake our sins)

• “Repentance,” For the Strength of Youth (2011), 28–29

• Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Point of Safe Return,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 99–101

• D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine Gift of Repentance,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 38–41

• Videos: “Not a One­ Time Thing”; “Within Bounds”

Begin the learning experience

Use the following idea or think of your own to introduce the lesson.

• Have a service member hold his or her arms straight out and hold a heavy object in each hand while you discuss with the other class members how sin can be like a heavy burden. During the discussion, place more heavy objects on the service member’s hands. Remove the objects, and invite the service members to share what they learn about sin and repentance from this object lesson.

Teaching tip

“Don’t become so absorbed with the lesson that you forget to thank learners for their contributions. They need to know that you appreciate their willingness to share their insights and testimonies” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way [2016], 33).

Learn together

Each of the following activities can help service members understand what it means to repent. Following the guidance of the Spirit, select one or more of the learning activities that will work best with your class.

• Ask one of the service members to hide an object while the others are watching. Ask another service member to find the object. What does this example teach about trying to hide sins from God? (See Alma 39:8.) What scripture stories can the service members share that teach us that we cannot hide our sins from God? (See, for example, 2 Samuel 11–12; Jonah 1–2; Acts 5:1–11.) Invite the service members to discuss the following questions in small groups: What are some of the ways people try to hide their sins? What would you say to help someone understand that we cannot hide our sins?

• Invite a service member to hold up a picture of Alma the Younger (see Gospel Art Book, 77) and summarize the story of his repentance (see Mosiah 27:8–32; Alma 36:17–20). Ask the service members to individually read Mosiah 27:24–28, 32–33, and Alma 36:17–20 and then identify principles of repentance in these verses. Invite them to share in small groups what they learned. Ask them to write down something they can do to apply the principles of repentance in their own lives.

• Show the video “Within Bounds.” Invite half the service members to look for things they learn about repentance from this video, and invite the other half to look for the role of the bishop in helping us repent. Ask them to share what they learn. What would they say to friends who may be afraid to talk to the bishop about mistakes they have made?

• Note: Use the following idea only if all the members of your class are male. Read the following quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “Because of the eternal and unfathomable Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the priesthood of God can be available even if you have stumbled or have been unworthy in the past. Through the spiritually refining and cleansing process of repentance, you can ‘arise and shine forth’! [D&C 115:5.] Because of the boundless, forgiving love of our Savior and Redeemer, you can lift up your eyes, become clean and worthy, and develop into righteous and noble sons of God—worthy bearers of the most sacred priesthood of Almighty God” (“The Joy of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 59). The power of the priesthood is dependent on your individual righteousness (see D&C 121: 34–37, 41–42). What can you do to more faithfully magnify your priesthood?

Ask the service members to share what they learned today. Do they understand what it means to repent? What feelings or impressions do they have? Do they have any additional questions? Would it be worthwhile to spend more time on this doctrine?

Invite to act

Ask service members to share their feelings about the Savior and what it means to receive the divine gift of repentance. Invite them to examine their lives and determine what they need to change.

Teaching in the Savior’s way

The Savior invited others to act in faith and live the truths He taught. He found opportunities for them to learn through powerful experiences. What can you do to help service members see the power of daily repentance in their lives?