Doctrinal Mastery

Repentance and Forgiveness

“Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

“By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.”

Doctrine and Covenants 58:42–43.

He who has repented

All people have sinned (see Romans 3:23). Repentance is a gift made possible through Jesus Christ’s Atonement and is part of Heavenly Father’s plan for all of His children who are accountable for their choices.

Is forgiven

“As often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me” (Mosiah 26:30). True repentance brings God’s forgiveness. Some of the blessings of forgiveness are:

• Peace.

• Joy.

• Freedom.

• Relief.

• Healing.

• The Holy Ghost’s companionship.

(See Romans 6:16–18; Mosiah 4:3; Alma 36:17–21; Doctrine and Covenants 1:33.)

To be forgiven, we must have:

• Sincerity.

• Humility.

• A firm resolve to obey the commandments.

(See Mosiah 4:10; Doctrine and Covenants 84:21.)

I, the Lord, remember them no more

Our sins can be forgiven, and God will remember them no more (see Jeremiah 31:34). This means we can move forward in obedience.

“Satan will try to make us believe that our sins are not forgiven because we can remember them. Satan is a liar; he tries to blur our vision and lead us away from the path of repentance and forgiveness. God did not promise that we would not remember our sins. Remembering will help us avoid making the same mistakes again. But if we stay true and faithful, the memory of our sins will be softened over time. This will be part of the needed healing and sanctification process.”

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Apr. 2007 general conference.

Confess

“For the most serious sins we need to confess to our bishop and seek his loving help. For other sins it may be sufficient for us to confess to the Lord and to whomever we have wronged.”

President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, Oct. 2004 general conference.

And forsake

To forsake sin means to turn from it and never go back to it. Completely forsaking sins can take time and patience. Just because you’re still tempted and sin again doesn’t mean you should give up. The Lord will help you if you sincerely repent.