What does it mean to repent?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for our sins so that we can 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.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

• Isaiah 1:18; Alma 34:15–16; 36:6–24; Doctrine and Covenants 1:32 (Through repentance, we can be cleansed from our sins)

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

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

• Alma 36:6–24 (Alma repents and receives forgiveness through the grace of the Savior)

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

• Mosiah 27:35; Doctrine and Covenants 58:42–43 (To repent, we must confess and forsake our sins)

• Lynn G. Robbins, “Until Seventy Times Seven,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 21–23

• Stephen W. Owen, “Repentance Is Always Positive,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov 2017, 48–50

• Dale G. Renlund, “Our Good Shepherd,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 29–32

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

• “Face to Face: How can I know when I have repented and been forgiven by the Lord?” (video)

• “Not a One-Time Thing” (video)

• “Within Bounds” (video)

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

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

Some young men may be struggling with unworthiness. This will affect their ability to serve as faithful priesthood holders. How can you be sensitive to them and invite the Spirit to help them desire to repent?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

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 the young men see the power of daily repentance in their lives?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

• Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

• Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

• Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

• Invite the young men to share experiences when they failed at something. As a group, read what Elder Lynn G. Robbins shared about why the Lord lets us fail in his message “Until Seventy Times Seven” (the bulleted list). How might these ideas help the young men understand the role of failure in their lives? How does fully repenting help us overcome our failures and become better? (see paragraphs 23–24). What role does Jesus Christ play in helping us change? How can this knowledge help the young men feel more hopeful about repentance?

• Ask one of the young men to hide an object while the other quorum members are watching. Ask another quorum member to try 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 young men share that teach us that we cannot hide our sins from God? (See, for example, Jonah 1–2; 2 Samuel 11–12; Acts 5:1–11.) They could also review the story at the beginning of Elder Dale G. Renlund’s message “Repentance: A Joyful Choice.” Invite the young men 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 young man to hold up a picture of Alma and the sons of Mosiah (see Gospel Art Book [2009], no. 77) and summarize the story of their repentance (see Alma 36:6–24). Ask the young men to individually read Alma 36:13, 17–20, 23–24, identify principles of repentance in these verses, and then share in small groups what they learned. Invite the young men to think of and write down something they can do to apply the principles of repentance in their own lives.

• Invite each young man to study part of “Repentance” in For the Strength of Youth or selected portions of one of the talks suggested in this outline. Have the young men mark and share anything that stands out to them. Invite them to anonymously write down any questions they have about repentance. Invite the bishop to answer these questions and share how repentance is made possible through the Savior. You might also consider showing one of the videos suggested in this outline.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

• Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?

• Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

• Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.