How can repentance help me every day?

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 forgiven of our sins)

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

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

• 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

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

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

• “Repentance,” True to the Faith (2004), 132–35

• “Virtue,” Young Women Personal Progress (2009), value experience 4

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

• “Not a One-Time Thing” (video)

• “A Change of Heart” (video)

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

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

Some young women may be struggling with unworthiness or feelings of guilt. How can you be sensitive to them and invite the Spirit to help them desire to repent?

What can the young women 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 women see the power of daily repentance in their lives?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

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

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

• Our class: 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 responsibilities: 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 class 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 class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; 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 class members understand the doctrine.

• Invite half of the young women to read Luke 15:11–32 and the section titled “Repentance Requires Persistence” in Brother Stephen W. Owen’s talk “Repentance Is Always Positive.” Invite the other half to read Enos 1:1–9 and the section of the talk titled “Repentance Is for Everyone.” Encourage each group to share what they learn about repentance. What do Brother Owen’s insights add to the accounts in the scriptures? Ask each young woman to read the last section of Brother Owen’s talk and write down one thing that inspires them to make repentance a continual process.

• Invite one of the young women to share an experience of recovering from an illness or injury. How is the process she went through like the process of spiritual healing? What teachings do the young women find in Elder Dale G. Renlund’s talk “Our Good Shepherd” that encourage them to seek healing from the Good Shepherd? What can we do to show this same kind of compassion to those around us?

• Invite the young women 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 women 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 women feel more hopeful about repentance?

• Invite the young women to search resources such as the “Repentance” sections of True to the Faith and For the Strength of Youth or scripture passages about repentance (such as those suggested in this outline). Ask them to share favorite statements or ideas from these resources and explain why they are meaningful to them. Invite them to share their gratitude for the Savior in making repentance possible. You might also consider showing one of the videos suggested in this outline. How could they use what they found to help someone who thinks he or she cannot be forgiven?

• Give the young women time in class to work on Virtue value experience 4 from the Personal Progress book. If they have already completed this value experience, ask them to share what they learned from it.

3. Plan to Act

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

• Ask the young women 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 class to apply what they have learned?

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