"Repentance- A Joyful Choice"- March 26, 2017

Hiker L. gave our lesson today based on the talk "Repentance: A Joyful Choice" given at October 2016 General Conference by Elder Renlund

"The fact that we can repent is the good news of the gospel" (Elder Renlund)

Elder Renlund shared this in his talk: "The Christian writer C. S. Lewis wrote about the need and the method for change. He noted that repentance involves “being put back on the right road. A wrong sum can be put right,” he said, “but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on.”6 Changing our behavior and returning to the “right road” are part of repentance, but only part. Real repentance also includes a turning of our heart and will to God and a renunciation of sin" 

Little things can slowly lead us farther and farther away from where we need to be. If we do not correct our course and repent of even little things, we can soon become way off course. 

"Real repentance must involve faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith that He can change us, faith that He can forgive us, and faith that He will help us avoid more mistakes. This kind of faith makes His Atonement effective in our lives. When we “perceive afterwards” and “turn around” with the Savior’s help, we can feel hope in His promises and the joy of forgiveness. Without the Redeemer, the inherent hope and joy evaporate, and repentance becomes simply miserable behavior modification." (Elder Renlund)

Elder Renlund also quoted President Boyd K. Packer in his talk "The Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces. What it fixes is fixed. … It just heals, and what it heals stays healed.” (quote taken from Pres. Packers April 2015 conference talk)

To accept the atonement and repent is a choice. What keeps us from repenting? Some ideas:

-Distractions. Remember to try to turn away from the bad and towards God

-Pride, lack of humility

-Blaming others

-Excusing ourselves because we think it is "just part of our personality." We can change even things about ourselves that we think are part of our personality. 

-Lack of faith

Hikari challenged us to take some time to purposely be thankful for Christ and the atonement when we repent.