Thursday, November 21, 2019

Harold B. Lee, "Up the Road of Repentance"


Based on a radio talk he delivered in 1945 on Radio Station KSL, Harold B. Lee wrote the following about repentance:

Up the Road of Repentance

Now what are the steps to be taken on this climb up the road to repentance in order to be worthy of God’s forgiveness through the redemption of the Master’s atoning sacrifice and the privileges of eternal life in the world to come? An all-wise Father, foreseeing that some would fall in sin and all would have need to repent, has provided in the teachings of his gospel and through his Church the plan of salvation that defines the clear-cut way to repentance.

First, those in sin must confess them. “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” (Doc. And Cov. 58:43.) That confession must be made first to him or her who has been most wronged by your acts. A sincere confession is not merely admitting guilty after the proof is already in evidence. If you have “offended many persons openly,” your acknowledgement is to be made openly and before those whom you have offended that you might show your shame and humility and willingness to receive a merited rebuke. If your act is secret and has resulted in injury to no one but yourself, your confession should be in secret, that your Heavenly Father who hears in secret may reward you openly. Acts that may affect your standing in the Church, or your right to privileges or advancement in the Church, are to be promptly confessed to the bishop whom the Lord has appointed as a shepherd over every flock and commissioned to be a common judge in Israel. He may hear such confession in secret and deal justly and mercifully as each case warrants. The unbaptized who is in sin may be following a similar course receive at the hands of an authorized elder of the Church, if otherwise prepared by an understanding of the gospel, baptism for the remission of his sins. Following confession, one in sin must show forth the fruits of his repentance by good deeds that are weighed against the bad. He must make proper restitution to the limit of his power to restore that which he has taken away or to repair the damage he has done. He that repents thus of his sins and altogether turn away therefrom, to return no more to a repetition thereof, is entitled to the promise of a forgiveness of his sins, if he has not committed the unpardonable sin, as it was declared by the Prophet Isaiah, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18.)

But now, please do not misunderstand the true meaning of the scriptures with respect to this matter. One may not wallow in the ore of filth and sin and conduct his life in a manner unlawful in the sight of God and then suppose that repentance will wipe out the effects of his sin and place him on the level he would have been on had he always lived a righteous and virtuous life. May I quote from the words of a prophet of the Lord on this subject: “He may and will be forgiven if he repents, the blood of Christ will make him free, and will wash him clean, though his sins be as scarlet; but all this will not return him any loss sustained . . . Nor will it place him in a position where he would have been had he not committed wrong. He has lost something which can never be regained notwithstanding the . . . forgiveness of God.” (President Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 468.) It was undoubtedly this Law of Recompense the Lord was speaking of concerning those to whom the blessings and powers of the priesthood in his kingdom were given if they were to break their “oath and covenant” after they had received it. Said he, “They shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.” (Doc. And Co. 84:41.) Throughout the eternal worlds, they could never make up for that which they lost while they “procrastinated the day of their repentance.” The Lord extends loving mercy and kindness in forgiving you of the sins you commit against him or his work, but he can never remove the results of the sin you have committed against yourselves by thus retarding your advancement toward your eternal goal. (Harold B. Lee, Youth and the Church [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1970], 98-100)