I gave a short talk in the YSA Sacrament Meeting this past Sunday about The Joy of Repentance and I'm posting my talk in here so that a record of it is kept somewhere should I ever need it again.
Converts to the church are pretty lucky because they can always call on their “conversion story” whenever they are asked to give a talk; these are personal stories that are easy to tell, entertaining to listen to, and that much of the audience can relate to.
Although I am also a convert to the church, my conversion story is a little difficult to relate to because I was baptized when I was 10, so I was young enough to feel like I've been a member of the church my entire life. I do, however, remember my mom dutifully taking my brother and I to Catholic Mass every Sunday. I also have pictures of being baptized in the Catholic church when I was a baby, I remember the catechism lessons I had to attend so that I could have my First Communion, and I can probably still recite the Hail Mary prayer in my sleep. My parents had dutifully taught us all the biblical stories, and so when we first met the sister missionaries, much of what I learned as an investigator sounded familiar.
At the young age of 10, I did not have any difficulty believing in God, in Jesus Christ, or in the Holy Spirit. I believe that children brought up by goodly parents, as I was, are more in tune with the truth, and the existence of holier beings just makes a lot of sense. I also had no problem with the principles of faith and repentance and with the ordinances of baptism or receiving the Holy Ghost.
When I sat down in my very first primary class, one of my classmates asked me if I was a member or an investigator, but since I was not familiar with the Mormon lingo, I didn't know what to answer. Then she asked me if I was baptized, and I said “Yes, when I was a baby”. She responded “oh, you’re an investigator then.” And left it at that. I felt left out because, according to her, I wasn't baptized, even though I thought I was.
Learning about Joseph Smith, the golden plates, the Nephites and Lamanites, partaking of the Sacrament, the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, the plan of Salvation, and Temples was sometimes a little confusing and too much information for me, but none of it sounded unreal. My parents were learning just as much as I was, and so I reasoned that if my parents believed that the Mormon church was true, then I believed it as well.
After we were baptized, we quickly became swept up in the whirlwind of activities that is the LDS life. In primary, I was having fun working on my Faith In God booklet on Wednesday evenings, and on Fridays we got together to prepare for an upcoming talent show. I made new friends at church and was always excited to see them, in fact, the girl who had asked me if I was a member during my first primary class remains my best friend to this day. My parents were welcomed with open arms into the ward as well. They were invited to FHE at a different member's home every week, my mom fell right into Relief Society and all of their crafting and sewing and cooking activities. My dad was called to work with the Young Men and never missed a Wednesday evening of playing basketball. And as a family we welcomed the sister missionaries for dinner at least once a week.
Today I was supposed to talk on The Gift of Repentance, and I was trying to remember a time when I was really in the wrong path and I had to repent and change my life around.... But I couldn't because there aren't many wrong ways you can live your life at the age of 10.
My family and I became so immersed in the Mormon culture that I have no recollection of ever making the big choice to repent and follow Christ, so I was a little stumped and couldn't find a personal experience to share with you today.
We are all familiar with the stories of repentance in the scriptures such as:
Alma the Younger, Mosiah 27
After causing destruction and persecution of church members, an angel of the Lord appeared unto Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah and commanded them to cease their evil course. Alma was struck down and after two days and two nights he regained consciousness.
- repented of his sins and redeemed of the Lord
Enos praying far into the night, [Enos 1-6]
We also know the story of Enos, who prayed for an entire day and night.
-mighty prayer and supplication for his soul
King Lamoni, Alma 18 and 19
King Lamoni thought that Ammon was the Great Spirit, and Ammon taught him many things, including God, the creation, the fall of Adam, the scriptures, the rebellion of Laman and Lemuel, and the Plan of Redemption.
These 3 spiritual giants had a mighty change of heart, they had faith in the Lord and repented of their sins, and were born again. They had a definitive date of when their lives were changed and they sinned no more.
Although these stories are extremely admirable, I haven't been able to relate to them too well.
The BoM story that I relate to is that of the Lamanites mentioned in 3 Nephi 9:20. Here we have the voice of Christ speaking in the darkness, and he is inviting men to come unto him and be saved. Verse 20 reads:
20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptizewith fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.
They were baptized by fire and they knew it not...
That one small sentence sounds more like my story than any other. I was too young at the time of my baptism to really understand the great change I was making in my life, but it doesn't make my faith, repentance and conversion any less real. I too was baptized by fire and knew it not, but the process has been long, slow, and steady. Through almost 15 years of being a member of the church, I have had the joy of continual repentance and conversion unto the Lord, and this process continues still. Day by day I have moved closer to the Lord, mostly without realizing it. Each day has given me a new opportunity to repent and become more in tune with the Spirit and living my life how the Lord would like me to live it.
This, I believe, is one of the greatest joys of repentance. Not all of us will have huge, life changing events like Alma the Younger, Enos, or King Lamoni.... We might, but they are the exception to the rule. Most of us will become more Christlike throughout a lifetime of acts of service, church attendance, prayer, commitment, and daily repentance.
The joy of repentance is the joy of living the gospel day by day. We are in the middle of the plan of Happiness and we should treat it as such... Living life with happiness.
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