Is there something you’ve done that causes you regret? Do you feel guilty because you said something or did something that hurt someone, and it just doesn’t seem like you can make things right? Did you do something in your past that seems to haunt you, and you just can’t let it go?
Through Jesus Christ and His atonement, we can find forgiveness. He is the master healer, and He can heal us from the effects of sin, but only when we sincerely repent.1 Repentance tends to have a negative connotation, but President Nelson has been working to help us recognize how joyful repentance can be.2 It is through repentance that we can have access to the Savior’s healing power to help us overcome our feelings of guilt and regret.
The guilt that comes from sin
First and foremost, this post focuses on how we can find peace through repentance.3 Therefore, any reference to “guilt” is to that feeling that results from sin.4 This post does not address feelings of shame or guilt that come through no fault or wrongdoing. For example, a clinical social worker once wrote, “What I see in my office day in and day out is this: women believe that everything that’s ‘wrong’ has ever been ‘wrong’ and will ever go ‘wrong’ is their fault. . . . At the same time, women feel guilty for needing anything for themselves. The truth is women feel guilty most of the time, for most everything.”5
Now, I didn’t write that, and I’m not commenting on that. It’s simply an example that some feelings of guilt, regret, or shame can come from things that are not our fault. Certainly, the Savior can help overcome those feelings as well. But the focus of this post is repentance that leads to forgiveness; how to overcome harmful feelings that did not result from our own actions is the topic for a different post. And because I don’t have experience with mental health or social work, I doubt I’ll ever write something like that. If you’re interested in that topic, I’d suggest you start with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk, “Like a Broken Vessel,” from the October 2013 General Conference.
What is sin?
Perhaps the first question to address is, “What is sin?” The Guide to the Scriptures defines “sin” as “[w]illful disobedience to God’s commandments.”6 Perhaps it could be said that “sin” is anything that is contrary to the will of God, and so Jesus lived a sinless life, because He “came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”7 The Savior committed no sin, because He always sought and did the will of His Father.
There are some fascinating scriptures that give us some insight into sin and the Savior’s atonement. For example, King Benjamin taught, “I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.”8 However, he also taught that the Savior “atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned.”9
Ignorantly sinned. Personally, I think “ignorantly” sinning is different from being unaware of our sins. Can we imagine ways that we sin without realizing it? For example, early in the history of the Church, the Lord gave a revelation in which He rebuked the Saints for not recognizing or understanding the promptings of the Holy Ghost. He said, “Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained? To preach my gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth. And then received ye spirits which ye could not understand, and received them to be of God; and in this are ye justified?”10
To me, that sounds like the missionaries who were called to preach the gospel either did not understand the promptings of the Holy Ghost, or they confused other feelings or influences with the Holy Ghost. Either way, were they justified? Or, did God hold that against them as a sin?
What if we receive a prompting to call or visit someone, and we don’t recognize that as a prompting of the Holy Ghost, and so we don’t do it? Is that sin? Well, if it’s the Lord’s will that we contact or visit that person and we don’t do it, then I would say yes, that would be a sin because it is contrary to God’s will. Just thinking about that small example, it gives tremendous scope to King Benjamin’s statement that there are so many ways to commit sin that they can’t be numbered.
As I have pondered this definition of “sin,” “repentance” has taken on a different meaning, particularly because it indicates that we can sin without even realizing it.
What is repentance?
I believe the prototypical definition of “repentance” is found in Doctrine and Covenants 58:43: “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” In other words, we do something wrong, we know it, and we make an effort to repent of that sin. Repentance becomes something we do after sin.
But what about sins we don’t know about? Isn’t it conceivable that there are many things we do without even realizing that they are contrary to God’s will? Or, the many things that we don’t do that the Lord wants us to do? Elder Neil A. Maxwell taught, “Many of us thus have sufficient faith to avoid the major sins of commission, but not enough faith to sacrifice our distracting obsessions or to focus on our omissions.”11 So if repentance is “confessing and forsaking” our sins, it’s vital to recognize when we sin. How then do we repent of sins we’re not aware of?
I think this is the focus of President Nelson’s call for daily repentance: “[W]hen Jesus asks you and me to ‘repent,’ He is inviting us to change our mind, our knowledge, our spirit—even the way we breathe. He is asking us to change the way we love, think, serve, spend our time, treat our wives, teach our children, and even care for our bodies. . . . Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a little better each day. . . . When we choose to repent, we choose to change!”12
With that understanding, repentance shifts from focusing on what we’re doing wrong, to instead making a greater effort to do good. Daily repentance is as simple as making time for scripture study and prayer. Daily repentance occurs when we think of something we should do for our calling, and we do it, rather than putting it off. We repent daily when we make an effort to say a kind word to our spouse or children. Daily repentance means doing more of the small and simple things that we know we should be doing. Because doing those small and simple things over time results “in powerful spiritual uplift and growth.”13
Examples of repentance that result in forgiveness
To be clear, we receive forgiveness from the Savior. It is because of the Savior’s atonement, and His mercy and grace, that we can be forgiven. He has commanded us to repent.14 We have been taught that a “condition” of our forgiveness, or a “condition” of the Savior exercising His power to forgive us, is repentance: “And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.”15
I have seen many scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants that have helped me have a broader understanding of what it means to repent. These are scriptures in which the Lord has told people they were forgiven, and He tells them the reason why He was willing to forgive them. But the stated reason is not necessarily prototypical “repentance.” Certainly, we only have fragmented historical details, and we can only assume that these early saints were pleading for forgiveness. But I find it fascinating that the Lord told them why they were forgiven. As we contemplate these reasons, we can see that by doing small and simple things, we are in fact satisfying the Lord’s conditions that He has established for forgiveness.
The following examples are only passages. If you are longing for a forgiveness of sins, or if you are seeking to obtain a peace of conscience, I would encourage you to study the full sections and historical background of each passage to have a better understanding of how we can obtain forgiveness through repentance.
The Lord chastens us to cause us to repent
None of us enjoys being “chastened.” But the Lord chastens us so we will repent, because only when we repent does He forgive our sins.
- Doctrine and Covenants 1:27. “And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 42:92. “If any shall offend in secret, he or she shall be rebuked in secret, that he or she may have opportunity to confess in secret to him or her whom he or she has offended, and to God, that the church may not speak reproachfully of him or her.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 95:1. “Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you.”
Sin no more
A significant aspect of repentance is to cease the offending behavior. These scriptures demonstrate that change is a fundamental part of repentance.
- Doctrine and Covenants 24:2. “Nevertheless, thou art not excusable in thy transgressions; nevertheless, go thy way and sin no more.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 29:3. “Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 42:26. “But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out.”
Work in the Lord’s kingdom
Repentance causes us to come closer to the Lord. If we want to change, we need to work in His kingdom. The following scriptures show that the Lord forgives sins as we make an effort to “thrust in our sickle with all of our soul.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 31:5. “Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 84:61. “For I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 124:76. “Let his family rejoice and turn away their hearts from affliction; for I have chosen him and anointed him, and he shall be honored in the midst of his house, for I will forgive all his sins, saith the Lord.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 124:78. “I, the Lord, love him for the work he hath done, and will forgive all his sins.”
The Lord is merciful
These scriptures don’t explain why people were forgiven, they simply state that the Lord is merciful. We should always remember that we are forgiven because of the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. We do not earn forgiveness. Elder James R. Rasband taught, “Whereas mercy is focused on withholding a punishment we deserve, grace typically refers to God giving us blessings we do not deserve and without regard to merit.”16 We cannot become so caught up in the acts of repentance that we forget that we are forgiven only “through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah.”17
- Doctrine and Covenants 25:3. “Behold, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou art an elect lady, whom I have called.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 38:14. “But now I tell it unto you, and ye are blessed, not because of your iniquity, neither your hearts of unbelief; for verily some of you are guilty before me, but I will be merciful unto your weakness.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 61:20. “I, the Lord, was angry with you yesterday, but today mine anger is turned away.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 64:3. “There are those among you who have sinned; but verily I say, for this once, for mine own glory, and for the salvation of souls, I have forgiven you your sins.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 75:8. “And he sinned; nevertheless, I forgive him and say unto him again, Go ye into the south countries.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 109:34. “O Jehovah, have mercy upon this people, and as all men sin, forgive the transgressions of thy people, and let them be blotted out forever.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 110:5. “Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice.”
We are blessed for giving heed to the words of the Lord’s servants
In the following scriptures, the Lord forgave sins to those who listened and followed the words of the Lord’s prophet.
- Doctrine and Covenants 50:36. “And behold, verily I say unto you, blessed are you who are now hearing these words of mine from the mouth of my servant, for your sins are forgiven you.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 108:1. “Your sins are forgiven you, because you have obeyed my voice in coming up hither this morning to receive counsel of him whom I have appointed.”
Confess and have a humble heart
Confessing sins is one of the prototypical aspects of repentance. But in these scriptures, I think the Lord is saying more than they confessed a specific sin. Instead, I see in these scriptures that the Lord forgives sins because they sacrificed, they acknowledged their imperfections, and they were willing to humble themselves before the Lord.
- Doctrine and Covenants 61:2. “Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you, O ye elders of my church, who are assembled upon this spot, whose sins are now forgiven you, for I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 64:7. “Nevertheless, he has sinned; but verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness, who have not sinned unto death.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 112:3. “Nevertheless, inasmuch as thou hast abased thyself thou shalt be exalted; therefore, all thy sins are forgiven thee.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 132:50. “Behold, I have seen your sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you. Go, therefore, and I make a way for your escape, as I accepted the offering of Abraham of his son Isaac.”
We must forgive others
If we want to receive forgiveness, we must forgive others.
- Doctrine and Covenants 64:10. “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 64:16. “They sought evil in their hearts, and I, the Lord, withheld my Spirit. They condemned for evil that thing in which there was no evil; nevertheless I have forgiven my servant Isaac Morley.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 82:1. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, my servants, that inasmuch as you have forgiven one another your trespasses, even so I, the Lord, forgive you.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 132:56. “And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid forgive my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to rejoice.”
Repentance leads to forgiveness
If we have sinned, we need to repent. If there are actions that we have done, mistakes we have made, or things we have said that are contrary to God’s will, and we know it, we need to take the steps necessary to repent of those sins. However, “daily repentance” is more than just something we do after we sin. Daily repentance is being proactive, and doing more of the small and simple things that bring us closer to God.
I am convinced that as we do those small and simple things, we will feel the Lord’s forgiveness. President Eyring said something once that changed the way I thought about repentance. During a Face to Face event with President Eyring and Elder Holland,18 President Eyring made this remarkable statement:
“The atonement was something Jesus did. It’s not a thing itself. He atoned for our sins and he paid the price to allow us to be forgiven and be resurrected. It’s what he did that qualified him to give us forgiveness to change our hearts, and it’s the Holy Ghost doing that, not the atonement as if it’s a thing itself. The atonement is something the Savior did, and the Father has given him the power to forgive us. So when you feel forgiveness, that’s not the atonement, that’s the Savior giving you a feeling of forgiveness because of the atonement.”
That quote is amazing to me. I believe one lesson from that is the more that we do to invite the Holy Ghost into our lives, the more we will feel the Savior’s forgiveness. As we study and ponder the scriptures quoted above from the Doctrine and Covenants, we realize that the Savior forgave sins of people who were doing things that invited the Holy Ghost into their lives.
So, I believe the simple answer is that if we want to feel forgiveness, we need the Holy Ghost. Repentance is not just a one-time thing, and it’s not something we should think about only when we make a mistake. Repentance is making the small and simple efforts to involve the Spirit in our day-to-day activities. As we do that, we will do more of those things that will invite the Savior’s forgiveness. And with the Holy Ghost in our lives, we will gradually feel forgiven and free from the guilt caused by sin.
References
- Camille N. Johnson, “Spiritually Whole in Him,” April 2025 General Conference, “By virtue of His atoning sacrifice, and when we sincerely repent, the Savior heals us from sin.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/14johnson?lang=eng. ↩︎
- Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” April 2019 General Conference, “Too many people consider repentance as punishment—something to be avoided except in the most serious circumstances. . . . Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/36nelson?lang=eng. ↩︎
- Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” April 2019 General Conference, “Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/36nelson?lang=eng. ↩︎
- Guide to the Scriptures, “Guilt,” “The condition of having done wrong, or the feelings of regret and sorrow that should accompany sin.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/guilt?lang=eng. ↩︎
- Nancy Colier LCSW, Rev., “The Guilt That Women Suffer,” October 12, 2022, Psychology Today Website, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inviting-monkey-tea/202210/the-guilt-women-suffer. ↩︎
- Guide to the Scriptures, “Sin,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/sin?lang=eng. ↩︎
- John 6:38. ↩︎
- Mosiah 4:29. ↩︎
- Mosiah 3:11. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 50:13-15. ↩︎
- Neil A. Maxwell, “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,” October 1995 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1995/10/swallowed-up-in-the-will-of-the-father?lang=eng. ↩︎
- Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” April 2019 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/36nelson?lang=eng. ↩︎
- Dallin H. Oaks, “Small and Simple Things,” April 2018 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/small-and-simple-things?lang=eng. ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 27:20. ↩︎
- Helaman 5:11. ↩︎
- James R. Rasband, “The Plan of Mercy,” April 2025 General Conference, n.11, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/33rasband?lang=eng. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 2:8. ↩︎
- Face to Face with President Eyring and Elder Holland, March 4, 2017, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/collection/face-to-face-president-eyring-elder-holland?lang=eng. ↩︎