Repentance. Tues, Feb 10th

D&C 58:42–43, D&C 1:32, 58:42, ; D&C 109:53: Here's an interesting thing about repentance and being human: for some reason when we sin, we think that have completely failed and we have a tendency to put off repentance because we feel so badly about failing at something that God commands. Here's hope for us: "he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more." I feel that Heavenly Father sees our failures as progress, He's just waiting for us to see it that way. This doesn't mean we shouldn't take our sins seriously, if we don't, repentance is not real. But perhaps we assume Heavenly Father's love is conditional because of our actions, because sometimes the love we show each other is conditional, i.e. he hurt me, therefore I love him less. Not true with Heavenly Father. He loves us because we are part of Him, because we have great potential. He may wish that we make wiser choices because He knows we will be happier if we do, but His love for us is constant no matter what we think of ourselves.

Alma 5:13, Alma 7:14 What is a change of heart? How are we born again? I think this is when you realize what you really are - a human being with human tendancies, hoping for real joy and realizing that because of human tendancies, you really can't achieve true joy on your own. This is when your heart is broken and your spirit is contrite. You cannot do this on your own. You need the miracle of Christ's atonement. . . . .

D&C 18:11–13 ; D&C 19:16–19 ; 2 Nephi 2:6–9, . . . . . which is described in these verses. Reading these verses just makes me amazed. So, I wonder, if we know this, why is it we don't repent faster than we do? Pride. It think we don't seek repentance because of pride. We think we can deal with it ourselves, or we've rationalized that we've made the right choice, when we really haven't. Sometimes we don't want to admit we're wrong, sometimes we think we deserve to live in shame and should punish ourselves, sometimes we make the happiness from our choices pass for joy, but it's really not. There are many facets of pride. In fact, my favorite talk "Beware of Pride" by President Benson is worth reading at least once a year.

D&C 1:33, 19:17–18, D&C 29:17, This doesn't sound great. If you don't repent.