One of the most basic beliefs of the Mormon Church is faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is considered the one “true” son of God, the one who was made flesh and walked among the people. Acting upon the faith in Jesus Christ involves following His commandments.
Repentance is an important part of Mormon beliefs. Repentance means to give the heart, soul, and mind over to God by forsaking sinful desires. Turning over a person’s will to the Lord’s commandments is the first realization of repentance.
Secondly, baptism is the public proclamation of repentance. It is the second move toward repentance, and something that must be done in order to move forward in the Church. One must also continue to repent after baptism, for being baptized does not wash away all sin, but gives clear indication of your intentions for the future.
Third is the salvation. All of those who are of the age of accountability for their actions must repent in order to reach the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. The quest for salvation is ongoing, as one must be in a state of repentance to be worthy of it.
Finally, recognition of the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins is very important. Jesus atoned for our sins with his own flesh and blood, and offered up his spirit so that we might be saved.
There are six steps to repentance. Here they are, in order:
1. Feel Godly sorrow by recognizing and admitting that you have committed a sin.
2. Confess to God what you have done.
3. Ask for divine forgiveness for the sin you have committed.
4. If problems have been caused by the sin, rectify them as soon as possible.
5. Forsake the sin by making a promise to yourself, and to God, that you will not do the same thing again.
6. Accept forgiveness for what you have done, and in doing so, let go of the guilt and resolve to move forward into a new, better life.
Accepting faith in Jesus, resolving to eliminate sin from your life, and knowing the steps of repentance is one of the most important lessons you can learn from the Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints.
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