Faith and Repentance


helamanc10
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Faith is the combination of both believing and acting. We can improve our believing by improving our acting. Here is an example, our grades on school will not improve if we do not do our homework, participation, etc. These are all things that we need to act on, we can certainly believe that they can be done but it is not until we put ourselves to work that they get done. Similarly, doing nothing and hoping that Heavenly Father will answer our prayers and bless us will not work. It is not because he does not want to bless us but because he is restricted from doing so. It takes our obedience and discipline. Sometimes, we may think that it takes strict obedience to follow all his commandments when we should be focusing on doing our very best not expecting perfection. Our faith only grows when we do things to please God with humble hearts and knowing that he has all power to help us in our daily trials, it makes us stronger, and it will also help us in times of darkness and give us hope when everything looks lost. Ether 12:4

We can show we are humble by repenting. Repenting covers admitting that the Lord will be merciful with us if we try to change our lives and start over, he does not measure his love towards us for the sins we commit, rather, he loves us all and expects that we will turn to him for help. A time will come where if we do not repent, we will not be considered worthy for the Kingdom of God. Today is the day where we need to start our individual repenting process, there is a reason why we are still alive. Alma 34:33

God knows we will make mistakes, this is a time of probation and nobody excepting Christ was without sin. Who has not had a bad thought? Who has not said something inappropriate? Everyone at some point in our lives, realize we are doing things wrong. The voice of the spirit is there to warn us, guide us, and teaches what we should do. Have we ever felt remorse or guilt because of something we have said, or done? If so, it is a good reminder that we might need to admit, do some restitution, ask for forgiveness to whomever we offended or caused pain, ask in sincere prayer for forgiveness and lastly, trying to avoid doing the same thing over, and over again. Sinning is not the problem, not changing is. Ether 12:27

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@helamanc10  A couple of thoughts:

First concerning faith.  I like your idea of action.  I would use electrons as an example.  Few have enough of a scientific background to know much about electrons beyond that they are the essence of electricity.  If we want light we turn on a switch for light.  Turning on the switch is an exercise of faith in electrons as the means to initiate light.  But if the light does not come on - we do not lose faith in electrons - rather be think perhaps the light has burned out.  So by faith in electrons we replace the light bulb.  But if there still is not light we still do not lose faith in electrons - we think the circuit breaker has tripped.  So by faith in electrons we check the circuit breaker.  Regardless of what happens and what we do we do not lose faith in electrons but rather resolve something else has gone wrong - even if we exhaust all possibilities we can think of.  This is because we have enough knowledge to understand electrons do not fail, even if we have never seen an electron or understand electronic theory.  Part of the problem with faith in Christ is that many lack enough accurate knowledge that we begin to doubt when things we thought to occur do not.  This only means that our faith lacks knowledge and understanding.

Second - concerning repentance.  Repentance is really a change of heart and mind.  This definition appears in our church publications under the heading of "Bible definitions".  The reason I bring this up is because we do not necessarily have sinned to need to repent.  Repentance is a principle of the gospel and even innocent  children need repentance as preparation for baptism.  Also many think feeling sorry for one's sins is repentance - but not necessarily.   Our hearts and minds must be changed and become one with G-d and Christ before our repentance is real.  And then we must be baptized as an exercise of faith.

 

The Traveler

Edited by Traveler
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