Well, welcome back to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. My name's Scott Durfey. First welcome you out today. Joined as always by my good friend Dave Durfey. What's up Dave? Good to be here Scott. We're in the heart of it here. We're in the heart of how can we, how can we repent and draw close to it?
And closer to our Savior and, you know, we really, we really kind of start turning the key, you know, through this repentance process, the key to unlocking the blessings that come to us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power that comes from Jesus Christ. Yeah, exactly. And, you know, last week we talked about, spent a lot of time on what repentance is not. I think that's probably always an eye opener for a lot of us, certainly.
And when you know what it's not, you have a pretty good idea what it is. Well it definitely makes it easier to understand and comprehend what it is. So that's what we're going to talk about today, Dave. Let's dive in. Well, so we've, we've covered the foundations. Remember the four parts of repentance.
At least this is how I see it and how I've taught it is that we have the foundations of repentance, which includes understanding the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which includes a definition of repentance that we're working off of, what it's not, and understanding what it is. Those all make up the foundations of repentance.
All the background that we've gone up to now, knowing who you are and knowing your relationship to Jesus and that we belong to Him and that He died for us and that He owns us, that through His blood He purchased us. All of that, Scott, is part of the foundations of repentance. It might be good to note too that, you know, it's foundational for a reason, right?
If we don't have this down, if this isn't the basis from where we begin to build our relationship and are qualifying for the blessings that come to us through Christ's power, through His Atonement, if we don't have this foundation built, then the rest of it's really on kind of shaky footing as we go forward. In fact, Scott, thank you for saying that because it's really true.
And I would even go so far as to say that usually my experience is, is that people who are not able to truly repent, meaning they begin the process and they see it through the end and they know that they're forgiven, they've been forgiven of the Lord, they feel redeemed of the Lord Jesus Christ. Actually the reason that is, is not because they haven't followed the process of repentance, meaning the actual work in repentance, but they have somehow failed in laying the foundation of repentance.
I honestly, I think I've told so many priesthood leaders in training meetings that I've done and, and, and so many students who have come to me and wondered why they've done everything they can, they still don't feel forgiven, had so many missionaries at the missionary training center who came in there and would work their guts out to repent and they still didn't feel forgiven. Honestly I, by far the majority.
The reason that was the case, because they had a crack in the foundation of repentance, there was something not that they had missed, misunderstood, they didn't know really the atonement of Jesus Christ.
I know the atonement of Jesus Christ is incomprehensible, I don't comprehend it, but you, you need to understand the basic doctrine, right, of redemption and the plan and how it works and where we stand in relationship to the Savior and, and what he did as much as we can't comprehend it at least.
If you don't understand that and you don't have the foundation solid underneath you, you really will never probably work out your repentance and at least finish it where you feel that you, that you really are forgiven. Anyway, or have the faith necessary, I think faith is a foundational piece of repentance. Faith is knowing that you have faith in Christ.
Well that's why we spent three whole podcasts, I think it was talking about faith, was to prepare us to begin to put the mortar and the bricks together for this foundation. If you don't have faith in Christ first and your faith is insufficient, repentance will not ever be really completed. Right. And there won't be any power in it. And we've talked a lot about that. Well so let's move on to the conditions of repentance.
The conditions of repentance, Scott, it's an interesting phrase that's unique in the Book of Mormon and it appears five times. And five has always kind of been the number that symbolizes the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And it appears five times in the Book of Mormon and Dr. and Cumbins combined the conditions of repentance.
So as I've studied it and as I've discussed it with Elder Anderson and others, the conditions of repentance are summarized in Elder Anderson's book in Chapter 15 and he chose to call that chapter the three beloved friends we meet early on the journey to forgiveness. These three beloved friends as Elder Anderson chooses to call them are a broken heart, contrite spirit and godly sorrow.
These are the conditions of repentance, Scott, for one to try to confess or go through the motions or do to repent at all without having a real need, a real desire, even yearning. If you haven't experienced a broken heart and a contrite spirit, I don't think it's possible to really even begin to repent. You may try, but it won't be very effective.
And I think to really appreciate that one must appreciate again what our sins have cost Jesus Christ, what our sins cost God, what he was willing to suffer and how lovingly, how kindly, mercifully he paid for our sins and met the demands of justice. You know, Alma, I love the discourse of Alma to his son, Cory, I'm sorry, to his son, Cory, yeah, Cory in the Book of Mormon.
If you have a wayward child, if you have a wayward child and you're kind of struggling with a child, this is a great manual, I think, to know how to handle that. Alma teaches doctrine, right? He teaches doctrine and the reason he teaches doctrine to Cory and after committing fornication on his mission being sent home, son of the prophet has sent home from his mission after chasing the harlot.
But we have this unbelievable chapter 39 40 41 and 42 about a prophet and more important a father teaching his son and a member of the Church of Christ how to work out their repentance. I've always loved this and I've always seen it as the process to help others. And it's so interesting that he calls him out early on in chapter 39 Scott to help him understand the importance of his sins. I mean, and the whole reason he does this is to bring about a broken heart and contrite spirit.
So what does he do right off the bat? Well, right off the bat, he says, I want to tell you about the seriousness of your sin. And he goes right through the three most serious sins. And the only reason he talks about the sin, he doesn't, he doesn't jump to jump to Jesus right away. He talks about the sin and how serious it is and all of that to help him to help him understand what he's done wrong.
And then not only is it the sin in and of itself that Coriant has to repent of and should have an experience have experienced broken heart over, but it's also the effects of his sin. So chapter 39 is so great on this and we won't read a lot of verses here, but I think maybe we should read this. Scott, if you would start with verse nine, let's read a few verses.
Now my son, I would that she should repent and forsake your sins and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all things. Cross yourself in all these things. Discipline yourself. Yeah. Cross yourself in all these things. Yeah. The footnote from there is self mastery. So I think that that's really, you know, what's being meant there is to get a hold of your emotions, take charge of your own, of your own feelings and thoughts, right?
Cross yourself in and see yourself, see yourself, where who you really are and where you stand in relationship to save you. Anyway, I always love to, to play with words, you know, cross yourself. Well, that can mean take upon you the cross, you know, go to the foot of the cross too. I believe it's that too, Scott. I do too. Okay. All right. Let me just start over. Now my son, I would that this is verse nine of chapter 39 of Alma in the Book of Mormon.
Now my son, I would that you should repent and forsake your sins and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things for except you do this, you can and no wise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember and take it upon you and cross yourself in these things.
And I command you to take it upon you to counsel with your elder brothers in your undertakings for behold thou art in thy youth and ye stand in need to be nourished by your brothers and give heed to their counsel. Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish things. Suffer not the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots. Behold, oh my son, how great iniquity you brought upon the Zoramites for when they saw your conduct, they would not believe in my words.
So Alma is trying really hard as a dad to help Coriant understand the seriousness of his choices and his actions and to really feel some godly sorrow here. Then he and he does a great job of it. And I think that sometimes and he does, he's not, he's not angry. He's not out of control. He's not disgusted or any of that with his son, Scott. He's trying to help his son. He hasn't taken it personal. It's obvious to me at least reading this. He hasn't taken it personal.
And he wants to have his son see it as it really is. Why not for his sake Alma, the father, not for the family, not even for the church's sake, but he wants him to understand where he stands in relationship, Corey, where Coriant stands in relationship to Jesus Christ and the personal harm that he's caused to himself is a relationship with the Savior and the harm that he has caused to his family and church. Both all of that.
Well, when when one begins to see all of that as it really is, our hearts begin to be broken. And then in chapter 40, he immediately begins to teach doctrine and he teaches the doctrine that they there's going to be a judgment. There's Coriant. I want you to know you're there's a resurrection and you're going to face God and there's going to be a judgment.
He goes right to the heart of the the issue of why we repent and why we have the gospel and why Jesus Christ came to the earth and died and suffered for us. And he gets it right. The classic in chapter 41 and wickedness never was happiness. I mean, he's really, he's really doing the best he can to help his son understand.
And then chapter 42, he brings it all home by really teaching the mercy, the grace, the power, the cleansing and healing of the atonement of Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ was punished. Ultimately, Jesus Christ was punished by his sins for the consequences of his sins that God himself, this is in verse 15, that God himself atoneth for the sins of the world to bring about the plan of mercy and to demand and to appease the demands of justice.
And all of this and the last right towards the end of this amazing. I'd like to know how we got a recording of this guy. I just love how ever we got a recording of this, if this was written down by Alma, which it must have been, but I'm just so grateful we have this interchange between a father, prophet and son. Let's read verse 30 and maybe I'll read it. Oh, my son. I desire that he should deny the justice of God no more.
Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins by denying the justice of God. But do, but do you let the justice of God and his mercy and his long suffering have full sway in your heart and let it bring you down to the dust in humility. That's this whole, this whole effort of Alma. Scott is to help help Corianton meet the conditions of repentance, broken heart, contrite spirit, godly sorrow.
And apparently does a pretty good job because Corianton will later we know go on a mission and have much success and goes back out on his mission. So I'm just really thankful for that. And I think it's a great example of how we can again, not, not out of disgust, not out of anger.
It can't, it must be, it must be, it must come from a pure and humble heart that we try to help our children and others who we love to understand what their sins have cost a God, a God, a toneth for their sins that he was punished and suffered for all of their sins and that there is a just God and there is justice, Scott. We can't understand mercy. I think too many times people just want to immediately go to the mercy.
If you, if you immediately go to mercy and you don't talk about the justice of God and the, the judgment of God and the plan of God and you, you don't talk about the laws of God and the consequences of breaking those laws. If you just want to talk about the love and mercy of God before you do all that, then you skip the conditions that must be meant in order to truly repent. And that's important.
It's important that we do understand the love and mercy, but you know, sometimes we just look for an easy button. You know, we're just looking for the easy way. Comfortable. Yeah. And, you know, in our colleagues, anonymous, we call it many of a sudden easier, softer way. There you go. And that easier, softer way affords us really nothing.
But you know, it is important that we do understand the love and mercy that comes, but it's also important that we understand that that love and mercy comes as we understand our own nothingness. You know, and the sins which have separated separate and our attitudes and our behaviors and all other things that separate us from the spirit as we participate in that second part of the death of the spiritual death that comes because of the false. So super important. I'm glad you brought that up.
Well, this, this is a theme throughout the Book of Mormon, of course. You know, sweet King Benjamin sure lays it on his people, right? Yeah. It calls them unworthy creatures. And this is after they've repented. Yeah. And he calls them unworthy creatures. Wants them to understand their own nothingness. Exactly. Exactly.
So it's, it's really important, I think, that we understand our nothingness, that we can merit nothing of ourselves and to understand God is a God of law, not just a God of love, but he is a God of justice, not just a God of mercy, that mercy can't rob justice and that there will be a judgment and that our sins not only hurt us, but you cannot sin in a bubble because every time you sin, you're hurting others. You're hurting your family. You're hurting your friends.
You're, you're hurting anyone that you associate with because you don't have the spirit that you could have had or should have had or would have had if you wouldn't have sinned. And ultimately, the ultimate pain of our sins were heaped upon and suffered by Jesus Christ. If that doesn't cause a broken heart and contrite spirit, then we don't do, we cannot meet the demands or we can't, I'm sorry, meet the conditions or fulfill the conditions of repentance.
Let's go to 3rd Nephi chapter 9, popular scripture that I think references this. Jesus is speaking here. This is after the great destruction of all the cities right before he comes to the people in Bountiful, the 2500 who are waiting there and at the temple and have the experience of greeting their savior and filling the prince of the nails in his hands and feet. And coming out of the darkness, right? As they do that, right? So let's read verses 18 through 20, Scott.
I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. And you shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood. Yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away. For I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And you 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 baptize with 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 the fire and with the Holy Ghost. And they knew it not. That's really a powerful verse. Verse 20. We are commanded to stop the sacrifice of animals, which we're all symbolic of the Savior's sacrifice of blood.
We are now commanded that the offering or the sacrifice we must make is to put our own will on the altar and to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. That's the sacrifice we must make. And it's amazing to me that in this verse he says, and if you do just those two things, if you just have a broken heart and contrite spirit, then I will give you the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.
I mean, Scott, really, if we could meet the conditions of repentance, if we had a sufficient broken heart and contrite spirit, we would do anything it took. We would definitely go through all of the actions. We would experience all of the manifestations and receive all of the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our life. Forgiveness, peace, all of the fruits of that. It's really, really critical.
So I want to emphasize again, if we would just meet the conditions of repentance, repentance just naturally takes place in our life. You want to read the next two verses? Yeah, I sure do. Because they talk about redemption and repentance as well. Exactly. And this is the, it's all important, but this is really the message here. Behold. This is 3rd Nephi 9, verse 21. And remember, this is Jesus Christ speaking to those people.
He says, Behold, I have come into the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin. Therefore, whoso repented and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive for such as the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life. Let me read that again. For behold, for such, in other words, those that come unto him as a little child, behold, for such I have laid down my life and have taken it up again.
For repent and come unto me, ye ends of the earth, and be saved. Well, there's a lot that could be said in there. Last week we read the scripture from Dr. and Covenants section 10 that says that those who repent are those who determine the Lord's church, right? And in here it says, if you repent, become like a child, you are the kingdom of God. I've been thinking, Scott, about. I heard several years ago it was in the video on the special witnesses, the apostles, bearing their testimonies.
Then Elder Bednar, such a powerful thing that's always stuck with me. He compared the church to kind of a service center, an automotive service center. And he said, you know, the church is not the showroom. The church is not where you have all the pretty cars that are shiny and where all the floors are polished and everything and everything looks so great. And you know, that's not the church. The church is not the showroom. The church is the service department.
The church is where it's dirty, where it's where people are getting fixed, where people are being healed, where people are being made whole again. That's the church. Elder Maxwell compared it to a hospital. You know, the church is a hospital. The church is, in essence, Scott, the church is those who are repented. The church is not those who go there who don't need the sacrament. The church is not the 99 who think they need no repentance.
The church is not those who can go, who even think that they can go one week without sinning or one day or without sinning. The church is those who are repenting. The church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners. And in order to be repenting, Scott, we need to understand that we're sinners. That's right. Sinners helping sinners. A sinner, a saint is a sinner who just keeps on trying. We need to know that and yet not become desensitized by it, not become desensitized by our sins.
We need to meet the conditions of repentance with a broken heart, a truly broken heart, a contrite spirit, and experience godly sorrow. I shared this with Elder Anderson. He actually put it in the book. Since I had it at the missionary training center years ago as a branch president, I had this one missionary who had come in to confess his sins as many of them would do. I would say about 20 to 30% was my experience.
Missionaries would come in with confessions, either belated sins or else old sins they had repented they had tried to repent of or confessed to previous priesthood leaders, but didn't fail forgiven, I mean, it was a big part of, well, and I'm sure it still is, a big part of branch president's job at the missionary training centers to help individuals understand repentance. And that's kind of where my whole odyssey with this principle began.
Well, not really, I began when I was a missionary, but this is where it really became more refined. The missionary came in and said, well, let's just make this short. I've done everything. I said, okay, what does everything mean? Well, everything, I've done everything, he said. And that's where he wanted to leave it. And I said, Elder, it would really help me if you could tell me some of the things that you're talking about that you're trying to repent of. Well, I've done everything.
Drugs, sex, everything. I said, so you've participated with drugs illegally. Yes, you've lost your virtue, your chastity. Yes, yes. Anyway, he'd done it. He pretty much had done everything. And so I listened to all this and he wasn't, it was obviously had an experience broken heart contract spirit.
And to contrast that missionary, Scott, I think I've told this before, but the missionary that came in and wanted to confess his sins and he couldn't hardly talk and he didn't talk for about five minutes. And he just sat there and cried with his head down. And I remember that little puddle, there was a little dark spot on my carpet because in my office at the missionary training center from this missionary weeping and tears just running off his nose onto a little spot on my carpet.
I remember you talking about that little spot on your carpet. And that became really kind of sacred. That is a sacred little place, isn't it? It became a, it was like a little soul ring there. I mean, it was just, I, oh, anyway, contrast those two. And that missionary hadn't done anything serious enough to be sent home for, but this missionary had done everything and didn't really feel any godly sorrow.
So I, after listening to him and having somewhat of a discussion, I finally said to him, so elder, do you have a temple recommend? Yes. I said, you should have never received that. You should have never gone to the temple. Give me your temple recommend. You can't go to the temple. And that kind of shocked him. Take out his temple recommend. I was well and handed to me and I said, and I don't want you taking the sacrament today. You are not worthy to take the sacrament. And that shocked him.
That a missionary at the MTC can't take the sacrament. He knew he was going to be embarrassed and he was worried about that. We talked about that. And then I said, and I, I'm going to call the brother in this, the way we did it back in when I was a branch president there. And he said, I'm going to call the brother and I'm sure they're going to send you home. Well that really got to him and he was, that made him mad. They're going to send me home. I quit my job.
I'm, I'm, I'm, and he went off on all the reasons why he shouldn't be sent home. And I said, yeah, they're going to send you home. Anyway, I found out the next day or the next few days after that he was going to be sent home and I went over and told him that. And then I, they made travel arrangements and so the day he was to fly home, I think he was from somewhere in Missouri and I went over to do an exit interview and he had put his earring back in his ear.
He had had it with him on his mission. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Brought it with him, I guess is a token or symbol of his past. I don't know. But now, now his earring was back in his ear. We talked about weapons of rebellion not that long ago. That might have been one of those. He, he was in his P day clothing. He put up his suit, all of that, you know, I was a little shocked, but that's the way he came down to my office to have an exit interview to be registered before he was to go back to the airport.
And I looked at this, this struggling young man and, and my, my heart really went out to him. I was really concerned for him and I really wanted him to come back to the missionary training center. So I asked him, the elder, do you even want to come back to the missionary training center? Do you even have a desire to come back here? After you work out your repentance? I don't know. He said, I don't know. And I felt impressed to say, well, elder, you can never come back here.
And that got his attention. I said, elder, you can never come back here until you have experienced a broken heart and contrite spirit. And when you have experienced that, you will crawl to come back here. I remember he looked up at me and Scott, I'll never forget the sincerity, the flip. There was, there's just a, he had immediately kind of had a flip and he was so sincere. And he asked me an inspired question, which I think was directed by the spirit for him to ask.
And he said, well, tell me, president, how can I break my own heart? I'd never been asked that question. We talk so much about broken heart and contrite spirit. And you know, it's, it's so hard to describe, right? How do I do that? How do I experience that? And I, by the spirit knew what to say to him. And I've always cherished this moment, knowing that it was a revelation.
And I said to him, elder, you can never come back here until you have a contrite heart or a broken heart and contrite spirit. And you will never have a broken heart and contrite spirit until you understand what your sins cost a God and what he was willing to do for you because he loved you. When you understand that, you'll be able to come back here. And I hope that you will. Well he went home. I remember calling almost every Sunday after that, calling his home and asking where he was.
And he's got, I'm so happy to say, you know, that he was, he went through a deep, difficult repentance and his priesthood leaders were wonderful in working with him, his bishop, his stake president and following up with him and trying to help him. And he read the Book of Mormon, I think three or four times when he was home and took notes and did all of that. And before he came back and when he came back, oh, wow, he was, he was different. He was powerful.
So I hope that our listeners and that all of us ourselves include Scott that will never become desensitized by our sins, but that will really appreciate what our sins cost a God, our savior and redeemer. When we experience that, we will just automatically meet the conditions of repentance and then everything else just, just flows. We would, we would crawl to the bishop's office. We would do whatever it took if that's what it took in order to repent.
So understanding the conditions of repentance are really important that we're not sorry because of the world or because we got caught or because we're in trouble or any of that. But because we have sinned against God and because we caused a God to bleed from every poor, so great was his anguish because of his love for his people, us. And when, when we do that, repentance is a joy, really. I mean, it's not easy, not comfortable.
It's none of that, but we feel the spirit of it and we can, we can do whatever it takes to be able to end the other. One of the other, I think important conditions is that we have to be really honest with ourselves and with others in doing that. So those are the conditions of repentance. Scott. That second one, you know, to be honest with yourself and others.
This is something that I think is, can be a big stumbling block or a roadblock or a barrier because, you know, we live in a world where, you know, a Facebook, I mean, it's going to call it a Facebook world or Instagram world where we want to put our best selves out to the world. And because of that, we create masks, so to speak. We want to appear as though something. And that's not just true with our secular lives, but that can also be true with our spiritual lives, Dave.
You know, that can be something that because of expectations of family members, of our parents, of our siblings, of our others that we love and, and revere and look up to, you know, because we're weak and we sometimes are going to have weaknesses that weakness will show up because of the fall of Adam and Eve, but that weakness will show up.
And sometimes when it does because of our embarrassment, because of our mask that we have created or have even in many cases been assisted to create by those that love us, meaningful people in our lives. But that that part about being honest, you know, in recovery groups and alcoholics anonymous, we strut stress and have to stress so it's so important that we understand that it's only through rigorous honesty. And I love that adjective, rigorous honesty, deep and constant inventory of ourselves.
We do a step 10 where we constantly take inventory and when we're wrong promptly admit it. All of these things require deep, rigorous honesty. You know, Shakespeare said, to thine own self be true.
And if we're if we're really true to ourselves, Heavenly Father and through his spirit can then help us to understand and see where our honesty may be lacking in this regard and give us give us footing from which now we can begin to move towards a more repentant and a more fulfilling and a more complete merciful exchange of love with our Heavenly Father. And how do we get there, Scott? So just how do we get there?
Because I am Elder Anderson had shared with me a book of hundreds of stories that he had collected that he had asked members of the 70 mission presidents and others to share with him as he had contemplated for several years to to write to write this book. And he shared those with me. He said, go through and let's see if there's some really great ones that we should that we should put into the book.
And so I went through all those and I categorized them and I really I really studied them and and broke them down. And it was obvious to me, Scott, in reading those that so many of those were they were all wonderful. I mean, they were all all touching and and great. But not enough times was the Savior, the focus and the center of their repentance.
And not enough times did they talk about what it did or it was obvious they didn't really understand what a broken heart and a contrite spirit was and how they had gotten there too much of the time. And many of these were again, individuals who were preparing to go on missions or weren't able to go on missions or were sent home for missions or and others. But so many times it was the embarrassment. You could.
Yeah, that's that's what had driven them to the bishop's office to work out their repentance or so much of the time it was kind of an institutional as we talked about last week. Repentance was kind of an institutional activity in some of these. And they they obviously had felt some sort of relief and some sort of a lifting of guilt. But I I remember thinking, wow, I don't know. I don't know. And I'm not the judge. I'm not judging.
And just wondering, I wonder how how deep and I wonder how long and enduring this repentance is going to last because unless one has really experienced a broken heart, contrite spirit and godly sorrow, they may actually go through the whole process of repentance and they may feel some some degree of relief of relief and and redemption may be sure.
But if they if they haven't, if they've short cut it or a short circuit of the process by by not experiencing all of the sorrow that they should have, then their repentance will not be enduring. Yeah. And much of that so much of that three things come to my mind. First one is a misunderstanding of truly who we are.
You know, our eternity is determined by our identity, our identity or an understanding of our identity, not just who we are, but who's we are, you know, one of the things I purchase the exactly I was in a I was in a Institute training this last Saturday and it was wonderful. And one of the things that was brought up by, you know, we and we had discussion around was it's really important that we understand our identity, our divine identity.
Well, our divine identity is not just confined to understanding how awesome it is that we have heavenly parents and that because of that, we're entitled to all of the things that were but are really, I think the foundational part of understanding our divine identity is understanding who's we are that we have been purchased that we have been redeemed. That's the first one.
So once that understanding is there, I think that frees us to negate or to kind of anecdotally take care of the second two that I think that can put present a problem to us as to why is it so difficult for many of us to really have that rigorous required honesty. And those are we've already talked about them fear and pride, the twin bullies, right? Yeah, fear and pride. We're fearful of what others might think. We're fearful of the way it's going to appear.
We're filled fearful that maybe I can't actually do this. And that list can go on at nauseam, actually. And then pride and fear in this case is just an extension of pride. Right, so self awareness. Yeah, so just understanding all of that stuff about us. But how do we get rid of that? We go back to the first principle, understanding who's we are once that's there.
And we don't fear what man think, you know, we don't what others may think of us no longer really has weight in our souls like it does once like it does without it. Once we have come to really embrace and through a relationship with Jesus Christ, understand that we're his. Yeah. Well, I think that's awesome. And the way you get there, the way you understand that is right to to not be a is elder president Nelson puts it to be a lazy learner to pay a price and to study. And that's right.
That was one of the first. I think that was the first step to really obtain great faith. And and great faith in Jesus Christ leads to those things that cause a broken heart and contrite spirit. I've always loved this verse in Helaman chapter, chapter 15 Scott. This is really powerful. I think this is kind of the process. In fact, I've written in my margin of verse seven, chapter 15 of Helaman.
I've written the process of change and it reads and behold, ye do know of yourselves for ye have witnessed it that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth and to know of the wicked and abominable trans traditions of their fathers. So what's the first part? They've been brought to the knowledge of the truth. They they they understand the doctrine and they understand their sins. They see things as they really are Scott.
They see their sins and the false traditions and wickedness of their fathers, their past, their their conditions. Once they do that, that's number one. And then and I call this number two, they are led to believe the holy scriptures. Ye the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written. So that's two, which leadeth them, this is three, to faith on the Lord. That leads to faith on the Lord, right? They've planted the seed in their heart.
They know the they know the the atonement of Jesus Christ is real. It leads them to faith on the Lord and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them. And that's the ultimate change. And it's the heart because the heart has been broken. The natural man heart has been broken and it's been replaced. It hasn't been mended Scott. They've been given a new heart. I love that scripture in Ezekiel, where the Lord says, and I will give you a new heart.
They're given a new heart. And once that heart has been not just changed, but replaced with a new heart. Wow. What? That's the good news. And that's really where the blessings of faith and repentance in the gospel of Jesus Christ can begin to flow into our lives when we've experienced that new heart. So I think that's I recommend that scripture. Heelman 15 seven as kind of worth our study. And then to use that to be able to begin to make the change and meet the conditions of repentance.
Another scripture that I want to go to on this subject Scott before we close today is Dr. and Covenants section 20 verse 37. Now I know and preach my gospel, at least it used to be. I know there's been some revisions there, but I think it's still probably true. This is the verse that all mission leaders and priesthood leaders use to qualify whether somebody is has qualified for baptism. This is the this is the scripture that determines qualification for membership in the church. Right.
So let's let's read verse 37 section 20, which is section 20 is the constitution of the church given on the day the church was organized. And here by revelation, we learn what it takes to be again a member of the church. Let's read and talk about it. Scott. All right. This is verse 37 of section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism, all those who humble themselves before God and desire to be baptized and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having had having a determination to serve him to the end and truly manifest their works that they
have received of the spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins shall be received by baptism into this church. So what stands out to you there, Scott? The thing that pops out to me every time I read it and it doesn't matter if it's here or other parts of scripture that we are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. Okay. Well, that's that's really powerful.
Again, I hope our listeners are, yeah, are being, you know, sensitized to see how often that that is in the script, how that is encouraged in the scriptures and what it means to have faith in or believe on the name of or take upon ourselves the name of and it's just it's throughout all the scriptures. Well, there's a couple of things that kind of predicate or preface that though. So you know, all those who humble themselves before God, there you go.
You know, and and then second, then have a desire. Yeah, after that humility will come to desire, right? And gratitude is part of that humility and who gratitude begets desire, right? This is a this is a pure motive. This desire is not a worldly motive. It's it's not to to to, you know, gain, gain or to anyway, it's a it's just a really sincere desire and then three to come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits. And that could actually be three and four, right?
Broken heart and then a contrite spirit, because they're not always the same thing. One proceeds the other typically. And then witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins and are willing to take upon them the name of Christ to witness before the church. That's that's not a I guess it could be, you know, a soapbox on the corner and yet. But a witness before the church is a living witness. It's how we live our lives.
It's the spirit of attraction rather than promotion. It's come, you know, I have Christ's image in me and through me and because you know me, you know him. That's that kind of thing. I love that. Well, it's interesting to me in this verse is that broken hearts and contrite spirits are the witness that they have truly repented of their sins.
And a broken heart and contrite spirit kind of is the witness that they are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ having a determination to serve him to the end. That becomes not only now the conditions, not only the conditions of repentance, but to some degree the manifestations or evidence of their repentance is that they have a broken heart and contrite spirit. Christopher Stofferson years ago kind of differentiated between what a broken heart and a contrite spirit is God.
And I've always, I've always kind of loved his definition. I think it can be defined in many different ways. But in essence, just kind of paraphrase, he said a broken heart is to fill the real remorse that we need to feel because of the sins that we've committed.
And again, the pain and the suffering of that we've caused Christ and a contrite spirit is to fill the commitment and the discipline that's required to not repeat the sins and to be a true disciple and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ to have. So, so one is the remorse and the other is the commitment that we will do better that we will be true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it means to have a contrite spirit.
So I appreciate kind of the difference that Elder Christopher Stofferson pointed out between those two. And of course, godly sorrow, true godly sorrow is to know that the only thing that really matters is again our relationship with him. I think when we talk about contrite spirit sometimes and I think I correct me if I'm wrong or confirm it if I'm right. But I think that this is in the book. Elder Anderson talks about contrite spirit is actually an alignment of our will with our heavenly foes.
Yeah, a desire to, yeah, exactly. A complete alignment. In other words, our desires become his, our will becomes, become his will. And that's the contrite spirit. That's that's deep humility. Read an interesting quote the other day from C.S. Lewis about his definition of humility. Humility is not thinking less of ourselves. It's thinking of ourselves less. I love that. I really love that definition.
We should be thinking more about God, our relationship with God or maybe others that we've heard or others that have been damaged by our sins against God. This is so important. We cannot sin in a bubble every time we sin. For some way you think they go in their closet or their garage or their hiding place, their dark place and to do things that aren't right, that it only hurts them. Wow, that is one of the great lies of Satan.
Because whenever someone else has hurt themselves, they have hurt everyone around them because they are not the individual, the loving individual strength and blessing to others that they could have been, should have been or would have been. But they not sinned. That should also cause us some degree of remorse. Right? Broken heart, contrite spirit. I want to be a blessing to others.
Even if others don't know my sins, if I'm sinning in secret, I think it's one of the great sins of pornography or the negative effects of pornography is that it really desensitizes us and takes the spirit, robs us of the spirit and influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. It robs us of what true love and charity and the pure love of Christ really is God. It destroys relationships.
Not only relationships with our loved ones and perhaps our spouse if we're married, but it destroys our relationship with the Holy Spirit. It's devastating. And we think that it only is hurting us. Saint has completely deceived us. If we for one second believe that, that if we if we participate in the center pornography or others sins like that, that we're only hurting us.
And to understand that truth that when we sin, we hurt others, not just Jesus should help us to have the humility and meet the conditions of repentance in order to be forgiven. So grateful to talk about these things. God, I think we've, we've talked about the conditions of repentance today, broken heart, contrite spirit, godly sorrow.
And then next week we'll begin to talk about to continue the process of repentance and talk about some of the actions that we must take in order to repent of our sins. And I look forward to that. I love the freedom that we begin to feel as we kind of incorporate and put these things in into action within our own lives.
As we go through this next week, would it be possible maybe for each of us to just kind of take a personal inventory to take a look within ourselves and see and ask, I guess I should say ask ourselves this question, where am I not being completely honest with myself and others and start with ourselves? Where can I and how can I improve my relationship with the spirit as I strive harder to become more transparent, especially to the Lord.
And in all things that I do so that I can really have that broken heart and next to it have that contrite spirit or have the desire to have my will and heavenly fathers be the same. And I would just add, Scott, and maybe what can I do daily?
What, what are small, simple things can I do daily to not only experience what you just invited them to feel, but also what can I do daily to better understand, appreciate, feel gratitude for the price that was paid for me because of me, and how can I make the Atonement of Jesus Christ and not just an infinite Atonement covering all people, all worlds in all time, but how can I make the Atonement of Jesus Christ more intimate?
How can I come to understand and appreciate daily the intimate part of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and to better understand what he suffered for and because of me? I love this. I love the freedom, the peace, the spirit that comes as we talk about these things. We hope you feel that. We hope you know that you've been redeemed through his blood and that you're experiencing that in your lives. We look forward to being with you each and every week. Have a great week, everybody.
We'll see you next week. Thank you.