"Each of us is on a journey through life, headed toward an eternal destination. As we travel, we hear voices calling to us. One is the voice of the Lord, prompting us to do good; another is the voice of Satan, enticing us to do evil. We are free to choose between the two and to act for ourselves.
- •Read 2 Nephi 2:16, 27–29.
It is sometimes easy to confuse these voices. We may think we are acting correctly when in reality we have been deceived. As we learn the gospel of Jesus Christ, we realize that we have not always chosen correctly. We realize that we may not be on the right course. If we continue on the wrong course, we will arrive at the end of our journey, but we will find that we are not in the celestial kingdom. Going off our true course is called sin. Correcting our course so that we are once again headed toward the celestial kingdom is called repentance."
"Jesus Christ showed us the way to get to the celestial kingdom and be with our Father in Heaven. He is like our lighthouse in the darkness. When we are on the right course, we travel in the light (see John 8:12). We can see the true path to follow. When we stray off the right course, we wander in darkness. Like a boat that has strayed from the course set by a lighthouse and sails near dangerous rocks and in treacherous waters, we expose ourselves to the traps of sin Satan has set for us. He wants to prevent us from reaching our destination. But a life of sin will not lead us to happiness at the end of our journey. The further we are drawn into sin, the greater power Satan has over us. That is why Jesus told us, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).
Satan is glad when we commit sin. He wants to keep us in his power. His voice tells us that the wrong we did was right. He tells us that we had good reasons for doing it, that we are justified in committing sin. (See 2 Nephi 28:8, 21–22.) He wants us to tell ourselves that the sin is not as serious as it really is. He knows that as long as we make excuses for our sin, we will not repent completely.
Jesus Christ knows that Satan works in this way. That is why He has blessed us with the light of Christ, sometimes called our conscience. The light of Christ will help us know the difference between good and evil (see Moroni 7:15–16). The voice of the Spirit prompts us, warning us to repent and return to the true course."
"When we feel the awfulness of our sin, we choose either to continue it or decide to courageously admit our mistake and correct it. If we choose to continue in our sin, Satan will bind us further and further until eventually we may lose all desire to repent. When we choose to repent, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help us overcome our sins, and we will experience blessings of joy and peace."
"We all need to repent of the things that we should not have done, such as telling a lie, gossiping, or taking the name of the Lord in vain. We also need to repent of not doing the things we should do, such as paying our tithing, praying often, keeping the Sabbath day holy, befriending a neighbor, or completing an assignment. We need to recognize the Spirit of the Lord prompting us to overcome our errors and follow those promptings."
"As we repent of our sins, we come closer to the true path. When we are on the true course leading to the celestial kingdom, we understand that all the laws of God are important. We become more like Jesus Christ and view sin as He does. We cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance (see D&C 1:31). In other words, we cannot stand any form of sin. This is our goal. Although we are not perfect, we must remember our goal and work to attain it.
- •Read Ether 12:27.
If we are humble in prayer, asking the Lord to show us our weaknesses and sins, He will do so. He will also help us overcome our weaknesses through repentance."
"When we realize that all of our sins are awful before the Lord, we feel “godly sorrow” for them (2 Corinthians 7:10). We cannot remember them without feeling pangs of guilt and regret. They weigh us down and become a heavy burden. We begin to feel a small amount of the great sorrow that Jesus Christ felt when He suffered and died for us. (See Alma 36:12–13.)"
"How grateful we should be that we do not always have to carry this burden. Through repentance we can become free from the burden of sin. Because of the great love Jesus Christ has for us, He suffered, bled, and died for our sins so that we will not have to suffer fully ourselves if we repent."
"Because Jesus Christ paid for our sins, He has the power to forgive us. When we follow the process of repentance, the Savior promises that He will forgive us of our sins and remember them no more.
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Through repentance we become clean and pure again. We are able to look back on our former selves and recall our sins, but without pain. Instead, we feel at peace."
I know that in order to be truly happy we must repent. We must repent even of the things we don't do that we know we should. Start fresh today and never give up. Keep trying. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always willing to forgive us no matter what sins we have committed. Its never too late to repent. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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