The Atonement is the gateway of grace leading to immortality and eternal life. It is the infinite Atonement of Christ that “bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance” (verse 15). To contemplate the condescension of the Lord Immanuel in coming among mortals, enduring unspeakable suffering—though He was and is perfect in goodness and greatness, doing the will of the Father in all things, receiving unto Himself the sins of all mankind—to contemplate all of this is to empower within us the capability—“means” (verse 15)—of having faith unto repentance. Without being able to view in our mind’s eye the transforming image of the Lamb of God drinking of the bitter cup and glorifying the Father by taking upon Himself the sins of the world and then rising in majesty as “the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 11:11)—without being able to see this miracle with the spiritual eye, knowing that the Lord is infinitely powerful and good, full of grace and truth, we could not have any hope to cultivate faith unto salvation. But Christ’s mission creates within us this view. His triumph brings about means for faith to be a reality.
That is the good news that Amulek wishes to instill in the hearts of his listeners. Will the Zoramites heed his words and soften their hearts unto faith and repentance? Will we do the same? Elder Henry B. Eyring adds a compelling reason for us to hearken unto the word of the Lord:
And not only does our Heavenly Father see all we do, but he sees us with such eyes of love that Enoch, who saw God’s reaction to sin in the time of Noah in vision, asked of God in surprise, “How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” (Moses 7:29)
Explaining that he saw the terrible, inescapable consequences of unrepented and unforgiven sins, God said to Enoch: “And the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?” (Moses 7:37)
God knows all we have done. And while he cannot look on sin with the least degree of allowance, he looks on us with compassion beyond our capacity to measure. When the scripture speaks of the whole heavens weeping, I think of another picture, given to us by the Prophet Joseph Smith. This is what he said: “The spirits of the just are … blessed in their departure to the world of spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire, they are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained therewith.” (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ed. B. H. Roberts, 2d ed. rev., 7 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1974], 6:52)
These words pain me when I think of those I have loved and who loved me who are surely now among the spirits of the just. The realization that they feel pain for us and that the God of Heaven weeps because of our unrepented sin is surely enough to soften our hearts and move us to action. And it is surely reason enough to avoid even the approaches, the very thought, of committing serious sin. (To Draw Closer to God: A Collection of Discourses [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997], 122–123)
Memories: Faith Unto Repentance
Testimony has power to convince because it is given by the power of the Holy Ghost. Truth resonates in the heart of the seeker of truth. The power of a second witness brings credibility to the first. Thus Amulek testified of gospel truths and taught the people things they needed to understand and do: exercise faith unto repentance. Throughout the Book of Mormon there is repeated emphasis on the theme of the goodness of God and the invitation to come unto Christ. To do this, one has to exercise faith unto repentance. The prophets repeatedly preach the doctrine of repentance—from Father Adam to our present day; the message will never change. To become perfect we need to repent perfectly. Repentance brings about sanctification and justification through our Savior Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Missionaries are messengers of the Lord to help people exercise their faith unto repentance. Every bishop in the Church has a dynamic experience with the Atonement on a regular basis as he seeks to help people exercise their faith unto repentance. In the Book of Mormon, Enos, Alma, and the sons of Mosiah give ready examples of repentance. All have sinned. There are sins of omission and commission.
We, as members of the Church, need to evaluate our lives. What do we need to stop doing and what do we need to start doing? We need to repent.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie plainly explains the doctrine of repentance as follows:
Because all accountable men are stained by sin (Eccles. 7:20; Rom. 3:10; 1 John 1:8–10), and because no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of heaven (Alma 11:37; 3 Nephi 27:19; Moses 6:57), a merciful God has ordained the law of repentance whereby the human soul may be cleansed and conditioned for eternal life in his everlasting presence. Repentance is the process whereby a mortal soul—unclean and stained with the guilt of sin—is enabled to cast off the burden of guilt, wash away the filth of iniquity, and become clean every whit, entirely free from the bondage of sin. (D. & C. 58:42–43; 64:3–13; Isaiah 1:16–20; Ezek. 18:19–31; 33:7–20)
To gain forgiveness through repentance a person must have a conviction of guilt, a godly sorrow for sin, and a contrite spirit. He must desire to be relieved of the burden of sin, have a fixed determination to forsake his evil ways, be willing to confess his sins, and forgive those who have trespassed against him; he must accept the cleansing power of the blood of Christ as such is offered through the waters of baptism and the conferral of the Holy Ghost. (Articles of Faith, pp. 109–116.)
Repentance is essential to salvation; without it no accountable person can be saved in the kingdom of God. (D. & C. 20:29; Moses 6:52–53, 57; 3 Nephi 9:22) …“Every man must repent or suffer.” … (D. & C. 19:4–20) … Every encouragement is given to men to repent. The very plan of salvation offered to the world is a “gospel of repentance.” (D. & C. 13; 84:27) …“This life is the time that is given for men to repent and prepare to meet God.” (Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], 630–631)
Repentance is not so much an event as it is a process. Yes, there is the event of baptism, the guilt being swept away, knowing one’s forgiveness in regard to a particular sin in time—but there is also the continuing process of becoming. We are not yet in a state of perfection; hence, we are in the state of becoming through repentance. If we understand and appreciate this, we acknowledge our unworthiness and dependence upon God. We can progress. We can become “just.” Those who are just will be made perfect (see D&C 76:69).
I have witnessed the joy in my own life and vicariously, as a bishop, through the lives of others. I can still see the brightness of a smile or the tear-filled eye as they would say, “Oh, Bishop Ed, I’m so happy. Heavenly Father and my Savior love me. I feel clean again. I want to be good forever. I am so thankful for the Atonement of my Savior. How can I ever repay Him?” And of course, they know how—by living a righteous life. (Ed J. Pinegar)