“The Remission of Sins Bringeth Meekness, and Lowliness of Heart”
Meekness and humility are part of repentance and are also fruits of faith. These necessary spiritual qualities precede repentance and a remission of sins. Here, however, Mormon is saying that they come after a remission of sins. Both are correct. It may be that what Mormon is referring to is an even greater change of heart and spiritual nature that comes by the power of the Holy Ghost after one repents, is born again, and receives the cleansing baptism of fire that remits sin. The spiritual gifts that accompany this experience include an increase in one’s meekness and humility. In addition, Mormon states that the Holy Ghost also works on the hearts and souls of men and women whose sins have been remitted, filling them with greater hope and perfect love-which is charity. “To renew the mind of man is the work of the Holy Ghost,” Elder Orson Pratt explained. “The Holy Ghost [changes us] more thoroughly by renewing the inner man, and by purifying the affections and desires, and thoughts which have so long been habituated in the impure ways of sin. Without the aid of the Holy Ghost, a person who has long been accustomed to love sin, and whose affections and desires have long run with delight in the degraded channel of vice, would have but very little power to change his mind, at once, from its habituated course and walk, and to walk in newness of life. Though his sins may have been cleansed away yet so great is the force of habit that he would,”without being renewed by the Holy Ghost, be easily overcome, and contaminated again by sin. Hence, it is infinitely important that the affections and desires should be in a measure changed and renewed, so as to cause him to hate that which he before loved, and to love that which he before hated: to renew the mind of man is the work of the Holy Ghost.“ (’The Holy Spirit,” in Orson Pratt: Writings, of an Apostle, p. 57.)
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