How Can I Repent and Retain a Remission of My Sins?

            The Come, Follow Me study came from Mosiah 4-6 this week. In these chapters, King Benjamin continues his address to his people. After delivering the angel’s message (Mosiah 1-3), King Benjamin looked at his people and saw that they had all fallen to ground (Mosiah 4:1). Verse 2 tells us that “they viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth” and they cried for mercy and to have the atoning blood of Jesus Christ applied to them. They wanted to receive forgiveness for their sins and to have their hearts purified. 


            What did the people mean when they saw themselves as “less than the dust of the earth” (Mosiah 4:2)? It means that they realized that the dust of the earth, like all elements, is obedient to the Lord. Only human beings have agency to obey or disobey His commands, and the people knew that they had not always been obedient. They also recognized that they were entirely dependent on the Lord for life here on earth and for eternal life.


            What does it mean to “apply the atoning blood of Christ” (Mosiah 4:2)? President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we all sin, and Christ made it possible for all of us to be forgiven of our sins.

We all make mistakes. Sometimes we harm ourselves and seriously injure others in ways that we alone cannot repair. We break things that we alone cannot fix. It is then in our nature to feel guilt and humiliation and suffering, which we alone cannot cure. That is when the healing power of the Atonement will help….

If Christ had not made His Atonement, the penalties for mistakes would be added one on the other. Life would be hopeless. But He willingly sacrificed in order that we may be redeemed….

We can even “retain a remission of [our] sins’ [Mosiah 4:12]. Baptism by immersion is for the remission of our sins. That covenant can be renewed by partaking of the sacrament each week [see Doctrine and Covenants 27:2].

The Atonement has practical, personal, everyday value; apply it in your life. It can be activated with so simple a beginning as prayer. You will not thereafter be free from trouble and mistakes but can erase the guilt through repentance and be at peace (Ensign, May 2001, 23-24).

            Repentance is not easy, but it is worth the effort. Mosiah 4:3 tells us that the Spirit of the Lord fell upon them, and “they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience.” This joy and peace of conscience came because of their “exceeding faith” in Jesus Christ.


            Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that peace of conscience comes from sincere repentance and righteous living.

God wants each of His children to enjoy the transcendent blessing of peace of conscience [see Mosiah 4:2-3]. A tranquil conscience invites freedom from anguish, sorrow, guilt, shame, and self-condemnation. It provides a foundation for happiness….

… You can regain peace of conscience by repenting of personal transgressions that cause you internal turmoil….

Broken law from sin or transgression causes anguish of mind and heart from an offended conscience. Knowing that all of His spirit children save His Only Begotten, Jesus Christ, would unintentionally or intentionally violate His laws, our Eternal Father provided a means to correct the consequences of such acts. Whether the violation be great or small, the solution is the same: full repentance through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement with obedience to His commandments (Ensign, Nov. 2004, 15-16).

            Heavenly Father knew that we would make mistakes, and He provided a way for us to become free from sin through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. However, He did not make repentance easy even though He made it possible. Elder Boyd K. Packer admonished those who seek peace of conscience through repentance to persevere until they obtain forgiveness.

The gospel teaches is that relief from torment and guilt can be earned through repentance. Save for those few who defect to perdition after having known a fulness, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness….

That great morning of forgiveness may not come at once. Do not give up if at first you fail. Often the most difficult part of repentance is to forgive yourself. Discouragement is part of that test. Do not give up. That brilliant morning will come.

Then “the peace of God, which passeth … understanding” comes into your life once again. [Philippians 4:7]. Then you like Him, will remember your sins no more. How will you know? You will know! [see Mosiah 4:1-3] (Ensign, Nov. 1995).

            The Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, wait with open arms for us to turn to them. They want to help us, and They will help us as much as They can without overriding our agency. We retain a remission of our sins by continuing to do the things that we were doing to show repentance of our sins. We communicate with Heavenly Father. We study about His work in the scriptures. We attend sacrament meeting and partake of the emblems of the Atonement of Christ. We serve others and extend forgiveness to all who have harmed us. We continue to repent daily of our sins. In other words, we become Saints and live righteously. We will not be perfect, but we can experience joy and peace of conscience because we are clean before God.