Finding Forgiveness

I had the choice opportunity this past week of being a counselor at one of the Church's youth camps called EFY, or "Especially for Youth." At this camp, speakers and counselors instructed the youth on various gospel subjects including repentance, the Atonement, and how to live the Lord's standards in a world where standards are increasingly dissolving.

During one of the talks, the director of the camp Brother Devin Toma, displayed a quote about repentance and forgiveness by the apostle Elder Richard G. Scott. I wrote down the reference and read the whole talk today and decided to make it the article of the week.

The talk is entitled, "Finding Forgiveness," and was given by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the April General Conference in 1995.

In this talk, Elder Scott very clearly explains repentance and the need for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He outlines the steps of repentance, teaching about Godly sorrow, confession, abandonment of sin, restitution, and faith.

This teachings contained in this article give hope to all of us. By virtue of living in a fallen world and not being perfect, we all sin and we are all unclean. We make mistakes no matter how hard we try. The Atonement of Jesus Christ can make us clean if we do our part, i.e., repent which includes the steps Elder Scott describes. The miracle of forgiveness, the miracle of the Atonement, is that when we are constantly striving to do better and keep the commandments more faithfully, we are cleansed by the atoning blood of Christ. The Lord teaches, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

I know this promise is real. I know that through the Atonement of Christ, all may be saved. Moreover, the feeling of being forgiven takes a great weight off our shoulders and brings both relief and comfort.

Jeremy