Tag: Confess

As Often as My People Repent Will I Forgive Them

~ Richard Rowley

Alma, a Nephite prophet, was troubled by members of the Lord’s church who were committing sin and not repenting. He was hesitant to take action because he didn’t want to judge them wrongly in the Lord’s eyes, but felt action needed to be taken. As he prayed, the Lord revealed the principles discussed in the previous post (This Is My Church) as well as the following:

“…Whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive and I will forgive him also. Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.” (Mosiah 26:29-30)

Questions:

– Does the Lord forgive sin without repentance?

-What does it mean to truly repent?

-Is it possible to repent if a person doesn’t understand who Christ is and why God the Father sent him?

They Would Not Hearken to the Voice of the Lord

~ Richard Rowley

The prophet Abinadi warns King Noah – an unrighteous leader who knew the truths of the gospel but did not live according to them – that a day will come when all the wicked will reap what they have sown.

“…The time shall come when all shall see the salvation of the Lord; when every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to eye and shall confess before God that his judgments are just. And then shall the wicked be cast out, and they shall have cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth; and this because they would not hearken unto the voice of the Lord; therefore the Lord redeemeth them not. For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them…[They] knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil.” (Mosiah 16:1-3)

Questions:

-Is seeing salvation the same as actually receiving it?

-Will the wicked be somewhat naive about their eternal status until they see what they had previously refused to see about the consequences of their actions (thus the deep anguish of the wicked described in the above verses when they realize what they have lost)?

-How important is it to understand the need for spiritual salvation now rather than becoming awake to it at the time when the wicked are cast out of God’s presence?