After we have developed faith in Jesus Christ and understood why we are here, and that there is more than this life, we will have a desire to repent.  We will want to change our lives to be less sinful and more Christ-like.  Mormons believe that repentance is the second principle of the Gospel.  Repentance is required for salvation, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  Jesus Christ was the only perfect person to walk the earth.  Everyone else has sinned in some way – on our own, we cannot return to God.  Sin has been described in the scriptures as “all unrighteousness” (1 John 5:17) and “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not” (James 4:17).  We can sin by not acting righteously, as well as acting unrighteously.  Sins can be great and terrible, or slight errors, but all must be repented of if we wish to return to God.  However, as the prophet Joseph Smith wrote, “men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (Articles of Faith 1:2).  And further Mormon doctrine states that there is no original sin – the age when we become accountable for our sins is eight.  Before then, we do not have enough understanding to truly sin intentionally – but after the age of eight, we must repent. 

Through repentance, we can be forgiven of our sins and transgressions.  Mormons see this life as a small part of the eternal journey of our souls.  Sin halts our souls’ progressions and prevents us from receiving the full blessings and glory that God would give to us.  Again, without Christ’s Atonement, we could not return to God at all.  Repentance is only possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Because He lived a life without sin, He is able to meet the demands of justice for us all and mercifully grant forgiveness to those who obey His Word and accept His sacrifice.

Repentance is a process, rather than a single spiritual act.  First, we must recognize our sins.  We must both recognize that something we have done is a sin and acknowledge it ours.  Some sins may be harder to recognize than others, especially sins of omission.  It may seem difficult to repent for something that we haven’t done.  We need to be self-aware and able to realize which of our habits might be making us unhappy or making it difficult to be Christ-like.  We need to be able to tell what active commandments (such as giving to the poor) we may not be really following.  This requires study of the scriptures (the Mormon books of scripture being the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price) and a closer study of our own souls.  Where have we erred?  Where can we do better?

Then, we must feel sorrow for our sins.  We must feel grief at our offense to God and man and sincerely regret the sin.  Not because we have been caught or might be caught, but because we should not have acted in the way we did.  “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).  A godly sorrow unto repentance is different than self-inflicted misery – godly sorrow for our sins and imperfections is active, while misery wallows and is often resentful.

Once we feel godly sorrow for our sins we will want to forsake them.  This can be the most difficult part of the repentance process.  We may repent of one instance of a sin, only to commit it again (and again).  The Lord warns (in a book Mormons believe as scripture), “that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return” (D&C 82:7).  Repentance is a process in more ways that one, however, and forsaking sins may take more than one act of repentance.  But it is necessary to leave our sins behind, however attractive they may be. 

We must also confess our sins.  This should be an act of humility as well as an act of acknowledgement.  All our sins should be confessed to the Lord.  In the Mormon Church, more serious sins, such as adultery, need to be confessed to a church authority.  More serious sins can affect standing in the church – repenting may be a longer and more involved process in these cases.  Most sins may be kept between us and the Lord, however – unless someone has been offended or hurt by our sin.  They should also be confessed to. 

Finally, restitution is also a part of repentance.  If we have taken something, we must return it.  If we have harmed someone’s reputation through gossip, we should apologize and spread good words instead of evil.  We may not be able to erase evil deeds, but we should try to surpass them with our good ones and right whatever we can. 

Forgiving is a part of receiving forgiveness, too.  Jesus Christ taught, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14).  We must not hold grudges against those who have sinned against us if we would be forgiven for our sins.

Repentance is a renewal in Mormon belief – it is an opportunity to change our character for the better.  We should look on it, not as a rote ritual of confession, but as a route toward becoming more Christ-like, of changing ourselves to become gentler to others and firmer in keeping the commandments, of being more charitable, more understanding, and less selfish.