Repentance: not a four-letter word.

     Repentance can sometimes seem like an ugly word.  Why does it scare us away? It was never meant to be a punishment.  It was a gift from our Heavenly Father.  Guilt and shame (and separation from God) are natural results that come when we disobey His commandments (a.k.a. sin.)  But repentance is the way out from that pain.  It is the solution.

"REPENTANCE... a change of mind, i.e., a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world."  - Bible Dictionary

"Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."  - Alma 36:21

Sometimes I think it can be hard to know what repentance should look like.  So here are some specific steps we can take to grow and change.  The six R's of repentance:

1. Recognize:  Before anything in our lives can change we must first be aware of what needs to change.  Life doesn't really fix itself.  If we aren't aware of what is wrong, we should start thinking and praying about it.  

2. Remorse:  Chances are that if we don't feel any kind of conviction for our behaviors, we probably won't stop doing whatever it is that we are doing (or we won't start doing what we should be doing...)

3. Reveal:  We must then take some time to talk to God.  We have to humble ourselves and come to Him, confessing our sins.  Ask for forgiveness and help to overcome them.  He already knows what we've done and how we feel about it, but He requires our humility. 

4. Restitution: Make amends in any way we can.  If we have harmed another, we need to make it right for them (not us) if we can.  It isn't about us having peace over the situation, it is about them.  If making amends hurts someone else we are doing it wrong.

5. Refrain:  We should forsake our sins:  Turn them over to the Lord and do them no more.  He has the power to help us walk away from the things Satan is using to pull us in.  If we humble ourselves and have faith in Him, He will turn our weaknesses into strengths.

6. Record:  Sometimes old feelings of guilt and shame will come up even when we have completely repented.  When the Spirit helps us know that we are forgiven, we should write down those feelings of peace, and do our best to remember what the Lord has already shown us!

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." - Ether 12:27

Through Jesus Christ we can accomplish the things that seem impossible.  He loves us more than we could ever know!  Don't lose hope!