The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel teaches a profound doctrine with respect to repentance. “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.” (Ezek. 33:15.)
Here we have three steps in repentance:
- Restore the pledge
- Commit to change
- Forsake the sin
Notice the phrase ‘restore the pledge.’ What pledge? Each makes pledges to our Father in heaven. Some have been made here on earth, baptism, confirmation, temple ordinances, and the sacrament. All of us made pledges before we were born.
When we repent we change our thoughts, we renew our promises, and we covenant with God again.
When we commit to change we do all within our power to eradicate the cause of sin and forge a new habit. We distance ourselves from the source of influence. Notice that punishment is not from the Lord, but rather from the sin. In other words, the Lord does not punish us for sins; He withholds blessings. The scriptures teach that the wicked are punished by the wicked.
If you were to touch a hot stove after your mother warns you not to, you would be burned. Who did the punishing? The Lord? Your mother? Or you? The consequences of our actions are the sources of our punishments. In this case, you punished yourself.
How do you forsake the sin? The Lord told Joseph Smith that “he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven and I remember them no more.”
How do you know when your sins have been forgiven?
“By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” (D&C 58:42-43.)
The surest way, for me, is when I hear the whisperings of the still small voice working within my mind and when I feel the spirit touching my heart. The Holy Ghost will not dwell in unholy places. When both are present, the Lord has confirmed my repentance through two witnesses and I know where I stand.
If I have turned away from my sin, confessed it accordingly, committed to staying the course, and forsaken the sin by changing my habits and even associates, then the Holy Ghost will manifest my position through the heart and mind as found in scripture. (D&C 9:7-9; 8:2-3; 6:22-23.)
