Gospel Principles, Chapter 19, pp. 107-113; “Our sincere sorrow
should lead us to forsake (stop) sinning. It does little good to admit that we have sinned if we do not stop doing the evil thing. If we truly repent of our sins, we will do them no more. If a person has stolen, he will steal no more. If he has lied, he will lie no more. If he committed adultery, he will stop this evil practice.” “To make our repentance complete we must always keep the commandments of the Lord (see D&C 1:32). A person is not fully repentant who does not pay his tithes or does not keep the Sabbath day holy or refuses to obey the Word of Wisdom. He is not repentant if he does not sustain the authorities of the Church …” – Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 200 cited by Spencer W. Kimball
2 Corinthians 7:10; “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
A classic explanation of true repentance can be found in the book of Matthew. When Jesus answered accusations of the Pharisees on why He was hanging out with sinners in Matthew 9:13, He told them only the sick needed a physician (Him).
Matthew 9:13; “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
His explanation of what God expected must have stung when He reminded them of Hosea 6:6 which says God desires mercy, and not sacrifice.
Hosea 6:6; “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
Repentance isn’t about performing to ‘prove’ your sorrow. Such behavior only shows you’re sorry you were caught in rebellion against God.
Repentance is having a deeply true sorrow of the heart for your rebellion. Your sorrow is then manifested in the subsequent behavior of clinging to God, not performing for God. Furthermore, only God can offer forgiveness for sins, not man.
The word ‘repentance’ in the Greek is ‘metanoia’. Jesus used it as a verb which means repentance is a reformation. It’s a reversal of an opinion, a moral compunction. Meta means ‘to change’ and noia, or oneo, means to ‘exercise the mind’, or ‘to think’.
LDS leaders who mandated works, or money for forgiveness, are lying. They have no authority at all to forgive someone for sinning, only God holds that power – Matthew 16:17.
Where in the Bible does it say you must pay tithes, or sustain authorities to be truly repentant?
Lastly, here’s what Matthew Henry said about repentance –
“Sin is the sickness of the soul; sinners are spiritually sick. Original corruptions are the diseases of the soul, actual transgressions are its wounds, or the eruptions of the disease. It is deforming, weakening, disquieting, wasting, killing, but, blessed be God, not incurable.”
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