We Can Do Better and Be Better!

“Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance.”

Russell M. Nelson

I haven't blogged much anymore because life is just crazy raising a family, nursing school, and a new job. But I really felt that I should share a lesson I taught on Mother's Day to all the women at church. It's all about a wonderful gift called repentance.

This past General Conference, our prophet Russell M. Nelson gave a fantastic talk. Even though it was delivered to the men during the Priesthood session, it is a message for us all.

"When Jesus asks you and me to “repent,” He is inviting us to change our mind, our knowledge, our spirit—even the way we breathe. He is asking us to change the way we love, think, serve, spend our time, treat our [husbands], teach our children, and even care for our bodies."

For most of my life, I had no understanding that repentance was a gift, especially a gift to be used every day. Often times repentance is associated with these big scary sins. I used to look at repentance like it was something to be avoided as much as possible. If I put a visual to the word repentance as I used to see it, it would look kind of like this:

Almost like a sentence to repentance. Maybe you look at it that way too. But I’m learning to look at it as something beautiful.

My goal in writing this is that you can start to see it as something wonderful and beautiful too. The reason why repentance is so wonderful is that it is a divine tool that allows us to CHANGE and get closer to Christ every day.

"Too many people consider repentance as punishment—something to be avoided except in the most serious circumstances. But this feeling of being penalized is engendered by Satan. He tries to block us from looking to Jesus Christ, who stands with open arms, hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify, and sanctify us."

Almost 40 years ago, Elder Holland was trying to tell us the same thing: "Repentance is not a foreboding word. It is following faith, the most encouraging word in the Christian vocabulary. Repentance is simply the scriptural invitation for growth and improvement and progress and renewal. You can change! You can be anything you want to be in righteousness."


There’s a story in the Ensign from last year that tells of a bishop explaining an important part of repentance to someone who came to visit with him because of a serious sin. The bishop told him: “You are thinking of repentance like you are flipping a switch from darkness to light,” he said. “As if you were a perfect 10, and because you sinned, you’re now an 8 or a 7.”

The bishop continued by saying, “In reality, none of us are 10s. In fact, we are probably closer to 1s and 2s. We’re not perfect to begin with. Repentance can cleanse us from sin, but it also helps us progress from 2s to 3s and 3s to 4s and so on until we reach that perfect 10 one day. Repentance helps us become more Christlike.”

Repentance is essential on the path towards perfection. A quote I love by Brad Wilcox says, “Heaven is not a prize for the perfect, but the future home of all who are willing to be perfected.” Repentance is progression. It is one step closer and closer to our savior.


Our prophet is yearning for us to “experience the strengthening power of daily repentance - of doing a little better each day.” He wants us to continually change. To progress towards Christ every day.

Ask yourself: Why is continual progression/change so important in life?
What are some ways you can stop being stagnant in life and continue to progress toward Christ?

What is holding you back from changing through repentance? When we change our ways and increase our focus on Christ, we see who we are truly meant to become.

When we look at daily repentance as a daily progression towards Christ, we will be continually changed. It is what allows the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. Christ wants us to change and as we plead for the power of his infinite and atoning sacrifice to be applied in our lives, his ultimate healing will bring to each of our lives the ultimate change.

Jesus Christ is our means of change. Ask him to help you recognize the improvements you need to make in your life. As you continually turn to Him, he will bring the best out of you.

Just as the Savior changed the eyes of the blind, he can give you the eyes to see what you need to change in your life.
The Savior changed the ears of the deaf. And he can help you hear his voice.

He changed a few fishes and a couple of loaves of bread into enough to feed 5,000 people. And he will take your time, your energy, and your ability and magnify them and multiply them so that there is enough to spare.

Although our Lord Jesus Christ never changes, what he does change is us. 

I hope that you’re starting to associate repentance with a progressive change, rather than associate it with the heaviness of sin. 

Don't give up!

I know that all this talk of change can feel overwhelming. We are already doing so much, how in the world are we going to add change into our busy lives! But remember this: Change is why we came to earth. To change from the natural man into the queens in God's kingdom that we are destined to become.

As women, especially on a day like Mother’s day, we often reflect on our worth. We torture ourselves with “Am I good enough?” Am I a good enough friend, sister, wife, mother? With all this talk about change, it can feel overwhelming as our minds make a seemingly infinite list of all the things that we can change and do better. We are naturally so hard on ourselves. Sometimes we might think, is it still worth trying? I try and I try and I just feel like I keep failing.

You are enough. In fact, you're more than enough! Please, please, please watch this beautiful video and message from Elder Cornish.

Jesus Christ endured and completed His eternal, infinite atonement so that you and I can change. Repentance is what makes weak things strong and what helps us change.

President Nelson said he has recently found himself drawn to a verse in Doctrine and Covenants that says, “Say nothing but repentance unto this generation.”

I used to think verses like this one sounded kind of mean and punishing. But now I understand.

I finally understand that repentance is not something to be dreaded, but something to be embraced. I am grateful for repentance because it is the tool I can use each day to do better and be better than I was the day before. I'm grateful for repentance because it allows the Spirit to guide me in ways of continual progression to be more like my Savior. I'm grateful for repentance because even though I fail and fail, and fail again, repentance always allows me to try again.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you. They are rooting for you. They want you to repent and change because it will bring happiness and peace to your life, and ultimately bring you back to them. They are on your side. Keep trying, do your absolute best, and remember that Christ makes up for all the rest.