| Response |
What you speak of is one of the most important principles of the Gospel and, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, we know the great necessity and the great role that repentance plays in the
lives of all of Heavenly Father's children since none of us is perfect and people often stumble.
The atoning sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ provides us with this
great blessing and gift because of his suffering in the Garden of
Gethsemane when he took upon himself the sins and trials of every man and woman who would ever live on the Earth, coupled
with the agony he suffered when he was beaten and subsequently nailed to the cross. That personal sacrifice in our behalf
provided the mercy necessary to overcome the laws of justice and he offers it to all of us if we will repent of our sins
and "do them no more."
The difference between our church and yours on this particular subject is that the member of the Church goes to his or her
bishop and confesses
the wrong doing. The bishop does not offer "absolution," instead he
provides counsel, direction and an ongoing involvement in the life of
the individual until they have overcome their problems. For us,
confession alone is not repentance. What is required of the truly repentant individual is a "broken heart," as it were, or
rather real sincere contrition.
In the final analysis, the repentance process of confessing to ones church leaders, following their counsel, not returning
again to the sins of the past, and showing forth real sincerity by living an ever more Christ-centered life qualifies us to
have the Savior reach down and take those sins from us. It is the reason for and the nature of the atonement.
I hope this is helpful for you.
Sincerely,
Donny Osmond
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