What I Learned: REPENTANCE

 

(Finland – week 71)

  16 May 2016

Rakkaat ystävät,

Wow it's been an amazing week! We had stake conference on Sunday, so I got to see all of my dear friends from Espoo, Haaga, and Neitsytpolku. It was a wonderful day!

I feel that repentance often has a bad reputation. It's looked at as the word yelled on street corners or something you do as a punishment for doing something wrong. But that is not right. Repentance as defined in the Bible dictionary is, “a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world. Since we are born into conditions of mortality, repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined." Repentance is change. It is coming closer to Christ, which means finding peace, hope, and becoming better. Repentance is what fills us with the love and light of Christ. "And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God." (Moroni 8:26) Elder Moreira spoke yesterday at stake conference, and he said something wonderful about the gospel. Life is complicated. So we think we need big complicated answers to handle our complicated lives. But we do not, we need only repent (change for the better) daily, and then we will be filled with the love of Christ. It is simple. It works. We know that the less parts something has, the less likely a problem will occur. I'm so grateful that the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't have a thousand complicated parts, it's truly very simple. I'm so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, if I have done or become anything good, it is because through Him I am able to do and become good. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. And I testify that He lives.

I wish you all the best! Have a wonderful week.

                                                                                                                                           

Rakkaudellani, Sisar Mendenhall

P.S. This is Julia's mom, making my last addition to the blog.  Julia comes home tomorrow!  It has been a fabulous 19 months and I have enjoyed posting her reports, thoughts and insights.  Just for fun, here is the first picture we received of her on her mission(in the MTC cafeteria) and the last image we got before she comes home(a screen shot of our Mother's Day call three days ago). 19 months of growth, she's beautiful!!