How do I Repent Properly?

Repentance is more than an apology. It is a humbling, all-encompassing experience. It requires offenders to see themselves through the eyes of the injured party as well as through the eyes of God. For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the repentance process is explained in the manual Gospel Principles (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2009), and includes the following:

1. Recognize the sin. We admit to ourselves that we have done something wrong.

2. Feel sorrow for the sin. Feeling sorrowful, we are humble and submissive before God, and we come to Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit.

3. Forsake the sin. We stop committing the sin and pledge to never do it again.

4. Confess. We should confess all our sins to the Lord. In addition, we must confess serious sins that might affect our standing in the Church to the proper ecclesiastical authority.

5. Make restitution. Insofar as possible, we make right any wrong that we have done.

Of course, the process will vary depending on the type and seriousness of the sin. Some are sins against society with legal implications. Some are sins that require confession to Church leaders. Repentance for less severe transgressions may be accomplished privately between spouses or within the family, but all five steps are still needed.

References

Watson, E., & Hendricks, H. M., (2016). Repentance and forgiveness in family life. In Hawkins, A. J., & Dollahite, D. C., & Draper, T. W., (Eds.), Success marriages and families – proclamation principles and research perspectives. pp. 201-210. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University