I Believe in Change, Repentance, Progress!

While we were watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics my cute five-year-old niece was practicing her hand-stands.  She was a little bit frustrated she wasn't learning to do it perfectly right away, but she asked her mom if she would be better tomorrow.  :)  It was cute to see her desire to progress and excel.  She was being kind of hard on herself, but it was inspiring to see her want to learn and be better.

I believe we can change.  We can be better.  We can repent.  We can progress.  We must let each other be better every day.  We can change and repent because of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  What an amazing gift!  We may not be what we want to be today, but we can and must try harder tomorrow.

I have enjoyed several jobs in change management.  Life is kind of all about change management.  Heraclitus said, "Change is the only thing that is constant."  If we don't change or aren't willing to learn we will be left behind as others progress around us.  Usually we must proactively invite change in order to progress.  Some of the important questions to ask when planning for change are:

• What do we want to have happen?  
• What will success look like?
• Who are the stakeholders?
• How do we prepare ourselves and others for change?  
• How do you invite and encourage change?  
• How do we change the culture in order to sustain the change?  
• How do we communicate about the change?  

Some books that I enjoyed that taught important principles of change include The Anatomy of Peace, Mindset, Influencer, Switch, and The Heart of Change.  Here are a couple of interesting websites about change as well--one is a magazine made up of articles people submit on academic subjects of change, while the other is a website where people propose ideas and get support for making important social changes.  This is kind of a fun video too taking about social change projects.

One reason I think I enjoyed my work in change management so much was because I realized how related these principles are to repentance and our ultimate goal of eternal progression as we humbly seek to learn and do better and help others to do the same.  But while trying to help others it's important to remember that you cannot change someone else.  You can and must change yourself, but no matter what you do to help prepare, etc. everyone has to make their own choices, learn for themselves and repent on their own.

A few important points when thinking about change, repentance and progress:

1. The Lord's servants are told often in the scriptures to "preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord" - signifying the importance of the principle and commandment of repentance.
2. Change is possible because of our Savior, Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
3. God does NOT change!  "He is the same yesterday, today and forever."  We are here to progress and become like Him, but we have a constant and true guide.

Because it is such an important principle of salvation, the scriptures are filled with teachings and examples.  From True to the Faith:  "Repentance is a change of mind and heart....and includes turning to God.  It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments."  From the Bible Dictionary:  "Repentance is not optional for salvation."  Here are a few of my favorite scriptures and examples of repentance:

• "Peter said unto them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38)."
• "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10)."
• "And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God (2 Nephi 9:23)."
• "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God?  Have ye received his image in your countenances?  Have ye experiences this mighty change in your hearts (Alma 5:14)?"
• "There was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore, this life became a probationary state ; a time to prepare to meet God (Alma 12:24)."
• The king of the Lamanites asks Aaron how he can be born of God.  Aaron teaches him how to repent.  The king's humble and sincere prayer where he says, "I will give away all my sins to know thee" illustrates the power of repentance and he and his household are converted (Alma 22).
• "Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end;....if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed (Alma 34:33)."
• "O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircle about by the everlasting chains of death.  Behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins now more.  And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain (Alma 36)!"
• "How great is his joy in the soul that repenteth (D&C 18:13)!" 
• "Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive (3 Nephi 9:22)."
• "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, and by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God (Moroni 10:32)."

Some of the words that I liked that were also suggested to study teach more about repentance.  Repentance includes and relates to having a contrite heart, problem solving, returning, turning and purification.

Our modern day prophets also teach repentance:

• The Divine Gift of Repentance - Elder D. Todd Christofferson  (So good!  Here's the video too.)
• We are All Enlisted - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
• An Ensign to the Nations - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
• The Miracle of the Atonement - Elder C. Scott Grow
• Desire - Elder Dallin H. Oaks
• The Merciful Obtain Mercy - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

There is so much more to learn and do about repentance, but I'll finish for now with these thoughts:

• "The Lord works from the inside out.  The world works from the outside in.  The world would take people out of the slums.  Christ takes the slums out of the people, and then they take themselves out of the slums.  The world would mold men by changing their environment.  Christ changes men, who then change their environment.  The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature." - President Ezra Taft Benson
• "Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi

As Elder Christofferson said, Repentance is a key to confidence and peace!  Hopefully we can all wake up tomorrow with an increased desire to be better than we were today!  :)