How Can Repentance Help Me Everyday?

Find this week's lesson here.

Our ward has noticed in the past that the YW learn well when they break off into groups, study a section of the lesson on their own, and then teach that section to the rest of the class.  If I split anything up in this lesson, I'll probably separate The Elements of Repentance in True to the Faith (Pages 133-135).  

Faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

Sorrow for Sin

Confession

Abandonment of Sin 

Restitution

and Righteous Living

Give the young women time in class to work on Virtue value experience 4 from the Personal Progress book. If they have already completed this value experience, ask them to share what they learned from it.

I made a list for the girls to mark off throughout the lesson with all of the requirements for their value experience.  Then randomly during the lesson we can read a scripture here and a paragraph there and write in their journals until they have all of it completed by the end of the class.

You can download the PDF printable version here!

I also think one of the hardest steps of repentance is forgiving yourself.  Satan always knows how to make us feel guilty, even when we no longer have a reason to do so.  That's what's so beautiful about the atonement... Once we have fully repented, the Lord wants us to move on and be happy.

The Duck and the Devil

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm.  He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods.  He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target.  Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.  As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck.

Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it.  He was shocked and grieved.

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching!  Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes."  But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen."  Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?"  So Johnny did the dishes.

Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."  Sally just smiled and said," Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help."  She whispered again, "Remember the duck?"  So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's... he finally couldn't stand it any longer.

He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.  Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you.  I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Thought for the day and every day thereafter?

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)  ..whatever it is....You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.....  He has  seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven.

He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.  The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He not only forgives you, but He forgets.....  It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved.   God is at the window.