NOW

Recently, I've noticed a theme in my spiritual quest. The theme is now. I have a new bishop, and while all my bishops have been nothing short of miracles of human beings, none have focused so much on the present as this one has. It's just what I need, I think. He told me that I can be forgiven, which I knew. He told me that I can be forgiven now, which I did not realize.

That idea, that of instant forgiveness, has since presented itself to me repeatedly. And I think I'm starting to get it. The Atonement of our Savior helps us right now. The scriptures tell us that as oft as we repent, we will be forgiven. Nowhere do they say that once we're perfect, we'll be forgiven. What good is a Savior, and Atonement, to the perfect? When we take our sins, or our sorrows, to the Savior, there's no waiting period for His grace. God doesn't work on the clock.

Yes, complete repentance requires complete abandonment of the sin. But the thing is, Jesus' Atonement works for us right now. Jesus did all the work, bore all the pain, took every last punishment for our every last sin. So guess what? We don't have to. Rejoice, Oh my heart! No longer droop in sin!

Don't misunderstand. I don't believe God will tolerate insincere mutterings of apologies, nor will He stand for lying promises of good behavior. But if you go to God with your broken heart and contrite spirit, asking sincerely for the power of the Atonement to fill in where you have fallen short, He will do it. I think He really will, for He has said it. Mosiah 26:30- "Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me." EVERY TIME. Do it now!

I've decided that now is the time for repentance, my friends. I've procrastinated too long. I've been afraid to repent because I didn't know if I'd commit the sin again. In fact, I have thought that I would inevitably commit the sin again, so why repent? I'll just wait till I'm done sinning. Can you imagine, if everyone waited until they were done sinning to repent, Heaven would be empty. We're not done sinning till we're dead, and even then, I'm not sure. But, every time I repent, He'll forgive me. This doesn't give me license to repent and then sin, knowing I'll just repent again. The key, I think, is in Moroni 6:8 "But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven." With real intent. real intent. Real intent.

It's time to stop waiting for the day when all desires of the flesh will magically disappear. It's time to repent now.

At my bishop's advice, I've begun to read (again) Stephen R Robinson's Believing Christ. To any repenting soul, to any mangled mind, hurting heart, or suffering spirit, I urgently recommend this book. As I've begun to read it, I've seen more of the now theme. I'm really starting to believe that I can actually quit my favorite sins now. And I can do that with the help and mercy of the Savior. And maybe, just maybe, I can do that now.

Isaiah 1:18 has been on my mind lately. But one word I've overlooked is the second word of the verse. I always thought of "come now" as a meaningless phrase, like "there, there" or "now, then." Like, "Now, then, let us reason together." But I think it's more like Come. Now.

Come now. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Come now.

Come now, and let's be reasonable! The Lord says that even though your sins are pretty dang dark, they're going to be white. You're going to be clean. That's what the Lord says, anyway.

Come now.