The Stigma Around Repentance
When you think of repentance, the total change of mind and heart, does it fill you with joy? Because repentance takes hard work, the idea of it can evoke feelings of pain and guilt. Taylor found out for himself why, despite the challenge, change is worth it. He shares his incredible story in this interview.
Taylor, 29, grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. His family taught him about the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a young man, he served as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When he returned, however, his dedication to faith and God dissolved. Drugs and alcohol consumed his life. Over time, Taylor got married, but his relationship fell apart when his cocaine use and consistent lies became the norm. Devastated, Taylor was swallowed up in addiction.
When his family staged an intervention, Taylor willingly entered a rehabilitation program. From that point on, he began to heal physically and spiritually. With support from professionals, loved ones, and inspired Church leaders, Taylor discovered what it meant to be truly forgiven-both by God and by himself.
“When I accepted that I could forgive myself, that was the exact moment that I felt God’s forgiveness,” he explains. “I’d say that’s the hardest part of repentance; coming to terms with what you did.”
Taylor says he still repents every day for mistakes, whether large or small. His daily efforts to stay close to Jesus Christ have transformed the way he feels and thinks.
“I know who He is today better than I ever have my whole life,” he states. “I feel my Savior in everything that I do. I feel him in the sunlight. I feel him in the touch I get when I shake hands with someone else. He’s constantly reminding me that He’s there for me, that He hasn’t forgotten about me. And it’s only with His help that I have the courage myself to continue to pick myself back up and to continue to do what I know He expects me to do.”
Gospel Solutions for Families is a series focused on offering practical, relevant tips for building families in faith. You can subscribe to the podcast on MormonChannel.org, the Mormon Channel app, or iTunes.
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