“Repent . . . That I May Heal You”

Elder Neil L. Andersen “Repent . . . That I May Heal You” The title of this talk made me think that this would be one of those talks that was meant for someone else ... not for me. Boy was I wrong. The sentence that made the most impact to me was Elder Andersen's statement that "in this life, it is never too late to repent. "

When I was a teenager, a young teenager, my sister, mom and I spent some time at my grandparents. We did fun things like go to the zoo, go swimming, take long naps, got to the movies and go for walks. One time when we were at the mall my sister and I saw a "working dog." A yellow lab that was being trained to help a handicapped individual. My Grandmother had the wonderful idea of tracking down one of these training facilities and setting up a tour for us.

The whole adventure was a surprise and when I woke up the morning for our special surprise I was in an awful mood. I didn't want to go and I was a complete pain the whole time. I think about this day often and how embarrassed I am of it and the pain that I caused my family. What an amazing experience that I missed out on because of my choice to have a poor attitude.

Elder Andersen's statement that "in this life, it is never too late to repent" has made me realize that even though it is 10+ years later I can be forgiven. And to be forgiven by my Heavenly Father I must first ask forgiveness for those that I wronged.

To my grandmother, grandfather, mom and sister: I am so terribly sorry for my actions that day. I am grateful for the hard work and all of the thought put into creating that special day for us. I am deeply sorry for my actions. If I could I would take that day back and enjoy the amazing experience that it could have been and was supposed to be. I am so sorry.

Elder Andersen said that "Repentance always means that there is greater happiness ahead." I am grateful for this and hope to soon have this weight lifted off my shoulders so that I can move forward and hopefully be a better person.