"We are instructed to 'come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny [ourselves] of all ungodliness,' to become 'new creature[s]' in Christ, to put off 'the natural man,' and to experience 'a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.'  Please note that the conversion described in these verses is mighty, not minor."

David A. Bednar, "Ye Must Be Born Again," Ensign, May 2007

"Spiritual rebirth ... typically does not occur quickly or all at once; it is an ongoing process--not a single event.  Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words and our deeds become aligned with the will of God."
David A. Bednar, "Ye Must Be Born Again," Ensign, May 2007

"When we sin, we turn away from God.  When we repent, we turn back toward God.  The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement, but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to 're-turn' toward God.  It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments.  Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven.  They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel."

Neil L. Andersen, "Repent ... That I May Heal You," Ensign, Nov 2009

"Seeing ourselves in our full responsibility means also seeing ourselves in our weaknesses, in our lost opportunities, and in our failures--which makes us humble and meek.  We see the necessity to enter into a covenant with the author of life, to activate the atoning blood of Christ to wash us clean, and to embrace, gratefully, the gracious gift of the Holy Ghost for our essential empowerment."

F. Enzio Busche, "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit," BYU Devotional Address, May 14, 1996

"Repentance is a rescuing, not a dour doctrine.  It is available to the gross sinner as well as to the already-good individual striving for incremental improvement." 


Neal A. Maxwell

"We must know ourselves, for until we are conscious of our weaknesses, we cannot correct them; until we know our strengths, we cannot use them well." 

 Bruce D. Porter