The Complete Meaning of Repentance

The Complete Meaning of Repentance

In church we learn the 4 R’s of repentance:

 

1.       Recognition. We must recognize what we have done wrong.

       2.       Remorse. We must feel godly sorrow for our mistakes.
       3.       Restitution. We must try to restore what has been lost as a result of our transgressions.
       4.       Resolve. We must resolve never to commit the sin again.

Amazingly, the Book of Mormon teaches us at least 66 R’s of repentance:

 

Relating (confessing), Resolution, Reformation, Realization. Regret. Rack (as in Alma racked with torment). Raise. Reconcile. Realign. Rebound. Reclaim. Recommit. Reconcile. Rectify. Redouble. Redevelop. Reduce. Reflect. Reform. Refresh. Refuel. Regenerate. Reject. Release. Remediate. Remember. Remit. Rendezvous. Renew. Renovate. Reorganize. Repair. Repel. Replace. Replant. Replenish. Repress. Reprimand. Reprocess. Reproof. Repugnant. Request. Require. Rescue. Resolve. Respect. Restrain. Resurgence. Retool. Retract. Retread. Retrench. Retrieve. Re-evaluate. Reverse. Review. Revise. Revival. Revolution. Rewrite. Right. Root. Rule out.

 

Elder Russell M. Nelson taught repentance this way: The doctrine of repentance is much broader than a dictionary’s definition. When Jesus said “repent,’ His disciples recorded that command in the Greek language with the verb metanoeo. This powerful word has great significance. In this word, the prefix meta means “change.”

The suffix relates to four important Greek terms:

1.       nous, meaning “the mind”

2.       gnosis, meaning “knowledge”

3.       pneuma, meaning “spirit”

4.       pnoe, meaning “breath”

Thus when Jesus said, “repent”, He asked us to change–to change our mind, knowledge, and spirit–even our breath. (May 2007 Ensign, p. 103)

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Richard Himmer, Author, PhD in Organizational Psychology – 10.27.2010