Great is His Joy in the Soul That Repents

Part 2 of the “Repentance & Atonement” series (Part 1)

The “worth of souls is great” and a soul that repents brings joy to God. Prophets teach tirelessly to get the people to be wise about this critical fork in the road: repentance and joy, or bondage and death. Christ’s pleads for us to understand: “I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent. But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I.”

Study Guide

Restoration & Atonement Laws Explained

• Resurrection is a restoration (Alma 41).
• The fall, probation, repentance, atonement, and mercy explained (Alma 42).
• Alma went through sore repentance and much tribulation before gaining repentance (Mosiah 23:9-10).
• Christ tells Joseph why repentance is necessary and what comes of the souls that repent: “But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I” (D&C 19:15-20).

“How Great is His Joy in the Soul That Repenteth”

• Christ, Atonement, and repentance explained by Alma (Alma 34:8-18,31-35).
• After having received a witness of the ministry of Christ, Nephi then went forth and testified boldly repentance and remission of sins through faith on Jesus Christ (3 Nephi 7:15-16,23-26).
• Christ died that we might repent. Men must be stirred up to repentance unless they choose it. Christ’s joy is great in those who repent: “How Great is His Joy in the Soul That Repenteth” (D&C 18:6-7,10-17).
• Men come into the rest of the Lord and to the Holy Order through repentance (Alma 13:10-13,16,21,27-30).
• Alma desires to declare repentance and the plan of redemption to every soul (Alma 29:1-2,9).

Christ’s Power For Those That Repent

• Jesus Christ came to redeem men from their sins through repentance (Helaman 5:10-12,17-19).
• Christ gives power to baptize into the church of Christ (3 Nephi 11:18-27).
• Christ ransoms His children from awful destruction. To know the mysteries of God, one must repent, exercise faith, do good and pray continually (Alma 26:13-22).
• The gate: repentance, baptism by water, then cometh a remission of sins by the baptism of fire and baptism of the Holy Ghost (2 Nephi 31:17).
• Samuel the lamanite cries repentance to the people (Helaman 14:8-13).
• Promises of the Lord extended to all people on condition of repentance (Alma 17:15-16).

Blessings for a Soul that Repents

• The words of true prophets bring souls to faith and repentance, which faith and repentance brings to a change of heart (Helaman 15:7).
• Those who do not repent lose light and knowledge (D&C 1:31-33).
• Enos’s repentance or wrestle in the spirit before God before he received forgiveness of his sins (Enos 1:2-8).
• A desolating scourge will go forth on those who do not repent (D&C 5:19-20).
• Repentance is evidenced by confessing and forsaking. Repentance is how we gain forgiveness and the Lord will remember our sins no more (D&C 58:42-43).
• Men are made whole through Christ and repentance. Adams’s baptism of water, fire, and the Holy Ghost (Moses 6:50-67).