We all make mistakes—many that we wish we could forget. But the Lord has made a gracious promise: our sins can be essentially erased in His eyes.
In what Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf calls “some of the most inspiring and encouraging [words] in scripture,” the Savior states:
“He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42).
Elder Uchtdorf’s Emphasis on this Principle
Elder Uchtdorf has referenced this verse publicly several times, teaching about it in two general conference talks (see “God Among Us” and “Daily Restoration”). Most recently, in his new book After All We Can Do, he writes:
“Because of God’s perfect love for us and the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our sins—both great and small—can be blotted out and remembered no more. … What joy this gives me to know that if I continue to repent, in that future day when I shall fall on my knees before my Savior and Redeemer, He will lift me up and embrace me. My sins will not only be forgiven, they will not even be remembered. We can stand before Him pure, worthy, and sanctified.”
Why does Elder Uchtdorf continue to focus on this teaching? Perhaps one reason is because repentance is a daily process, and we all need reminders of the Lord’s mercy and hope.
No matter how far we think we have strayed from the path, Christ will always extend these gifts when we sincerely seek to come unto Him and repent.
See Yourself in a Better Light
When we focus on how the Lord sees us, the way we see ourselves changes.
For example, in C. S. Lewis’s book The Chronicles of Narnia, the young boy Edmund faces guilt and shame after betraying his siblings to the White Witch. But after he speaks with the lion Aslan, who is symbolic of Jesus Christ, Edmund is able to move forward and embody a new identity—even when the Witch tempts him to dwell on his mistakes. As Lewis writes:
“‘You have a traitor there, Aslan,’ said the Witch. Of course everyone present knew that she meant Edmund. But Edmund had got past thinking of himself after all that he’d been through and after the talk he’d had [with Aslan] that morning. He just went on looking at Aslan. It didn’t seem to matter what the Witch said.”
Like Edmund’s symbolic experience with Aslan, Elder Uchtdorf believes that finding a new vision in Christ can bring us lasting hope and redemption. He writes:
“We can become new creatures in Christ, for God has promised, “As often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me” (Mosiah 26:30) and “remember them no more” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42).
“My beloved brothers and sisters, dear friends, we all drift from time to time.
“But we can get back on course. We can navigate our way through the darkness and trials of this life and find our way back to our loving Heavenly Father if we seek, accept, and follow the spiritual landmarks He has provided. Learn to embrace personal revelation and strive for daily restoration. This is how we become true disciples of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ.”
To read more about the Savior’s grace, check out the articles below:
▶ This verse in Doctrine and Covenants is the ultimate comfort scripture
▶ A gospel scholar on why Christ’s Atonement makes peace of mind possible
▶ A simple way to feel connected to Christ in the here and now
