Repentance: The Point of No Return

  I want to talk about something that has been on my mind a few times in my life because I have needed the knowledge that I will now present to you. You or a friend may need this knowledge, and it is to be understood and applied wisely. First and foremost, this is a message of hope. And secondly and message of instruction. While there may be what some consider to be frightening knowledge included, it is only included to be instructive and inspiring, not to condemn or guilt.

  I am going to speak on "the point of no return" when it comes to one's ability to repent, and in doing so, I will say that I do not think that any of you reading this are even close to reaching that point. If you are scared that you have reached that point, you haven't. Being scared of it is a sign that you are still far from reaching it.

  And so, I begin.


  There is indeed a point of no return when it comes to repentance. However, no one should ever assume they have reached that point.

  Allow me to explain.

  As we obey the commandments of the Lord, our ability to obey them becomes stronger, we gain greater control over our faculities, and we conquer the natural man inside of us, giving us the power to do whatever our hearts desire with little internal effort required. However, if one knowingly disobeys the Lord, then one's will and power to decide otherwise weakens. This is not a result of habit being created, thereby resulting in a cycle of life that is hard to break, but it is the result of the weakening of personal will because in order to disobey God, one only need simply give in to the temptations and cravings of their body and mind. As such happens, the body and mind begin to take control of the spirit, slowly gaining power over it until the spirit not only accepts the control, but gladly gives into it and even encourages the actions of such. Eventually, any desire to do good is destroyed, and there is no preaching, miracle, or other form of convincing that can turn such a person away from their dark paths, and when such occurs, the Spirit of the Lord ceases to strive with this person. This is the point of no return.

  So, if you still have a desire in you to be good, if you wish to be free of the sins and bad habits that have enslaved you, then you are not even close to reaching that point. If you are frightened by the idea that you might reach that point, you can still be saved. And so, I cry to all of you who struggle in this way, DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE!

  You can break these bonds, you are still the one in control, and while it may require all of your strength to do so, you can overcome the strong impulses of your mind and body and, most importantly, the temptations of the devil.

  If I may also suggest a practice that will be invaluable to the soul who seeks to overcome some entrenching sin, I would recommend that you fast. Fasting, or the act of denying oneself physical sustenance in search of spiritual blessings, gives one a marvelous strength to overcome sin. Not only does it give a simple form of practice, intentionally denying the cravings of the mind and body, in turn, strengthening the will and ability to control one's own faculties, but it also invokes the grace of God, the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that will lift us, above and beyond our normal powers of obedience, out of the consuming quicksand and onto the straight and narrow path.
 
  My purpose in speaking about the existence of a point of no return isn't as a condemning voice but as a voice of hope and inspiration, saying, "You are not yet there. You can still make it back."

  Take hope, for it is the hope of the Lord, and it is the same hope that is proclaimed by the Spirit to those who are listening. Hear it! Accept it! Act on it! And overcome!
 
  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.