President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, says that a question he frequently receives is: “How do I know when I’m forgiven of my sins?”
In response, he recently created a social media video covering a few scriptures that have brought peace to his heart about this topic. “I care enough about that question—and about those [who] ask it and those who wish they had asked it—that I want to take just a minute [to talk about it],” he said.
Here are three passages President Holland shared to support anyone grappling with this personal question.
“Before Thee and Me”
First, President Holland read aloud Mosiah 26:29:
“Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.”
The Apostle pointed out that this verse highlights two levels of forgiveness: 1) between us and our neighbor, and 2) between the Lord, us, and our neighbor. While we should strive to make things right in our earthly relationships and offer forgiveness, he reminded everyone that the ultimate forgiveness comes from the Lord.
“We can do the forgiveness with a lowercase f, but real forgiveness has to come from heaven. That’s where the forgiveness that we’re seeking comes.”
“I, the Lord, Remember Them No More”
Next, President Holland turned to a passage in Doctrine and Covenants 58 that he suggests is “one that you can remember and take strength from”:
“Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.
“By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” (Verses 42 and 43)
He said that, like the verse from Mosiah, this scripture helps us understand that “the forgiveness that really counts” comes from the Lord. The Apostle also pointed out that the Lord will not only forgive our sins after we repent but also forget them.
This forgetting is conditional on two steps set forth in the verse: we must “confess [our sins] and forsake them.” “It isn’t enough to just do one or the other,” President Holland explained.
The Way of Forgiveness and Peace
Finally, President Holland turned to a Book of Mormon scripture that he says summarizes “the way of forgiveness and peace”:
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.” (2 Nephi 31:13)
Through continually living the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can repent of our mistakes and find lasting change and peace of mind. Connecting all three scriptures, President Holland said: “Confession. Honesty with your neighbor. No hypocrisy. Honesty with God. No hypocrisy. And He will forget [your sins]. And so will you. And you will know that you’ve been forgiven.”
President Holland clarified that while we may not forget the incident after this process, we will forget the pain surrounding it—“the troubled spirit, the anxious nights, the restless mornings.”
“You can forget that because God forgets it when you follow just as much as those two or three little scriptures,” he said.
Watch the full video in the player below.
More articles for you:
▶ A scripture passage President Holland often shares with youth
▶ The quote that forever changed how I see the parable of the ten virgins
▶ The perfect scripture for when challenges feel too hard to bear
