I have never looked at it that way. I realize the standards and expectations are high, but I’ve never looked at that as a negative, much less felt a desire to shrink away and perhaps even leave the church because of it.

I think I’ve just innately always had the perspective that the church isn’t high-demand — it’s high-opportunity. We have the chance to be given eternal life, the greatest of all of God’s gifts, and for such a gift, much is required.

For those who are struggling with the expectations as a member of the church, I couldn’t help but think the talk given by Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the October general conference of the church would be massively beneficial.

New beginnings

With his trademark encouraging, inspiring and comforting tone, Elder Kearon stressed repeatedly two words: new beginning.

Ryan Comer, Standard-Examiner

“All of us can have a new beginning through, and because of, Jesus Christ. Even you,” Elder Kearon said in the subhead of the talk as recorded on the church’s website.

Elaborating about the Savior, Elder Kearon said:

“He conversed with the social outcasts, He touched the diseased and unclean, He brought comfort to the weary, He taught liberating truth, and He called sinners to repentance. To each leper, blind man, and adulterous woman; to the lame, the deaf, and the dumb; to every grieving mother, desperate father, and mourning widow; to the condemned, the shamed, and the suffering; to the dead in body and the dead in spirit, what He did was offer a new beginning.

“Everything He said and did provided a new beginning for each of those He healed, blessed, taught, and relieved of sin. He didn’t withdraw from them, and He certainly won’t withdraw from you. Imagine in this moment hearing any of these life-giving words from Him:

“‘Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.’

“‘Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.’

“‘Be thou clean.’

“‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’

“‘Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.’

“The Saviour’s words to these individuals were brief, but with them He painted vast new horizons of forgiveness, healing, restoration, peace, and eternal life. And the glorious news is He offers the same new beginning to you and to me. All of us can have a new beginning through, and because of, Jesus Christ. Even you. New beginnings are at the heart of the Father’s plan for His children. This is the church of new beginnings! This is the church of fresh starts!”

I think it’s easy for us to look at what the Savior did for others while he was on the earth and think that isn’t applicable to us. It’s like they’re just neat stories in a book that don’t mean anything to us today. But Jesus is immortal and his promises are timeless. He wants everyone to have a new beginning – not just those who he personally was able to minister to.

Jesus completed the Atonement so that new beginnings and ultimately the gift of eternal life could be had by everyone. He loves all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children. We are all his brothers and sisters. He doesn’t want any of us to not be able to live eternally with him and Heavenly Father, so he offers new beginnings to all of us.

Continued Elder Kearon:

“With baptism by water and the Spirit, we are ‘born again’ and can ‘walk in newness of life.’ How much hope does that new beginning bring to one who has trudged under the burden of sin or suffered from the effects of a troubled life and dysfunctional relationships? Jesus needed no forgiveness of sin Himself or a fresh start in life, yet He was baptised, showing us in high relief the way to the new beginning He has carved for each of us.

“And our new beginning doesn’t just happen once. … These new beginnings can happen every day! And certainly every week as we eat a small piece of bread and drink a tiny cup of water in remembrance of the gift of our perfect Saviour, who died for the express purpose of giving us as many new beginnings as we need! Jesus gives us as many new beginnings as we need.

“With commitment and rejoicing in a new life in Christ, we can become ‘a new creature,’ where old things pass away and all things become new. What reprieve does that kind of new dawn bring to a soul who keeps trying, through continuing to choose faith in our Redeemer’s power to heal and restore, despite the crushing setbacks of living in a fallen world? The Saviour never gave up on His commitment to fulfill the will of the Father and complete His divine atoning mission, even through pain that caused Him to tremble, to bleed from every pore, to suffer body and spirit, and to pray that the bitter cup might be removed. Again, He was demonstrating for us what faithful endurance with God looks like.

“With every covenant we make and every effort we give to keep it, we can receive ‘a new heart’ and a fuller measure of ‘a new spirit.’ Little by little, the more we invite His goodness into our hearts and cast out the self-defeating voices in our heads, we become His people because we truly make Him our God. Jesus so keenly wants to be our King and our Shepherd and our Prince of Peace, and we can choose to make Him so in our own hearts and minds.”

As I ponder those words, it’s confirmed to me the reality that we are on a journey. No journey is without problems. On our journey to eternal life, we will necessarily make mistakes. We will realize our imperfections. But because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can progress. We don’t have to be eternally weighed down by what we don’t do right. We just have to commit to keep trying, to keep repenting when necessary, to keep looking for ways to be better.

Progressing through repentance

On repentance, Elder Kearon said:

“Repentance opens the door to our new beginnings, fresh starts, and second chances.”

In the footnotes of his talk, he included a few quotes from President Russell M. Nelson.

Perhaps my favorite was from a May 2019 general conference talk titled “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” in which President Nelson said:

“Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

“… Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance–of doing and being a little better each day.

“When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy–the joy of redemption in Him. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ!”

Added Elder Kearon:

“It is exciting to hear our youth describe what repentance means to them. I recently heard a young woman say, with a smile on her face, ‘When I think of repentance, daily repentance, I feel incredible joy and hope. I feel the love and happiness of my Heavenly Father and my Saviour. I am not afraid to come to Heavenly Father in prayer and ask for His help with whatever I’m struggling with. I know They’re not trying to catch me doing something wrong. Their arms are open wide. This is repentance to me,’ she said. This young woman understands that because of Jesus Christ, she can have new beginnings!”

A new beginning for even me?

Perhaps you remain unconvinced that Christ would care about a new beginning for you. You might not think there’s anything special about you that you would matter to Christ.

“Think about the people the Saviour ministered to–the people He taught, healed, raised, forgave, and restored,” Elder Kearon said. “Was He selecting them from a particular economic class or background? Was He distinguishing between the righteous and the sinful? Was He singling people out because they were more deserving or more loved? No.

“Some came to Him with great faith, believing in His power to heal–like the woman with the issue of blood, the Roman centurion whose servant was dying, the leper, Jairus, and blind Bartimaeus. They each put their faith on the line, hoping that the goodness and power of the rabbi from Nazareth would change their lives and their prospects. And He did. He let His healing flow.

“But Jesus also blessed those who had wavering faith, like the father of the sick child who cried out, perhaps as you have, ‘Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’ And He even poured out compassion upon those who hadn’t sought Him at all, like the woman taken in adultery, the widow of Nain, the disabled man at the pool of Bethesda, and the man born blind. Have you felt Him going about doing good in your life even when you haven’t been seeking Him or following Him?

“To each of these scriptural figures, and to all who would listen and respond, He gave a new beginning, whether it was a new life forgiven of sin or a new life healed of disease or a new life raised from death.

“What does this mean for you and for me? His goodness and mercy and loving-kindness know no bounds. New beginnings are at the heart of the Father’s plan! Fresh starts are the mission of the Son! New dawns, new chapters, and new chances are the simple core of the gospel’s good news!

“So, have you been away too long from your covenants to receive a new beginning? No. Have you done this or that too many times to be given another chance? No. Have you gone too far from Christ for Him to help you write a new story from here on out? No. The adversary is the only one who benefits from the idea that you’re sunk. You are not.

“And new beginnings are for more than just our sins and mistakes. Through the goodness and grace of the Saviour, we can have fresh starts that propel change in old mindsets, bad habits, grumpy dispositions, negative attitudes, feelings of powerlessness, and tendencies to blame others and avoid personal responsibility. You can actually change things about yourself that have been wearing you down for years. You can start again through the might of the Master of new beginnings. He never tires of giving new beginnings to us.”

I love Matthew 11:28-30, which reads:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

It doesn’t say, “Come unto me, unless you are of a certain status or have messed up this many times, and then you’re on your own.” He invites all to come unto him so he can help us.

The last part from Elder Kearon really stuck out to me because of how often I’ve heard someone dismiss a personality trait or a habit as “That’s just the way I am.” It may be how you are now, but it doesn’t have to be how you are forever. Change is possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He wants all of us to change, and because of that, he can help. Staying the same can be comfortable, but it’s not a necessity.

“To those who are struggling with the same sin or the same setback over and over again, you keep going,” Elder Kearon said. “He hasn’t put a roadblock in front of you. He hasn’t set a limit on your second chances. You press on. You keep striving. You seek help from those around you. And you trust in the new beginning that is there for you every time you turn back to your Father in sincerity of heart. Leave deliberate sinning, casual repeats, and prideful rebellion behind you, where they belong. You don’t have to be who you’ve been before. Embrace your fresh start, your second or third or fourth–or hundredth–chance, offered to you through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

“I am grateful beyond description for the new beginnings I have been given and for those I will yet be offered.”

Conclusion

Concluding his talk, Elder Kearon said:

“After the agonies of Gethsemane and at the conclusion of the torturous cross, (the Savior) simply said, ‘It is finished.’ Messianic prophecy had been fulfilled, and the full payment of the debt for humanity’s sins and suffering had been paid. He declared ‘finished’ His infinite and eternal sacrifice. Yet His Atonement would not be complete until He Himself experienced new life on the third day, the new beginning, as a glorified, resurrected being through the power of the Father.

“Because He always did those things which pleased His Father, and because He ‘suffered the will of the Father in all things,’ you and I can have new beginnings. Please receive your new beginning, even today, right now. Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith, writing countless new chapters with us. He is the Beginning and the End–the end of our shame and suffering and the beginning of a new life in Him, letting us receive His grace, leave the past behind, and begin again with a new dawn, as many times as we need. Truly His ‘goodness and mercy shall follow [us] all the days of [our lives].'”