Photo by v2osk on Unsplash

By Elder David L. Buckner
Of the Seventy

When I was about five years old, I was playing football with my friends behind the church in my small village in Côte d’Ivoire. I vividly remember the preacher’s call to his congregation to cleanse their clothes in preparation for the Savior’s arrival. Being young, I took this call literally. I ran home as fast as my little legs could carry me and begged my mother to clean my few clothes so that I could be spotless and ready for the Savior’s coming the next day. Although my mother was skeptical about the Savior’s imminent return, she still washed my best outfit.

The next morning, I put on the still slightly damp clothing and eagerly waited for the announcement of the Savior’s arrival. As the day wore on and nothing happened, I decided to go to the meetinghouse. I was deeply disappointed to find that the church was empty and the Savior had not arrived. You can imagine my feelings as I slowly walked home.

Years later, as I was receiving the missionary lessons in preparation to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I read the following: “And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.”

The clarification I received at that time helped me to understand the important truth that had eluded my young mind many years prior. The preacher’s message was centered on the importance of spiritual purity. He urged the congregation to seek repentance, make changes in their lives, and turn to the Savior for redemption.

Our Heavenly Father understands our mortal journey and the inevitability of sin in our lives. I am deeply thankful that He has provided a Savior to atone for our transgressions. Through the Savior’s redemptive sacrifice, each of us can repent and seek forgiveness and become clean. Repentance, a foundational principle of the gospel, is essential for our spiritual development and resilience as we navigate life’s challenges.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/10/26goury?lang=eng

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