The Book of Mormon teaches not to “procrastinate the day of your repentance” (Alma 34:33). Believing in penalty-free repentance leads individuals to violate this scriptural admonition.
So what is repentance? When we repent, we both put an end to our unrighteous behaviors and start righteous behaviors. In addition to changing our actions, we also change our thoughts, our words, our views on the world, and the desires of our heart. Repentance is a turning away from the ways of the world towards the things of God.
In economics, there is a principle known as the time value of money. Investopedia states, “The time value of money (TVM) is the idea that money available at the present time is worth more than the same amount in the future due to its potential earning capacity. This core principle of finance holds that, provided money can earn interest, any amount of money is worth more the sooner it is received.”
Assume that Sally invests $10,000 at age 20 and her twin brother Bob invests $10,000 ten years later at age 30. Assume that they both have a 10% interest rate compounded annually. At the time Bob invests, Sally will already have a head start of almost $16,000. However, as can be seen in the graph below, the size of the gap will only increase over time. By the time Bob and Sally are both 70, Sally will have over $700,000 more in her account than Bob.
Similarly, there is a time value of repentance. Many think of repentance merely as a way of gaining forgiveness from sin. However, repentance is so much more than that; repentance is a doctrine of progression. Progression occurs in a similar fashion to compound interest; when we procrastinate the day of our repentance, we lose out on opportunity to progress. The size of the gap between where we are in our progression and where we could have been had we repented sooner only increases over time throughout all eternity.
The time value of repentance has been taught by many scriptures and by many Latter-day Saint Prophets and Apostles. 2 Nephi 2:27 teaches, “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.” As can be seen from this verse, we have been allotted moral agency. We can use that agency to repent of our wrongdoings and turn to Christ, or we can choose to stay in our lost and fallen state. If we use our freedom to choose well, we will be given increased freedom to choose. Thus we will be able to progress at an even faster rate. If we use our agency poorly, we will bring ourselves into a state of captivity; we will have less freedom to choose. Thus, we will not be able to progress as fast.
Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19 teaches, “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” This scripture clearly states that progressing more in this life in our knowledge and intelligence will result in a huge advantage in the world to come.
In reference to the prodigal son, Spencer W. Kimball taught, “He had sold something he could not recover. He had exchanged the priceless inheritance of great lasting value for a temporary satisfaction of physical desire, the future for the present, eternity for time, spiritual blessings for physical meat. Though he was sorry for his rash trade, it was now so late, ‘everlastingly too late.’ Apparently neither his efforts nor his tears could retrieve his lost blessings. Thus God will forgive the repentant sinner who sins against divine law, but that forgiveness can never restore the losses he sustained during the period of his sinning."
Although sinning now and repenting later always comes at a cost, you should not believe that it is too late for you to repent. Elder Holland taught, “I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.”
To all who read this, I invite you to choose now to turn to Christ through sincere repentance and faith on his name. Decide today to yield your heart unto God and let His infinite grace save you from your lost and fallen state. It will not be easy, but I promise that the blessings that you will acquire from doing so can not be obtained in any other way.
To learn more about the math behind the time value of repentance, check out the "By Small and Simple Numbers" blog post series.
