The Process of Gathering

These are the words of Jesus Christ concerning the gathering:

“Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel.” (3 Ne 30:2)

Turn and repent. This is a request for change that is possible. Consider the story of Fortunate Mukankuranga. She was among those who murdered ethnic Tutsis in the Rwandan genocide. She was convicted and imprisoned for her involvement. She reported that “flashbacks from the crime scene would not stop haunting her.” These flashbacks helped her to know that she needed to repent in order to clear her conscience.

“Fortunate Mukankuranga only found the courage to confess to her crimes four years after her conviction in 2007.

"She remembers feeling nervous before asking the son of one of her victims for forgiveness.

"Against her expectations "he was happy and enthusiastic when he met me and I couldn't hold back the tears as I embraced him," she says.

"Mukankuranga now looks cautiously at the future, hoping she will be able to rebuild the fragile ties with her loved ones.” Source

Consider the story of Emilie:

“From the time she was a young teen, Emilie struggled with substance abuse. Experimentation led to habit, and habit eventually hardened into an addiction that held her captive for years, notwithstanding occasional periods of wellness. Emilie carefully concealed her problem, especially after she became a wife and mother.

“The beginning of her deliverance did not feel like deliverance at all. One minute, Emilie was undergoing a routine medical exam, and the next, she was being driven by ambulance to an inpatient treatment facility. She began to panic as she thought of being separated from her children, her husband, her home.

“That night, alone in a cold, dark room, Emilie curled up on her bed and sobbed. Her ability to reason diminished until finally, overcome with anxiety, fear, and the oppressive darkness in that room and in her soul, Emilie actually thought she would die that night. Alone.

“In that desperate condition, Emilie somehow summoned the strength to roll off the bed and onto her knees. Without any posturing that had sometimes been part of previous prayers, Emilie completely surrendered herself to the Lord as she desperately pleaded, “Dear God, I need You. Please help me. I don’t want to be alone. Please get me through this night.”

“And immediately, as He had done with Peter of old, Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught her sinking soul. There came over Emilie a wondrous calm, courage, assurance, and love. The room was no longer cold, she knew she was not alone, and for the first time since she was 14 years old, Emilie knew everything would be all right. As she “awoke unto God,” Emilie fell asleep in peace. And thus we see that ‘if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.’

“Emilie’s healing and ultimate deliverance took a long time—months of treatment, training, and counseling, during which she was sustained and sometimes carried by His goodness.” source

President Boyd K Packer taught that “every soul confined in a prison of sin, guilt, or perversion has a key to the gate. The key is labeled ‘repentance.’ If you know how to use this key, the adversary cannot hold you. The twin principles of repentance and forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of the tempter. If you are bound by a habit or an addiction that is unworthy, you must stop conduct that is harmful. Angels will coach you, and priesthood leaders will guide you through those difficult times.” source

I myself am facing a long road of repentance from the negative thoughts and lack of faith in God’s ability to prosper me that was ingrained from childhood. I have found, as most adults finally realize, that I am very similar to my parents in the way I think an behave. Some of the habits I learned are not helpful in maintaining close emotional relationships. I have a book to study called Teaching Self Government which I plan to teach to myself. I also hope to call upon the power of God to help me stop and think before I react and to repair the damage to my relationships that has occurred over the years.

Repentance is the path of humility before God. I requires patience with oneself and the timeline. It is the only way to become like God in our individual path of discipleship. There are no short cuts. In coming to Christ we are gathered in to the fold and numbered with the House of Israel.