Question
Gramps,
Why doesn’t the LDS Church encourage the members to cry out repentance? As you can see, prophecies are beginning to unfold very quickly. I admire those from other faiths who hold up signs out on the street crying out to people to repent and turn to God. When I see people do that – it encourages me to do the same. What is the Church policy on this particular subject anyway? Are we allowed to do that?
Marco
Answer
Marco,
I think you are confused at what exactly it means to ‘Cry out Repentance’. Lets start first with what repentance means. According to the Bible dictionary:
Repentance: The Greek word of which this is the translation denotes a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world. Since we are born into conditions of mortality, repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined.
Please note the part about turning the heart and will to God. Therefore ‘Cry out Repentance’ can be see as an invitation to turn your heart and will to God. Every time a missionary asks an investigator to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, they are ‘Crying out Repentance’ to that person. Anytime one of our General Authorities speaks reminding us of our commitments and responsibility, they are inviting us to more fully turn our hearts and will to God. When we hear speakers and teachers in our Sunday meetings, we should be reminded of what we need to do better.
Therefore to answer your question, the Church very much encourages you to ‘Cry out Repentance’. The most effective way the Church has found is for you to befriend people, listen to them, then invite them to live better, and help them do so. Chances are the way you are thinking about ‘Cry out Repentance’ is to hold up signs and yell at people until they ignore you and block you out. That just does not seem very effective to me.
Gramps
