T10 The Misunderstanding of Repentance | An Interview with David Durfey

David Durfey's 39-year career with Seminaries and Institutes has
included serving as a teacher for 12 years, as a region and area
director, and director of the Institute at Utah Valley University.
In the Church he has served as branch president of the Missionary
Training Center in Provo, bishop, counselor in multiple stake
presidencies, and as a patriarch. Highlights 02:00 Introduction to
David Durfey 06:00 David designed an institute course on repentance
and forgiveness. He tells the story of working with Elder Andersen
to write the book, The Divine Gift of Forgiveness. 11:50 Repentance
is NOT punishment, penalty, or payment for sin. David talks about
how the meaning and translation of the word repent got
misinterpreted. 13:50 While there can be pain in repentance, that
pain is not repentance. The cause of the pain is the sin not the
repentance. Repentance is not the suffering; it relieves the
suffering. 15:50 Jesus Christ has already suffered for the sin but
you will suffer because of the sin. 16:30 Repentance is not a
checklist or a change of behavior. An atheist can change their
behavior but that’s not repentance. Repentance has to be through
the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 18:30 Repentance and forgiveness is
not through the Church. The Church can guide us through the process
but repentance and forgiveness come solely through Jesus Christ.
19:15 Confession is not repentance. 20:10 David explains why
repentance is not through the Church. 21:40 Repentance is a
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance is not turning
from sin but turning to Jesus Christ and beginning to live a
Christlike life. 22:45 Sin hurts, not repentance. How do we shift
the shame of repentance to a more hopeful outlook? It all starts
with understanding the power of the Atonement. 25:00 Stopping the
behavior is not going to heal the past. It has to be through Jesus
Christ. 25:55 The key to repentance is first understanding the fall
of Adam and Eve and that we are all sinners. 28:10 David
paraphrases the words of Boyd K. Packer. The root of Christian
doctrine is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Any other doctrine or
teaching in the Church that does not touch that root is dead. We
deal a lot with the leaves and branches in the Church but we aren’t
getting down to the root. 29:30 Any time we see the word
"doctrines" in the scriptures it's always negative. For example,
the doctrines of men. There is only ONE doctrine. That is the
doctrine of Jesus Christ. 30:15 David tells about one of the most
impactful experiences of his life. He was a young father serving as
branch president at the missionary training center and President
Packer came to speak. The main points of the talk were: You won’t
be judged on how many baptisms you get. Your success will be
determined by what kind of parents and grandparents you are. Focus
less on teaching commandments and more on teaching the Atonement of
Jesus Christ. Every teaching has to be focused on Jesus Christ.
33:00 The story of Mary and Martha. The one needful thing is to
know Jesus Christ. 36:30 How can we be better at focusing on Christ
in our Sunday meetings and in our daily lives? David Shares D&C
6:34-37 and explains how. 43:20 Learning to forgive ourselves. If
Jesus isn’t going to condemn me then who am I to condemn me? We
can’t condemn anyone, even ourselves. 45:30 D&C 19. This
scripture says that we will suffer but not for our sins. We are not
capable of suffering for our own sins. 47:30 Quoting Elder
Andersen’s book, “If we worry whether we have paid back or suffered
enough for our sins it will impede our ability to repent and feel
forgiven, bringing painful discouragement with it.” 48:00 Advice to
a bishop helping someone through repentance. A bishop’s number one
priority should be helping that individual come unto Christ and
accessing the Atonement. 52:20 Not being able to participate in
ordinances,