Exercise! Do Your Daily...Repenting?!

Many of us have made New Year's resolutions for 2012 (that's weird to type). And I'm sure many of you have made resolutions to exercise more and to eat healthy, maybe even try and lose a little weight.

As a missionary, each morning, we are to get up at 6:30 and to exercise for 30 minutes. I'll admit, I haven't always been the best at this-BUT it's something I'm working on and am getting better at. And I have actually really come to see the effect that exercising can have on my attitude and on my energy level for the day. I feel more tired and less happy the days I don't get in a good workout, and I seem to have a lot more energy and enthusiasm when I do.

I think we all know how hard it can be to get up and going, to get moving and exercising. Especially, when we haven't done it in a while. The first workout can be hard. Our muscles get sore, we can be in pain, and it can be difficult to get the motivation to do it. But the more we do it, the better it feels, and the better we get at it. The stronger we become, and the more experienced we are. It becomes something we want to do daily, it helps us to improve our attitude and increases our energy and happiness levels.

Repentance is the same way...At first, it can be painful and maybe even difficult to find the motivation to do it. Maybe we don't want to give up our old ways, but it's something we know we have to do. And as we repent, it makes us stronger. Our relationship with the Savior increases, we can experience greater happiness than before as we have that "mighty change of heart." (Alma 5:12-15) The more we repent, the better we feel, and the better we become. When we recognize the blessings that come from repentance, we actually want to do it.

I've had times, recently even, where I wanted to continue doing something I shouldn't have been. But I also wanted to live worthy of my Heavenly Father's trust (I wanted that even more). It's hard to forsake some of our sins, it can be painful and difficult, but in the end we are happier when we repent completely, and daily, just like exercise.  I know that we can all feel the strength that comes when we use the Atonement of Jesus Christ every day. We, like the Book of Mormon prophet, Nephi, "will no longer droop in sin." Our "souls can awaken." Our strength will not "slacken because of our afflictions" and we "will rejoice." (2 Nephi 4:28-30)