A week ago, I decided to attend a Stake Conference with my family for various reasons. The two big things that stood out to me were first, the opening song, and second, the fact that never was repentance mentioned, not even once!

Throughout the conference, the speakers talked earnestly about all the great blessings they desired and were seeking for, but utterly ignored the one principle of action and power that would bring such blessings: faith in Jesus Christ unto REPENTANCE!.

So the opening song was:

Come, Ye Children of the Lord

1.Come, ye children of the Lord,

Let us sing with one accord.

Let us raise a joyful strain

To our Lord who soon will reign

On this earth when it shall be

Cleansed from all iniquity,

When all men from sin will cease,

And will live in love and peace.

2.Oh, how joyful it will be

When our Savior we shall see!

When in splendor he’ll descend,

Then all wickedness will end.

Oh, what songs we then will sing

To our Savior, Lord, and King!

Oh, what love will then bear sway

When our fears shall flee away!

3.All arrayed in spotless white,

We will dwell ’mid truth and light.

We will sing the songs of praise;

We will shout in joyous lays.

Earth shall then be cleansed from sin.

Ev’ry living thing therein

Shall in love and beauty dwell;

Then with joy each heart will swell.

Text: James H. Wallis, 1861–1940

Music: Spanish melody; arr. by Benjamin Carr, 1768–1831

As I sang this song with the congregation, it really hit me how completely messed up the lyrics of this song are. They imply that when the Lord comes at his glorious Second Coming, we will all be so happy, sin will suddenly cease, and all these marvelous things are suddenly going to happen. This song presupposes that the singers really are the children of the Lord, and that the righteousness of those singing will be such that the Second Coming will be a wonderful thing. Such is not the case. For the wicked, for those who have not repented and manifest faith like the prophets of old, it will be a very terrible thing. Sin will not cease because Jesus has come; it will cease because everyone left on the earth will have repented.

Throughout the conference the theme was all about the covenant path, our covenant relationships, the goodness of the saints, and simply hanging on, and continuing as faithful members of the church. Again, nothing was said about repentance. Faith was mentioned a few times, thankfully, but apparently repentance is only a thing for those who do really bad things. It’s all pretty messed up.

Sorry, I don’t like being so negative. It just saddens me that people view repentance as this very negative thing, when in reality repentance is the most joyful thing we can do!