The Effects Are Finally Over!

In February Elder Nelson and I were in a car accident. Our car has been in the shop for about a month in a half, but we got it back! Yes sir (or ma'am) we have our car back! During the time that our car was in the shop for repairs, because of how huge our area is to cover, we had to borrow a car from another set of missionaries serving in Macclenny. But that car we borrowed, however, had car troubles of its own about a week after we borrowed it! For about a week or so Elder Lang and I had been trying to visit people by walking to them on foot. We were finally able to borrow a bike from Elder Grant, who is serving in Lake City, but we only rode his bike for a little over a mile when the right pedal broke! By this point we were pretty worn out by all the recent events. As we stood staring at the bike with only one pedal, we contemplated our recent difficulties, than decided that we were not going to let trials stand in our way of accomplishing Gods work. So I jumped on the bike with only one pedal and experimented until I could finally master an effective technique to pedal the bike with only one pedal. And guess what? I figured it out! I learned that if I pushed down on the bar connected to the gears, that also holds the pedal, that would produce enough momentum for the other pedal to come up. Then if I pushed hard enough down on the other pedal it would produce enough momentum for the bar to loop around far enough for me to push back down on it. It required a lot of stamina, patience, and positive reinforcement, but I finally figured it out! I showed the technique to Elder Lang then we were off! We would switch off on riding the one-pedaled bike, because of how tiresome it got, but we were able to make it to the different places we needed to go faster than by walking there. Eventually Elder Grant and Elder Tenney were able to come pick us up and take us the rest of the way to our final destination. I remember as I rode the one-pedaled bike thinking about how this relates to repentance. No mortal living in this world right now is perfect. We all make mistakes. Those mistakes will always have a consequence. Sometimes the consequences are easy to bear, other times it takes a lot more stamina, patience, and positive reinforcement to repent. While repenting we may get pretty worn out, but if we continue forward, and are willing to do everything we can to fix our mistakes, we will be able to get to where we need to be a lot faster than just "walking." Repentance is a blessing! We can be relived from our guilt, shame, and burdens through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (see also lds.org-Atonement).
"Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Father in Heaven has provided the only way for us to be forgiven of our sins. Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for our sins so we can be forgiven if we sincerely repent. As we repent and rely on His saving grace, we will be cleansed from sin...Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord said, 'Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool' (Isaiah 1:18). In this dispensation the Lord has promised, 'He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more' (D&C 58:42)...Repentance is an act of faith in Jesus Christ—an acknowledgment of the power of His Atonement. We can be forgiven only on His terms. As we gratefully recognize His Atonement and His power to cleanse us from sin, we are able to 'exercise [our] faith unto repentance' (Alma 34:17)." (see lds.org-Repentance to learn more about how to sincerely repent).                    
As I said before we did get our car back, and boy was I thrilled! After a month in a half, my burdens and trials were relived. Even though the car accident wasn't our fault, we still had to experience trials. But when we got the car back I smiled and thought "Wow! The effects are finally over." After we repent, after wading through guilt, and burdens, after much prayer, each person who allows Jesus Christ to heal them will be able to smile and say "The effects are finally over!" Then continue down the path to Eternal Life. Repentance is a blessing!

To learn more about the blessings of repentance and even hear others stories about how they were able to repent and find happiness go to: mormon.org and search "repent" or lds.org and search "repent"