except ye repent

This week in class we discussed the teachings and prophecies of Abinadi in the book of Mosiah. During that time, king Noah and the people in his kingdom were not living according to the commandments of God. Abinadi lived among the people of king Noah, and he was commanded by the Lord to go forth among the people and prophesy about the destruction that would occur if they chose to continue living in wickedness. However, it was pointed out during class that these prophecies about their demise are all conditional. In chapter 10 verses 21, 23, and 25 the Lord gives His condition: they would be destroyed "except they repent." Even though they had committed many sins and willingly rebelled against the Lord, He didn't give up on them. The Lord extended His arm of mercy and asked them to repent because He wanted them to come back into the light of His love and be saved.
Reading through these verses reminded me of how incredibly merciful the Lord is with the children of men. Throughout the Book of Mormon, the Lord continually extends His arm of mercy towards His children and asks them to return to Him. He wants us to return to His presence even though we are imperfect. The people of king Noah chose to ignore the pleadings of the Lord and eventually were put into bondage, but the same doesn't have to happen to us. In our lowest moments, Jesus Christ makes it possible for us repent and return to the presence of God. Because of Him, we can change and become better. I've felt the peace and mercy of the Lord as I have repented and made the effort to forsake my sins and change. The Lord's arm of mercy is continually extended to us, and He wants us to take hold and never let go. As we make a conscious effort to repent daily and turn to Him, we can have the assurance that He is with us and feel His protection and peace.