Confession

The Hebrew word yadah (יָדָה) means literally to throw something. It derives from the noun yad (יָד), which means hand. When the word appears in the Bible, its meaning is usually metaphorical, and it is rendered in English as “thank,” “praise,” or “confess.” The energetic action implied by the word helps us understand the significance of confession.

God said, “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:43; see also Proverbs 28:13). Later in the same revelation, He chastised a church member for failing to confess his sins. “He thinketh to hide them,” the Lord said. (Doctrine and Covenants 58:60).

James wrote to church members, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). There is something liberating about acknowledging our mistakes and weaknesses openly. Somehow by verbalizing them, by not trying to hide them, we externalize them. They seem less like a part of us and more like a burden which we could set aside. Additionally, we are in a position to seek help from others, who only know what’s going on in our minds if we’re willing to share. No wonder confession has always been part of building a unified community of believers:

As many as believed on [the word of Samuel the Lamanite] went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord. …

Therefore as many as believed on the words of Samuel went forth unto him to be baptized, for they came repenting and confessing their sins.

Helaman 16:5

Of course the goal of confession is to let our sins go, not to dwell on them obsessively. The manual of the Addiction Recovery Program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints clarifies this distinction:

Occasionally people in recovery meetings or in other situations continually rehearse their sins and shortcomings. Though they constantly confess their mistakes, they never find peace. Do not confuse [confession] with an obsessive desire to dwell on negative things. The intent of [confession] is exactly the opposite. We [acknowledge our sins] not to hold on to [them] but to let them go.

Healing through the Savior: The Addiction Recovery Program 12-Step Recovery Guide, “Step 5: Admit to ourselves, to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority, and to another person the exact nature of our wrongs.”

Therefore, while we should be willing to admit our shortcomings, we don’t necessarily need to share them broadly.

We not only confess our sins and weaknesses; we also confess the truths we hold most dear. Mormon taught that “if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity” (Moroni 7:44). And the Lord told Joseph Smith:

In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.

Doctrine and Covenants 59:21

Acknowledging God’s goodness is the other half of acknowledging our weakness, since He can heal us. Recognizing we have done wrong is only half of the story; recognizing that He can help us overcome those sins is our source of hope.

I like this verse from the hymn “Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart“:

I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
no angel visitant, no opening skies;
but take the dimness of my soul away.

Confession opens our soul, so that God’s light can come in.

Alma reminded us that confession is inevitable. It’s not really a question of if, but when. “Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God” (Mosiah 27:31). Nothing will be hidden at that time, and we will acknowledge all truths. How much better to do so today, when we are not compelled to do so, than wait until there are no alternatives.

Today, I will confess. I will confess my sins and errors quickly, so that I can move on and leave them behind. I will also confess the truths I hold dear: that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that He can help us overcome every obstacle and every shortcoming.