Turning Around: Finding Refreshing Times in the Work

Brothers and sisters, if you’ve ever felt the weight of the world pressing down—the sheer weight of our own mistakes, the weariness of the effort required to keep showing up for the covenant path—you know what it feels like to need a profound moment of refreshing. It’s the kind of spiritual breath that makes everything feel possible again.

It reminded me this week of a message that hit me right in the spirit: the concept of "times of refreshing." When Peter stood up in Acts 3, he wasn't just giving a sermon; he was giving a roadmap for transformation. He wasn't just pointing out sin; he was pointing toward the *solution*.

When we think about repentance, we often get stuck on the feeling of regret. We think it means feeling bad about what we did. But as I was studying this passage, I kept circling back to the difference between feeling sorry and actually *doing* the work of turning around. Repentance, at its heart, is an action—a decisive pivot of the will. It’s choosing to flee to the Savior.

Conversion: More Than Just Turning Over a New Leaf

Peter understood this beautifully. He didn't just preach regret; he preached conversion. And if we look at the scriptures, especially when we study the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith or read the counsel from the Brethren, we see that being a Latter-day Saint is never about *adding* something to our lives; it's about *becoming* something new in Christ. It’s being a new creation.

This is where the power of the Spirit comes into play. It’s not just about intellectual agreement; it’s about the Spirit prompting us to change our actions. It’s about the daily, intentional choice to follow the Atonement. This principle is something we carry with us whether we are in the MTC, in a mission field, or right here in our living rooms as Internet missionaries.

When we embrace this turning—this conversion—Peter taught that two glorious things happen. First, our sins are blotted out. Think about that image: the ink wiped clean. It’s not just covered up; it’s erased. God promises to wipe the record clean. That’s a profound gift of grace!

The Promise of Refreshing

But the second benefit? That’s the one that sustains us through the long haul. The "times of refreshing." Peter connected this to the glorious return of Jesus Christ, but he also pointed to the refreshing we can experience *now*—the revival, the deepening of our covenants, the feeling of the Spirit guiding us through the challenges of the day.

If we are feeling spiritually dry, if the effort of keeping the commandments feels monumental, I invite you to remember this: We can pray for those seasons of refreshing. We can actively seek the covenants that bring us closer to the Savior. This isn't just a Sunday feeling; this is a sustained state of grace we are called to live in.

This concept of proactive spiritual turning is a perfect model for our discipleship today. We don't wait for the perfect moment; we practice the turn. We study, we serve, we repent daily, and we invite the Spirit to refresh us.

If you're feeling the call to deepen your understanding of this, I highly recommend diving into some of the teachings on repentance found in the Iron Rod collection. If you're looking for a place to discuss these concepts with others, check out the Book Club options in HolyPlaces—it’s a wonderful place to take these doctrinal insights and turn them into shared, actionable covenants.

Keep going, disciples. Keep turning. The Lord is ready to refresh you.

— A Brother Who Has Been There