Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which

The words of Ezra Taft Benson — “Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which sincere and meaningful repentance must be built. If we truly seek to put away sin, we must first look to Him who is the Author of our salvation” — resound like an echo of divine truth spoken through the ages. They remind us that faith and repentance are not separate paths but two stones laid upon the same sacred foundation. Without faith, repentance is hollow remorse; without repentance, faith is an empty confession. Together, they form the living bridge that leads the soul from darkness into light. Benson’s words call us to remember that to change our lives, we must first believe in Christ, for He alone has the power to heal the heart and make it whole again.

To repent is to turn — to shift one’s face from the shadows toward the dawn. Yet no mortal can turn fully without first fixing their gaze upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the Author of our salvation. For repentance is not merely sorrow for wrongdoing; it is the act of restoration, of returning to the divine harmony we once knew. It is the rebuilding of the soul’s temple after it has been shaken by sin — and every foundation must rest upon something unmovable. That unshakable cornerstone, as Benson declares, is faith: trust in the mercy, power, and atonement of Christ. Without that trust, the house of repentance collapses under the weight of guilt. Only faith can transform remorse into redemption, sorrow into sanctification.

Throughout the ages, this truth has been proven in the lives of those who have found renewal through Christ. Consider the story of Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the followers of the Savior until a light from heaven struck him down on the road to Damascus. In that blinding moment, Saul did not begin his repentance through self-punishment or despair — he began with faith, asking, “Lord, what wilt thou have me do?” It was his belief in Christ that ignited the transformation of his heart. From Saul, the persecutor, rose Paul, the Apostle, who would spend the rest of his life proclaiming the very name he once despised. His repentance was not born from fear, but from faith — faith that Christ’s grace could reach even him, the chief of sinners.

This is the essence of Benson’s teaching: repentance without faith is powerless, like a tree severed from its roots. Many may feel sorrow for their actions, but sorrow alone cannot redeem; it can only wound. True repentance begins not in despair, but in hope — in the humble confidence that Christ’s atonement is sufficient to cleanse even the darkest heart. Faith lifts the sinner’s eyes from their own failures to the face of the Redeemer. And when one looks to Him, guilt becomes gratitude, and the burden of sin becomes the strength of testimony.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ also protects repentance from the poison of pride. Some attempt to reform themselves by sheer willpower, as though salvation were a human invention. But without Christ, every effort is incomplete, for man cannot heal the wound of sin with his own hands. Only by surrendering to the Author of our salvation can the wound be sealed and sanctified. Faith transforms repentance from self-reliance into spiritual rebirth — a process not of man’s doing, but of God’s grace working through man’s willingness. Thus, faith humbles the heart, making repentance not a punishment, but a privilege — the glorious opportunity to become new again.

In this way, Benson’s words reveal the divine order of the Gospel. Just as a seed must trust the soil before it can grow, the soul must trust Christ before it can change. Faith is not passive belief; it is the active turning of the heart toward divine power. To “look to Him” means to align one’s will with His — to see in His suffering the mirror of our own and in His resurrection the promise of our renewal. The path of repentance is therefore not a lonely road, but a journey walked beside the Savior Himself, whose grace lights the way and whose love bears the burden.

The lesson of this teaching is clear: if we desire to be free from sin, we must begin not with self-condemnation, but with faith. Trust in Christ’s mercy before you trust in your own strength. Look to Him first — in prayer, in scripture, in quiet moments of honesty — and let that gaze awaken the courage to change. When you stumble, do not turn inward in despair, but upward in devotion. Repentance is not proof of failure; it is evidence of faith. It is the act of rising again because you believe that His grace is greater than your weakness.

So remember this truth, as the ancients remembered the cornerstone of every temple: faith is the foundation; repentance is the building. And when both stand together, they form a dwelling place for the Spirit of God. The heart that believes will find the strength to turn, and the soul that turns will find itself embraced by everlasting mercy. For as Ezra Taft Benson teaches, to truly put away sin, we must look not to our own power, but to Him who is the Author of our salvation, and in doing so, we shall find not only forgiveness — but peace eternal.