Guilt

When I was a kid, I had such a guilty conscience about everything. If I did the tiniest thing wrong, I felt terrible about it for days, sometimes weeks or more, and it would eat away at me. I remember one day as an eighth grader, my friends and I ran on some newly planted grass at our church and we might have messed it up a little. I was so upset with myself for doing that and I would try to think of scenarios where I could fix the situation. Nothing worked though and finally I just told my mom and cried about it and I think she became pretty concerned with my guilt-ridden behavior. She sat me down, consoled me, and told me that it was ok. What I had done was not bad at all (I can only imagine what she thought I would say and the surprise and relief she felt when it was all about a bit of muddy grass). She told me that I didn't need to feel bad about it and she helped me see it from a wider perspective.

I remember that moment vividly and laugh at how I thought I was so horrible for running on grass. Since then, I have come to reality and I feel like I might have a more normal level of guilt, but sometimes I still beat myself up about small things I've done. I get so torn up about things and then I tell others about what I feel guilty about and realize that it's nothing. The Atonement also helps me come to terms with my imperfect state of being and right my wrongs. Without it, I think I'd be a total wreck. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I truly feel cleansed of my sins and my worries and guilt-ridden feelings are washed away.

Jesus Christ is real and so is the Atonement. I believe in it whole-heartedly and I encourage anyone who reads this and suffers from a guilty conscience (whether for good reason or over-active sense of perfectionism) to talk to God, give Him your concerns, and believe that Christ's Atonement covers all.