This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers 2 Corinthians 1-7, which includes the apostle Paul’s teachings on personal conversion and “godly sorrow.”

Church News recently dug through archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to learn what leaders and scholars have said about these chapters.

2 Corinthians 1

“When the moment comes for personal prayer, remember that you are going to address the most intelligent and powerful being in the universe, ‘the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort’ (2 Corinthians 1:3). Before such a being, I cannot be casual. I feel compelled to kneel.”

— Elder Juan A. Uceda in the February 2019 Ensign article, “A Personal Relationship with Our Heavenly Father through Prayer”

2 Corinthians 3

“The doctrine of Christ written ‘with the Spirit of the living God … in fleshy tables of [our hearts]’ (2 Corinthians 3:3) increases our capacity to ‘heed not’ the many distractions, taunts and diversions in our fallen world. For example, faith focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ fortifies us with spiritual strength. Faith in the Redeemer is a principle of action and of power. As we act in accordance with the truths of His gospel, we are blessed with the spiritual capacity to press forward through the challenges of mortality while focusing on the joys the Savior offers to us.”

— Elder David A. Bednar, April 2022 general conference, “But We Heeded Them Not”

“Will we obey the letter of the law or the spirit of the law? (See 2 Corinthians 3:6.)

“Keeping the commandments in the spirit of the law, even when we don’t completely understand every aspect of the commandment, will help us to experience life more abundantly. Much will depend on the enthusiasm and diligence with which we follow the Savior.”

— Elder William K. Jackson in the August 2021 Liahona article, “The Lord’s Law of Health”

“Remember, Satan wants you to believe that you will find freedom by giving in to temptation and transgressing the laws of God. He wants you to believe that you are powerless against temptation, that the carnal desires are too strong and there’s no point in even trying to resist. Don’t fall for it.

“In reality, true freedom is found in following Heavenly Father’s commandments. ‘Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty’ (2 Corinthians 3:17). Heavenly Father gives us commandments to guide us to this true freedom and onward to true happiness.”

— Charlotte Larcabal in the 2017 New Era article, “Yes, You Can: The True Power of Sexual Purity”

“If you’re not a full-time missionary with a missionary badge pinned on your coat, now is the time to paint one on your heart — painted, as Paul said, ‘not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God’ (2 Corinthians 3:3). And returned missionaries, find your old missionary tag. Don’t wear it, but put it where you can see it. The Lord needs you now more than ever to be an instrument in His hands. All of us have a contribution to make to this miracle.”

— Elder Neil L. Andersen, May 2013 general conference, “It’s a Miracle”

This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide for 2 Corinthians 1-7 includes the apostle Paul’s teachings on personal conversion and “godly sorrow.”

Forrest Anderson, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2 Corinthians 4

“‘Be of good cheer’ was also a needed assurance in the world into which the resurrected Christ sent His Apostles. ‘We are troubled on every side,’ the Apostle Paul later told the Corinthians, ‘yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed’ (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).

“Two thousand years later, we are also ‘troubled on every side,’ and we also need that same message not to despair but to be of good cheer. The Lord has special love and concern for His precious daughters. He knows of your wants, your needs and your fears. The Lord is all powerful. Trust Him.”

— President Dallin H. Oaks, October 2020 general conference, “Be of Good Cheer”

“Some things of this world are unseen, as indicated by the apostle Paul: ‘While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal’ (2 Corinthians 4:18).

“As we think about this, it makes perfect sense in a plan of salvation that is completely just and fair. You have all been in high school or college classes with people of greater or lesser intellect than yourself. A good portion of our intelligence is due to genetics. How fair would it be if God favored people of greater intellect over those with lesser ability by making the acceptance of gospel truths a function of our intellects? Why would He give some an advantage based on inherited intellect?

“He would not, and He does not! Rather, we learn spiritual truths as a function of our spiritual receptivity. Such is a spiritual gift, nurtured by individual faith, prayer, humility and goodness, as well as a desire to respond and to act.”

— Elder Terence M. Vinson in the August 2019 Ensign article, “The Essential Role of Revelation”

“Interestingly, the apostle Paul also uses the analogy of light in explaining how he could testify that ‘we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed’ (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).

“He explains his escape from the brink of it all this way: ‘For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

“Most of us at some time in our lives feel the chill winds of adversity. Storms brew, winds blow, rains fall, floods rise. It may seem that there is no end in sight, that we simply face a future of uncertainty and doubt, trial and tribulation. …

“Fortunately, the hopeful and certain truth is that no matter what, we can find strength and encouragement. Our burdens can become lighter, even if they do not suddenly go away. We can emerge on the other side of the darkest abyss, stronger and more resolute, better men and better women.

“Having been proven in the crucible of affliction, we will have cultivated a character that is able to face and withstand future life shocks. As a result, we can use our experiences to lift and empathize with others. Our own example of personal perseverance can give hope to others and inspire our families. We become more fit for the future.”

— Elder David S. Baxter in the December 2012 Ensign article, “Leaving Adversity Behind”

2 Corinthians 5

“Our Heavenly Father is the God of new beginnings. Every day, every hour, can be a fresh start — an opportunity to renew ourselves in the Holy Spirit and become better at walking as true and faithful disciples of the Savior. His gospel is the good news that we can begin again — we can become new creatures in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).”

— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf in the January 2023 Liahona article, “Five Messages We All Need to Hear”

“Because no unclean thing can dwell in God’s presence (see Moses 6:57), we work daily on genuine spiritual transformation — in our thoughts, our desires and our behavior. In the words of the apostle Paul, we seek to become new creatures in Christ, gradually replacing our old self with a new self (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). This change comes line upon line as we strive to be a little better every day.

“Following the Savior by trying to become like Him is a process of self-denial, which He has defined as taking up our cross (see Matthew 16:24–26). We take up our cross as we:

• “Control our desires, appetites and passions.
• “Patiently ‘submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon’ us (Mosiah 3:19).
• “Deny ourselves of all ungodliness (see Moroni 10:32).
• “Submit our will to the will of the Father, as the Savior did.

“And what do we do when we stumble? We turn to our Father and ask Him to ‘apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins’ (Mosiah 4:2). We again strive to overcome weakness and abandon sin. We pray for grace, the ‘enabling power and spiritual healing’ of Jesus Christ. We pick up our cross and resume our journey, however long and hard, to the promised land of Their presence.”

— Elder Ulisses Soares in the July 2021 Liahona article, “Heavenly Father Wants Us Back”

This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide for 2 Corinthians 1-7 includes the apostle Paul’s teachings on personal conversion and “godly sorrow.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2 Corinthians 6

“Few people will have trials as intense as Paul’s, but we will all have them. No one is immune. And often trials come when we least expect them. How did Paul hold on through the ‘afflictions,’ ‘distresses,’ ‘tumults,’ and ‘labours’ he endured? (2 Corinthians 6:4–5). Paul could be ‘sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing,’ and ‘[have] nothing, and yet [possess] all things’ (2 Corinthians 6:10), because he chose faith in Jesus Christ.

“It is not so difficult to choose faith in Jesus Christ when we feel spiritually energized, but we must also choose faith when life becomes difficult. We will find that the Savior does not stand at the end of our quest and simply wait for us to come unto Him. Rather, He stands beside us and points the way. Indeed, He is the way (see John 14:6).”

— Elder Neil L. Andersen in the August 2023 Liahona article, “‘Come unto Me’: The Spiritual Quest of All Our Lives”

2 Corinthians 7

“The apostle Paul taught that ‘godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation … but the sorrow of the world worketh death’ (2 Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow inspires change and hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Worldly sorrow pulls us down, extinguishes hope and persuades us to give in to further temptation.

“Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ’s love. True repentance is about transformation, not torture or torment. Yes, heartfelt regret and true remorse for disobedience are often painful and very important steps in the sacred process of repentance. But when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance.”

— Then-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2013 general conference, “You Can Do It Now!”

“When we sin and desire forgiveness, a broken heart and a contrite spirit mean to experience ‘godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance’ (2 Corinthians 7:10). This comes when our desire to be cleansed from sin is so consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace with our Father in Heaven. Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead. In such a condition of submissiveness, the Atonement can take effect and true repentance can occur. The penitent will then experience the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, which will fill them with peace of conscience and the joy of reconciliation with God. In a wondrous union of divine attributes, the same God who teaches us to walk with a broken heart invites us to rejoice and to be of good cheer.”

— Elder Bruce D. Porter, October 2007 general conference, “A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit”

“Sorrow always follows the recognition of sin. The destructive form of this sorrow, which often manifests itself as self-condemnation, is related to what the Apostle Paul called ‘sorrow of the world,’ which ‘worketh death.’ In contrast, he described a positive form of sorrow, ‘godly sorrow,’ which ‘worketh repentance to salvation’ (2 Corinthians 7:10). A main difference between these two forms of sorrow is their source. Worldly sorrow is promoted by Satan. It is the sorrow of being caught, of not being able to continue sinning, or of turning against oneself with self-loathing or disdain.

“Godly sorrow, on the other hand, is sorrow given as a gift from God to those who are willing to receive it. Godly sorrow leads us to a full recognition of the magnitude of our sins but with the knowledge that we can become free of them. It leads us to fully recognize the wrongs we have committed without giving in to the temptation to see ourselves as worthless or beyond God’s love.

“There is no room in godly sorrow for self-contempt. Those who refuse to forgive themselves thus bear a double burden of sin, for not only do they carry the sin itself, but they also add to it the sin of self-condemnation and refusing to forgive. Indeed, refusal to forgive is cited in the scriptures as ‘the greater sin’ (Doctrine and Covenants 64:9).”

— Elder D. Chad Richardson in the March 2007 Ensign article, “Forgiving Oneself”

This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide for 2 Corinthians 1-7 includes the apostle Paul’s teachings on personal conversion and “godly sorrow.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints