Oct 9, 2023

Have you ever felt stuck in the past? If so, you’re not alone. Some people struggle to let go of guilt from decades-old sins that have already been repented of. Others can’t seem to stop reliving difficult memories. I have plenty of my own moments when I keep mulling over my imperfections and mistakes as a wife and mother.

From a gospel perspective, I know that’s not how God wants us to feel, but it can be really hard to break free from bad memories and negative self-talk.

One of the greatest scriptural examples of someone who successfully parted from his past is Paul. When he was still known as Saul, he witnessed and approved of Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 8:1) and then “made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). He recounted later, “Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities” (Acts 26:10–11). As he continued “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,” he walked a great distance to Damascus to find and imprison even more Christians (Acts 9:1–2).

The story of what happened to Saul on the road to Damascus is well known—Saul became Paul, changing almost instantaneously from one of the chief persecuters of Christianity to one of Christ’s greatest champions.

But was he ever bogged down by his past? We know he recounted his former persecutions to various audiences (see Acts 22:4–5). But he always followed the account of his sins with the story of his vision and conversion.

Philippians 3:13–14 can give powerful insight into his perspective. Paul said, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Knowing Paul’s history makes these verses a lot more meaningful. I’m sure that Satan tried to convince Paul that he couldn’t ever make up for what he had done—because that’s exactly what the adversary continues to say to us today—but thankfully, Paul had much greater faith and trust in Christ than in any other source. He knew firsthand that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And because he was able to part from his past, he became a much more effective, engaged disciple of Jesus Christ.

Wilford Woodruff said, “You are doubtless familiar with Paul’s history, and know what a persecutor of the Saints he once was, and how he became converted to the truth; and his conversion was so thorough and complete that he finally laid down his life in defense of the Gospel of Christ. . . . Now, brethren and sisters, and friends, that Gospel which Paul taught is what I believe in.”¹

I hope that we also can all truly believe in the gospel that Paul taught, including the principles of the healing power of repentance and the blessing of divine forgiveness. If Paul could break free from his past and embrace a new faith-filled future in Christ, I believe that we can too.

Ashlyn is the Associate Editor for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Editing and Publishing, and she is grateful to use her experience to help with this incredible Project. When she isn’t editing or reading historical documents, you can typically find her spending time with her husband and baby, playing the piano or the organ, singing, running, or enjoying the outdoors.