The sorrow of the damned

I have felt as Mormon describes in Mormon 2:10-13:

10 And it came to pass that the Nephites began to repent of their iniquity, and began to cry even as had been prophesied by Samuel the prophet; for behold no man could keep that which was his own, for the thieves, and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art, and the witchcraft which was in the land.

11 Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the land because of these things, and more especially among the people of Nephi.

12 And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people.

13 But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin.

I've seen people I love be so miserable that they constantly suffer--and they know it.  They know the connection between their choices and the painful consequences.  I've felt to rejoice, knowing that the mercies of the Lord are waiting when they feel the godly sorrow that leads to repentance.  I've even prayed at times that those I love will get to rock bottom more quickly--suffer more, faster--so they can get over it already and move on feeling the peace and joy that comes with repentance and forgiveness.

But, very often, it's not the faithful sorrow unto repentance that I've seen is the result, but what Mormon calls "the sorrowing of the damned."  True happiness will never come from sin.  The Lord couldn't make it so even if He wanted (Alma 42:15).

Faith is the missing ingredient.  It takes faith to ask God for forgiveness, and to want that forgiveness.  After my divorce it took me about eight weeks to get to that point, which was longer than it needed to be.  But moving from the sorrowing of the damned to the sorrowing unto repentance was the best decision I've made since.