No Red Cards in this Life

I recently attended a Phoenix Rising FC match. All was going well, the team was up 3-0 in the 63rd minute when one of Rising’s center backs received his second yellow card. In soccer, that means receiving a red card and an automatic ejection from the game. It also means that Rising had to play the last 27 minutes and nine added minutes down a man.

The game completely changed. Rising’s opponent, El Paso got goals in the 73rd, 81st, and 90th + 8th minutes to equalize the score and deny Rising a win. I can confidently say that the score would not have been tied at the end of regulation if it were not for that red card.

Our lives are much like this soccer match. We can go forward and have things in hand. We keep the commandments, read our scriptures, say our prayers, attend the temple, go to church, and do all that is asked of us. Then, we sin.

Sin causes us to feel dejected. It changes our momentum. We have strayed from the path and are moving away from our Savior. It’s as if we have received a red card and can no longer participate in God’s game.

However, unlike a red card in soccer, there is no ejection from God’s game. It’s true our momentum changes. We have consequences from our sinful actions. We do not however, have to leave the field and not return. There is always a way back.

God has provided us with repentance. This gift allows us to remain in the game and find our way back to the path. We can always get back to living in alignment with God’s will.

The key to coming back is to remember that even when we make mistakes, the ultimate arbiter doesn’t, and will never, eject us from the game. Instead, He gives us instructions for how to gain our momentum back. If we listen to Him and follow the instructions we will have the opportunity to be forgiven and return to live with Him.

In about one month, the October 2025 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In it, Prophets and other leaders of the church will deliver messages of hope and faith. These messages help us to remember God’s love and want to stay on the path. The messages will also discuss repentance and how it is God’s gift to all of His children. I invite all to take time on October 4th and 5th to hear the messages God has for each of us.

Always remember, we may receive hundreds of yellow cards in this life, but we will never receive a red. God’s plan, with Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer, allows us to repent, and receive forgiveness. May we never forget that and always find a way to turn back to God.