Our Pasts don't define us!

Lately I have been studying in the Book of Mormon, the story of the 4 sons of Mosiah, and their mission to teach the Lamanites. Today as I finished reading chapter 25, I realized a very important lesson. Our pasts don't define who we are today! In the Book of Mormon, at one point, Alma and the 4 sons of Mosiah, Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni, were all members of the Church, but less active and very rebellious! They spent most of their time trying to destroy the Church. After a visit from an angel, and some serious repentance, all 5 of them became very active members of the church. Alma went on to be not only a leader in the land, but eventually stepped down to go and preach repentance to the Nephites. The 4 sons of Mosiah, all turned down the call to be the king and decided to serve a mission among the Lamanites. These were people who hated them and they risked their won lives to to and teach among them. All 4 brothers suffered many trials and afflictions, hunger, thirst, they were cast into prison and beaten. But in the end, after never giving up, they ended up converting thousands upon thousands of Lamanites!!! They spent 14 years of their lives serving a people who were supposed to hate them! They united 2 groups of people, something that I am not sure had been done at this point in the Book Of Mormon. 
These men were not defined by their pasts!! They rose up, changed their lives, and then spent the rest of their lives trying to bring the same joy to others. I am sure that in the end of their lives, people didn't look at them and say " oh they are the rebellious sons of Mosiah and Alma!!" They looked at them and saw truly converted disciples of Christ who spent their lives in service and love of others. 
How often in our own lives, do we define ourselves by the mistakes that we make? How often to we believe the lies that Satan tells us, that we are not worth loving, that there is no coming back for me, that forgiveness isn't possible! If this is something we ever allow ourselves to believe, than we need to study this story again and remind ourselves, that if these men can change and become better, than so can I!!! Yesterday is in the past, nothing we can do about that, but we have today and every day after to decide who we will be!! No one defines us but us. No one decides our worth but us!! I am a daughter of a very merciful and loving Heavenly Father who looks past my weaknesses and faults and try's to mold and build me into the daughter he knows I can be! I am so grateful for the power of the atonement, and the opportunity that every day I get the chance to be just a little bit better than I was yesterday.