Repenting requires us to look inward, be humble, and take responsibility for our mistakes and weaknesses. President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught: "Think of the repentance that could take place with lives changed, marriages preserved, and homes strengthened, if pride did not keep us from confessing our sins and forsaking them. …
"The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness. … It is the broken heart and contrite spirit. …
"We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement. …
"We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. …
"Let us choose to be humble."2
The essence of repentance is trying to change ourselves in ways that will make us better people. On the other hand, the foundation of pride is the desire to cover up our own weaknesses and focus on changing our spouse's behavior. As we humble ourselves, we desire to improve our lives and take responsibility for our weaknesses. We are willing to apologize and become better people, which is at the core of repentance.