The Sweetness of Forgiveness

I am not perfect.  I don't know anyone who is.  We all make mistakes and struggle along this journey called life.  It would seem hopeless and pointless if we didn't have someone to help us along the way.  Someone to make it better; someone to pay the debt for what mistakes we have done.  Luckily, we do have that person and it is Jesus Christ.

LDS.org defines forgiveness: "To forgive is a divine attribute. It is to pardon or excuse someone from blame for an offense or misdeed. The scriptures refer to forgiveness in two ways. The Lord commands us to repent of our sins and seek His forgiveness. He also commands us to forgive those who offend or hurt us."

Forgiving others and receiving forgiveness.  Both can be difficult when we are lifted up in pride and cannot clearly see what God has in store for us.  I know that I've had many experiences where I found it hard to forgive someone because of hurt that they have caused me.  I felt very justified in my actions not to forgive because of the magnitude of the infraction against me.  I was hurt.  I was angry.  And as Alma the Younger says in the Book of Mormon, "my soul was racked with eternal torment."  Maybe that's being a little dramatic, but I think that is really what happens.  We have souls that don't have the hope of Christ when we choose not to grant forgiveness.

But what happens when we do forgive?  We taste the sweetness that is forgiveness.  Alma said it best - "Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God."  We are born again of God.  We get to use the gift that Christ gave us of the Atonement and become his sons and daughters.

The same happens when we ask for forgiveness from our God.  When we repent, we can see of God’s love.  We can feel the relief, the happiness, the joy that comes from only Him.  We use the Atonement as Christ intended it to be used. 

I love this quote from President James E. Faust when he talked about forgiveness and the power that comes from it.  He said, “Forgiveness comes more readily when we have faith in God and trust in His word. Such faith “enables people to withstand the worst of humanity. It also enables people to look beyond themselves. More importantly, it enables them to forgive.”

Let us all trust in God and the power of forgiveness.