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Forgiveness

He Who is Without Sin by Liz Lemon Swindle

He Who is Without Sin by Liz Lemon Swindle

Forgiving Others

Forgiving someone who has wronged us is a humbling experience.  Mormons believe that when we forgive, we are acknowledging that it is God’s role to judge man and not our own.  When we forgive, we accept that people are not perfect and make mistakes.  Being able to forgive someone requires faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.  The Lord is willing to help the person who desires to forgive.  Exercising forgiveness is liberating; it frees us from hate, envy, and hurt that weigh us down and stop our spiritual progress.

“Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to  forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.
I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men (Doctrine and Covenants 64:9, 10).

“For, if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you;  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (3 Nephi 13:14, 15).

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25, 26).

The Lord has told us that we must forgive all men their trespasses against us in order to receive forgiveness for our own sins.  We should pray for strength to forgive those who have wronged us, and we should abandon feelings of anger, bitterness, or revenge. We should also look for the good in others rather than focusing on their faults and magnifying their weaknesses. God will be the judge of others’ harmful actions.  It’s important to understand that forgiving someone does not always mean increasing exposure to them.  You can forgive a child molester by abandoning your feelings of malice against him, but it would be unwise to invite him to stay in your home.  Some people are untrustworthy and will remain so, even after they are forgiven.

Gaining Forgiveness for our Sins

We, as imperfect mortals, are bound to make mistakes here on earth.  Heavenly Father knew that when he sent us to earth.  Because we will make mistakes, God blessed us with the atonement of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins so we might be able to be forgiven for all of our wrongdoings.  Because he paid the price for sin, we can live with Heavenly Father again if we repent for what we do wrong.

Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can receive forgiveness for our sins through sincere and complete repentance. Sinfulness brings suffering and pain, but the Lord’s forgiveness brings relief, comfort, and joy. President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “The essence of the miracle of forgiveness is that it brings peace to the previously anxious, restless, frustrated, perhaps tormented soul. … God will wipe away … the tears of anguish, and remorse, … and fear, and guilt” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, 363, 368).

There are several vital steps to repentance. Each is essential for complete forgiveness. President Joseph F. Smith identified some of these steps this way: “True repentance is not only sorrow for sins, and humble penitence and contrition before God, but it involves the necessity of turning away from them, a discontinuance of all evil practices … a thorough reformation of life, a vital change from evil to good … to make restitution, so far as … possible, for all the wrongs we have done. … This is true repentance, and the exercise of the will and all the powers of [the] body and mind is demanded, to complete this glorious work of repentance.”

Jesus Christ taught forgiveness through His example and actions.  When Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of the world, he asked for those who crucified Him to be forgiven for “they know not what they do.”  That is the ultimate act of forgiveness.  To be able to bless those who mock, hate, and torture you, even as they are in the process, is to show true forgiveness.

“Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42).

“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

“Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me” (3 Nephi 9:13–14).

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