Have You EVER Remembered to Forgive Someone in the Past?

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take three to five minutes to read from start to finish.

Have you ever remembered to forgive someone in the past ...?

Feel free to ask yourself the following questions now, and then feel free to answer those following questions either now or in your own time. These following questions are focuses on forgiveness in the past.

In the past;

~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who misunderstood of something that you have said?
~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who stopped believing in you for following your dreams?
~ Have you remembered to forgive your friends of their mistakes that has affected several of your choices?

~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who has bullied you during your childhood years?
~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who has stopped you from pursuing your righteous desires?

~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who has bullied you during your youth years?
~ Have you remembered to forgive all or one of the past unhealthy relationships that you had?
~ Have you remembered to forgive your immediate relatives' mistakes that has affected several of your choices?

~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who didn't kept their promises with you?
~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who stopped showing their support for you anymore?

~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who didn't reached your expectations for close friendships?
~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who didn't reached your expectations for friendships?
~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who didn't reached your expectations for education?

~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who didn't reached your expectations for employment?
~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who has said hurtful words to you?

~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who stopped caring about your accomplishments in life?
~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who stopped caring about your wellbeing?
~ Have you remembered to forgive someone who has wasted your time?

"We are to be forgiving even when it seems others may not warrant
our forgiveness." - Larry J. Echo Hawk.

Throughout our lives;

~ We may or may not have remembered to forgive certain people who has been in our lives. 

~ We have faced some difficulties when we went ahead to forgive certain people in our lives. 

~ Sometimes we tend to choose to forget about most mistakes that we have made. 

We have a choice to make; whether we choose to forgive or not:

~ We may or may not choose to forgive the people who didn't understand of something that we have said. 

~ We may or may not choose to forgive the people who stopped believing in us for following our dreams.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive the friends' mistakes that has affected several of our choices. 

~ We may or may not choose to forgive the people who has bullied us throughout our childhood years.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive the people who has stopped us from pursuing our righteous desires. 

~ We may or may not choose to forgive the people who bullied us during our youth years.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive all or one unhealthy past relationships that we had.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive our immediate relatives' mistakes that has affected several of our choices.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who didn't keep their promises with us.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who stopped showing their support for us anymore.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who didn't reached our expectations for our close friendships.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who didn't reached our expectations for friendships.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who didn't reached our expectations for education.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who didn't reached our expectations for employment.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who has said hurtful words to us.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who stopped caring about our accomplishments in life. 

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who stopped caring about our wellbeing.

~ We may or may not choose to forgive someone who wasted our time.

I know that there is a lot more that we could think of reasons why to forgive someone, it is simply our choice to forgive someone, and when we don't forgive someone, we may still feel the emotional hurt of what has been caused. We also need to be forgiving ourselves for our mistakes that we have done wrong if we haven't already. If you cause an emotional hurt to anyone and if you haven't forgiven yourself for it, you can forgive yourself, you can apologize to that individual. 

Stay Tuned until next time.

Divine Forgiveness ~ Part Two

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take five minutes to read from start to finish.

Does it matter for us to apply "Divine Forgiveness" while we shall live for the remaining of our lives?

Why do we have "Divine Forgiveness" in our lives? Does someone else knows the purpose of why we have it?

This post focuses on a October 1993 General Conference talk and it is called, 'Divine Forgiveness" by Ronald E. Poelman. This post is part two. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the whole talk. 

Brother Poelman mentioned the following;
"Throughout, we pray for our Father’s forgiveness, for strength to resist temptation, and for inspiration to fill our lives with that which is good and pleasing to the Lord. We seek the forgiveness of individuals whom we may have wronged and attempt restitution to the extent possible.

If our past behavior is such as to affect our standing in the Church, we confess to appropriate Church authorities and, if necessary, submit to Church discipline, which is not for the purpose of punishment only but is intended to heal and renew.

Throughout the repentance process we have feelings of regret, remorse, and guilt, which cause us to suffer. However, our individual suffering does not satisfy the demands of justice which follow disobedience to divine law. We cannot pay the price for our sins.

The resurrected Christ has said, “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent” (D&C 19:16). ...

"WE CAN FORGIVE and we can be free." - Kevin R. Duncan.

The Lord’s gift of forgiveness, however, is not complete until it is accepted. True and complete repentance is a process by which we may become reconciled with God and accept the divine gift of forgiveness.

... The effect of the infinite, atoning sacrifice was twofold: First, resurrection and immortality for all, unconditionally granted. Second, eternal life for each one who fulfills the prescribed conditions, which are faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer, followed by repentance.

Then we must qualify for and receive the saving and exalting ordinances of the gospel with their associated covenants, continuously striving to keep those covenants and obey the commandments of God.

Being mortal, and despite our resolve and efforts, we will continue to fall short of perfection. However, with Nephi of old, conscious of our weaknesses, temptations, and past mistakes, we may say, “Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted” (2 Nephi 4:19). ...

Essential to receiving divine forgiveness are personal, individual recognition and acceptance of our Father’s mercy, made available to us by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and a renewed covenant to obey the principles of the gospel.

... “[And] the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ” (Mosiah 4:2–3). Each of us may ask, “How may I know that I am forgiven?”

Having completed the steps of repentance, relying upon the grace and mercy of God, it is natural for us to testify of the Savior and his atoning sacrifice and to strive to be an example of the believers.

From Elder Bruce R. McConkie, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, we receive these comforting words:
“The relationship between the bearing of testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost and the forgiveness of sins illustrates a glorious gospel truth. It is that whenever faithful saints gain the companionship of the Holy Spirit, they are clean and pure before the Lord, for the Spirit will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle. Hence, they thereby receive a remission of those sins committed after baptism” (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1980, 3:40–41, n. 1).

The central core of the gospel is the vicarious sacrifice of the Savior, which satisfies divine justice and makes operative God’s mercy, resulting in a universal, unconditional resurrection and the possibility of eternal life for each one who accepts Jesus Christ as Redeemer and obeys the principles, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel. ..."

You may or may not like to read the whole talk either now or in your own time. Here's the link to the whole talk below.
www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1993/10/divine-forgiveness

Stay Tuned until next time.

Divine Forgiveness ~ Part One

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take approximately four minutes to read from start to finish.

What is your definition and understanding of "Divine Forgiveness" ? 

What would "Divine Forgiveness" means to an immediate family member?

What would "Divine Forgiveness" means to a friend?

This post focuses on a October 1993 General Conference talk and it is called, 'Divine Forgiveness" by Ronald E. Poelman. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the whole talk. 

Brother Poelman mentioned the following; 

"The Savior of the world, the Redeemer of all God’s children, Jesus of Nazareth, has power to forgive sins. His own witness of such power is recorded in the New Testament. His Apostles Peter and Paul testified of this truth, as did also the prophets of the Book of Mormon and of modern times.

Through the centuries, many have received great joy and peace of mind through understanding and accepting the Lord’s forgiveness. Yet, many others apparently continue to bear the burden of guilt, remorse, and self-doubt because of an incomplete understanding and testimony of the doctrine of Christ.

... The underlying assumption seemed to be that divine forgiveness is obtained through those steps of repentance limited to changing one’s behavior. 

... Others, to my knowledge, are burdened by past mistakes, large and small, because of an incomplete or incorrect understanding of our Father’s plan of redemption and mercy. Those so burdened may unnecessarily struggle through life without the joy and peace of mind which are the intended result of true repentance and divine forgiveness.

One who assumes that he can or must pay the price for his sins and thereby earn divine forgiveness will not feel free to continue progress toward realizing his divine potential, that is, eternal life. The fact is we cannot save ourselves.

The best source through which a correct understanding of how forgiveness may be obtained is the Book of Mormon. Let us consider some examples of its teachings.

"We all fall short and have need of GRACE, MERCY, AND
FORGIVENESS." - Kevin R. Duncan.

... Father Lehi teaches us that the divine purpose of our mortal probation requires us to experience opposition in all things and, knowing good from evil, to exercise our moral agency, make choices, and be accountable for the consequences (see 2 Nephi. 2).

We learn from the prophet Alma that we are subject to divine law, which all have transgressed in some respect, making us subject to the demands of justice (see Alma 42:14, 18). 

God’s justice is based upon divine laws, under which we receive what we deserve according to our disobedience or obedience to the law.

Justice affords no forgiveness for transgressors but imposes penalties (see D&C 82:4). 

None is exempt (see D&C 107:84). After all we can do to repent, we are still subject to the demands of justice and its penalties, which we cannot satisfy.

However, we learn from Alma of our Father’s plan of mercy, whereby the Son of God would atone for the sins of the world and “appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also” (Alma 42:15).

The Savior’s vicarious sacrifice satisfies the justice of God. Therefore, God extends his mercy, whereby we may receive forgiveness of our personal transgressions through faith in the Redeemer, followed by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

Father Lehi taught his son Jacob: 

“Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. “Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (2 Nephi. 2:6–7).

The beginning and completion of repentance leading to forgiveness is faith in Jesus Christ, who is the “author and the finisher of [our] faith” (Moroni. 6:4). Our faith in him as Savior and Redeemer engenders in us godly sorrow for our transgressions, a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and a sense of personal accountability. There follows a change in attitude and a turning toward God.

We resolve to forsake disobedience, even carelessness, and strive better to know and love our Father in Heaven and to obey his laws and commandments."

Stay Tuned until next time.

“Of You It Is Required to Forgive”

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,

this post should take approximately five minutes to read from start to finish.

This post focuses on October 1980 General Conference talk and it is called, "Of You It Is Required to Forgive" by Gordon B. Hinckley. I would like to share with you some highlights of what I liked while I was reading the talk. 

Brother Hinckley mentioned the following; 

"... Now in 1980, as we draw the curtain on 150 years of our history, it becomes us as a grateful people to reach out with a spirit of forgiveness and an attitude of love and compassion toward those whom we have felt may have wronged us.

We have need of this. The whole world has need of it. It is of the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He taught it. He exemplified it as none other has exemplified it. In the time of his agony on the cross of Calvary, with vile and hateful accusers before him, they who had brought him to this terrible crucifixion, he cried out, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

None of us is called on to forgive so generously, but each of us is under a divinely spoken obligation to reach out with pardon and mercy. .. “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. 

.... In that first year of the organization of the Church, when the Prophet Joseph Smith was repeatedly arrested and tried on false charges by those who sought to injure him, the Lord said to him through revelation, “Whosoever shall go to law with thee shall be cursed by the law” (D&C 24:17). I have seen that in our time among some of those who have vindictively pursued their nurtured grudges. Even among some of those who win their contests there appears to be little peace of mind, and while they may have gained dollars, they have lost something more precious.

... With variations of characters and circumstances that story could be repeated many times over in our own day. How difficult it is for any of us to forgive those who have injured us. We are all prone to brood on the evil done us. That brooding becomes as a gnawing and destructive canker. Is there a virtue more in need of application in our time than the virtue of forgiving and forgetting? There are those who would look upon this as a sign of weakness. Is it? I submit that it takes neither strength nor intelligence to brood in anger over wrongs suffered, to go through life with a spirit of vindictiveness, to dissipate one’s abilities in planning retribution. There is no peace in the nursing of a grudge. There is no happiness in living for the day when you can “get even.”

... Not long ago I listened at length to a couple who sat across the desk from me. There was bitterness between them. I know that at one time their love was deep and true. But each had developed a habit of speaking of the faults of the other. Unwilling to forgive the kind of mistakes we all make, and unwilling to forget them and live above them with forbearance, they had carped at one another until the love they once knew had been smothered. It had turned to ashes with the decree of a so-called no fault divorce. Now there is only loneliness and recrimination. I am satisfied that had there been even a small measure of repentance and forgiveness, they would still be together, enjoying the companionship that had so richly blessed their earlier years.

"Seek forgiveness accomplishes miracles that can happen
in no other way." - Gordon B. Hinckley.

If there be any within the sound of my voice who nurture in their hearts the poisonous brew of enmity toward another, I plead with you to ask the Lord for strength to forgive. This expression of desire will be of the very substance of your repentance. It may not be easy, and it may not come quickly. But if you will seek it with sincerity and cultivate it, it will come. And even though he whom you have forgiven continues to pursue and threaten you, you will know you have done what you could to effect a reconciliation. There will come into your heart a peace otherwise unattainable. 

... I know of no more beautiful story in all literature than that found in the fifteenth chapter of Luke. It is the story of a repentant son and a forgiving father. ... I ask you to read that story. Every parent ought to read it again and again. 

It is large enough to encompass every household, and enough larger than that to encompass all mankind, for are we not all prodigal sons and daughters who need to repent and partake of the forgiving mercy of our Heavenly Father and then follow his example?

His Beloved Son, our Redeemer, reaches out to us in forgiveness and mercy, but in so doing he commands repentance. A true and magnanimous spirit of forgiveness will become an expression of that required repentance. ... “Therefore, I command you to repent ..." “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

“But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I: “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit. … Such is the commandment, and such is the promise of him who in his great exemplary prayer, pleaded, “Father, … forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (see Matt. 6:9, 12).

... We all have a little of this spirit of revenge in us. Fortunately we all have the power to rise above it, if we will “clothe [ourselves] with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace” (D&C 88:125).

... There is no peace in harboring old grudges. There is no peace in reflecting on the pain of old wounds. There is peace only in repentance and forgiveness. This is the sweet peace of the Christ, who said, “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9)."

If you would like to read the whole talk either now or in your own time, here's the link below.
www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1980/10/of-you-it-is-required-to-forgive

Stay Tuned until next time.