A season for forgiveness (Part I)

[UtahDan]

The holidays are right around the corner and the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas is my favorite time of the year. People are just a little nicer and we are all a little more attuned to each other.

In that spirit, and in light of the events of the last week or so that have probably caused some hurt feelings, below is a copy of a talk I received years ago that I have read and re-read and really enjoy. I ask that all those who may have been hurt by my part in this transition, specifically Mike and Farrah, will forgive me. I hope that at some point we can still all be friends.

I would like to share some thoughts with you today about mercy and forgiveness. I was watching a movie on TV on Friday night and the actor said, “If there is no God, then why do we miss him so much?” All of us have loved ones who we miss. Some of them live far away, some of them have left this earthly life. I think too that on some very profound level that we do not often recognize, we also long for the presence of our father in Heaven. Evidence that he too wishes for us to return to his presence is abundant.

Yet since the fall of Adam, men have only caught glimpses of, or spent short moments in his presence. It is fundamental that no unclean thing can go there, and it is equally true that none of us, no matter how hard we try, and no matter how strongly we desire it can do this of our own accord. Certain truths are immutable, and one of these is that justice demands that every sin no matter how small be accounted for and paid for, and that no man or woman can enter into the presence of God until this has been done. Of course none of us is able to pay this debt and consequently are in a fallen state, unable to be reunited with our father.

Jesus Christ came to earth like just as all of us have. He faced the same trials that we face, and much worse than any of us could face. What made him different was that he did what none of the rest of us could do: he never sinned. So perfect was his life that he owed justice nothing. Jesus didn’t need anyone’s help to progress, he was not in a fallen state. And yet it was not enough for him to save himself.

Without compulsion of any kind, without the benefit of the presence of his father, alone and deserted by his friends, the master of all, the creator of this world, completed an act that the mortal mind literally is incapable of understanding.

He described it these words: 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—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink." (D&C 19:16-18.)

What could cause the God of heaven to tremble and to bleed form every pore? The sins of mankind. Jesus Christ paid justice for all of us. No act of any man could have made him do this, and clearly we did not deserve it, yet he did it because of love. This is what mercy is. When because of love, and without prompting, we do something for our brother or our sister, we have shown this God-like quality. Sometimes it comes in the form of a good work or a labor, but perhaps the most merciful act of all, and often the hardest, is forgiveness.
Jesus gave us the prefect example of this. During his crusifixion, as he hung with spikes buried in his wrists, hands, and feet, and having received a wound in his side form the lance of a soldier he lifted up his face to heaven and said simply, “Forgive them father for they know not what they do”. Jesus understood that he had come to earth not to extend mercy and forgiveness to men in spite of our brutality, injustice, and disobedience, but because of it. During his life and again after his death, Jesus taught his disciples saying “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

Contained in that short instruction is one of the most important principles upon which this life operates. Every one of us will one day face a judgement where will be weighed all of our actions in this life. In the end, and if we have repented in this life, we will have the chance to again be with our father, but before this can occur, the savior must extend his mercy to us. Mercy is a word we all will know because it is something that every one of us must one day ask for.

Amulek taught:
And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice. (Alma 34:15-16.)

So in order to obtain that mercy for ourselves, we must first be merciful. The Savior taught us the following:

(Matt. 18:23)

23 ¶ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

He further states:

"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".

Forgiveness and mercy are not always easy for us to give. And yet so many are in such desperate need of it. Perhaps it is someone in our family, or at work, or a stranger. We are disciples of Christ, and when we do things that are Christ like, others feel his love. As I prepared for this talk I thought about situations were others have made me angry, or where I have thought “this person is going to get what’s coming to him and I’m certainly not going to prevent it.”
I realized that this is the sort of thinking for which Jesus gave the Pharisees strong rebuke. The savior knew that those who have given offense are often those most in need of forgiveness and mercy. I think that if in our every day lives, those who had offended us immediately asked for our mercy and forgiveness we would grant it without exception. But we don’t always understand the reasons why others choose to offend us and very rarely is forgiveness asked for. But what if we did understand? What if it was asked? It might be instructive to imagine what that would sound like:

Forgive me for cutting you off in traffic, I’m late for work because I had to get my children ready for school and I fought with my husband on the way out the door.

Have mercy on me, I’m not nice to you at work because everyone who should have loved me was cruel to me, and I’ve never learned how drop my defenses.

Forgive me, I don’t always remember to say I love you because I’m just a kid.

Have mercy on me, I have committed terrible sins but what I need most right now is for you to be my friend.

Forgive me, I’m totally undeserving of your forgiveness.

(Continued)