The sweetness that comes from Forgiveness

A commandment close to my heart is forgiveness. I think it is a very misunderstood commandment.
If you are a person of faith, it is something you will be familiar with. If you don't have a religion you follow but you lead your life by conscience, I still think forgiveness is something most of us are aware of. But what to do with it? Is it in the back of the closet, something we pull out when necessary. Or is it always there in the front pocket ready to pull out and use.
I believe Repentance and forgiveness are interlinked. Richard G. Scott said" Repentance is the gateway to Forgiveness"

Repentance is an humbling act on our part, where we ask our Father in Heaven to forgive us of our sins.


Each day I begin my day with prayer giving thanks for my blessing, asking for his spirit to be with me(Holy Ghost, third member of the God Head) each day to guide my day. I ask for blessing for those I love, and for those unknown to me; but I am sure need prayers. I ask forgiveness of my sins and the ability to resist temptation. I then close in our Saviors name. Every prayer is never exactly the same but I do follow a pattern. I greet him and thank him, then I ask him for things I feel impressed to seek or that I might need help with. Always seeking his will not mine. I am so thankful for prayer just to know that he is just a thought a way. The more you practice praying the easier it is. You realize you can pray anywhere anytime. Because I pray it is easier for me to see the need to forgive and be forgiven.


I am so thankful that Heavenly is patient with me, and I know he expects me to give that same courtesy to my fellow brothers and sisters. Now that being said, it is a process that takes time. That is why I chose to write about it. It is something I know that I will have to be diligent about in order to see changes in myself. That is why is said it is misunderstood, I see many who try to change their lives for the better but they are hung up on forgiving others as well as themselves. There is story about a little girl, who gets a splinter, she goes to he Father and asks him to please remove the splinter. You can picture this little girls tear filled eyes. Of course her Father wants to help,so he goes and gets the needle, tweezers, ointment, and band aid. The little girl says to her Father" no Daddy just put a band aid on it. " Of course he explains that if he just puts a band aid on it, it will fester and she could get and infection and it will hurt even more.
This is what happens when we don't take care of the hurt and pains caused by life's lessons. We don't really clean out the closet we just sweep it in a corner and hope it stays there after we shut the door.

My husband and I serve in our church as service missionaries for the Addiction Recovery
Program. It mirrors the Original Alcoholics anonymous 12 step program.

Step 8 is Titled Seeking forgiveness, each step is separated into 3 parts. First is the key principle, second action steps, Third is study and understanding. In this particular step in the actions steps their is a great teaching moment that really helps, it is as follows. "
In preparation for making amends, many of us have found the following exercise helpful. Think of someone for whom you have had hard feelings. For two weeks,deliberately kneel and pray for him or her each day.Keep a record of changes in your thoughts and feelings about that person. (See Matthew 22:37–38; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:19; Moroni 7:44–48.)
When I came across this step it was such an answer to a prayer, I had been struggling with how to let go of some hurt and disappointment. I felt I was justified because it was done to me so I could hold hard feelings. It was killing me to keep it. So this was my answer, I set a plan and and prayed for two weeks for this person. I actually missed a night and I felt it,I knew if was making a difference. I can honestly say it was the best thing for me. To forgive really forgive; application of a great principle was now applied and I learned a great lesson. I can now walk the walk not just talk the talk.

There is a great quote by Ralf Waldo Emerson. "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed; but our power to do will increase"

That which we desire, we will eventually overtime become. Practice makes perfect. All great motivating sayings.
The beauty of it is, when applied and after hard work and persistence; It works.

Repentance truly is the gateway to Forgiveness. I am so grateful for this commandment.
In Doctrine and Covenants Chapter 64 9 -11 It says "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.
10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.
11 And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds."
In my calling I get to witness people change, they let go of addictions, they become close to God. They Forgive themselves and others. They then become mold able, just like the clay in the potters hand. They become the masters hands.
We have such and opportunity to make the most out of the life that our Father in Heaven has blessed us with. To be the Son or Daughter he knows we can be and should be. He is just waitng to bless us as we comply with his laws. For we are tuly blessed by the commandments we keep.