Forgiveness

We have a loving Heavenly Father who cares about and knows each and every one of us. We are His children. We lived with Him as spirits before we ever came to this earth. We agreed upon a plan developed and led by our Heavenly Father and our brother Jesus Christ that would allow us to come to an earth. On this earth we are able to gain a body and experience. Our goal in this life is to live our lives in the best way that we can so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again.

Our lives are difficult, challenging, and at times disappointing. We will make mistakes in this life but God has provided a way for us to correct these wrongs through a process called repentance. The Atonement of Christ (His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross, and His resurrection) is what makes repentance possible. Through the Atonement we are able to access Christ's grace in our lives so that through Him and His mercy we can repent of our sins and shortcomings.

The 5 steps to repentance are A, B, C, C, and D. They are: 1) Acknowledge (that you have sinned). 2) Be sorry for what you have done. 3) Confess your sin to the proper authority (most confession is made to our Heavenly Father in prayer). 4) Correct wrongs that you have made. 5) Don't do it again. Once we go through this process and we feel the Spirit working through us we can be assured that we have been cleansed of our sins."Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: 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).  Again, all of this is only possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

There is an underlying principle within the repentance process that is absolutely critical. I am talking about forgiveness. In order to gain true repentance there MUST be forgiveness.

It is clear and obvious that we must confess our sins to God and seek forgiveness from Him but one thing that is often forgotten is that we must confess our sins and seek forgiveness from those who we have wronged. For example...if we have cheated on a test then must seek forgiveness from our teacher and perhaps even our classmates on top of seeking forgiveness from God. We must make right what we have wronged. Completely. This means that if we have told a lie or have stolen something then we must tell the truth and pay for/return what we have previously stolen. This is all a part of the "Correct wrongs that you have made" step in the repentance process.

"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). Even though I have read this scripture many times I still have struggled to forgive MYSELF. I have indeed made mistakes in my life and I have sought forgiveness through repentance but if I continue to live in darkness and continue to doubt myself then I am only doubting Jesus Christ. If we have gone through the steps of repentance then we have no need to second guess ourselves. If we do that then we are second guessing the Savior. He loves us so much that He suffered for us. He trusts us so much that he provided repentance for us to return and be with Him and our Father. Repentance is real. Repentance is pure. Repentance is possible. In my life I have witnessed and experienced sin. I also have witnessed and experienced forgiveness. There is nothing more beautiful as being cleansed through Jesus Christ. A prophet in the Book of Mormon, Alma, described to his son the contrast of guilt and joy before and after the Atonement had brought repentance into his life. He said, "Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy" (Alma 36: 21).

One other thing that we must do is forgive others. Anger, hatred, and grudges are all terrible things! They slow down other people's repentance processes. There are those out there that need us to forgive them for wrongs that they have done unto us. I believe that this is something that all of us can work on a little bit harder. We must be kind to everyone. The Savior taught that we must even love our enemies. He said, "But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5: 44).

I know that the Savior's Atonement is real. I know that His grace is sufficient for all of us after we do our part and repent. I love Jesus Christ and it is a privilege to represent Him and His church.