Forgiveness (Forgiving Others)

Forgiving Others:









This is a painting of "The Prodigal Son" returning home and being embrassed by his father who immediately forgave him for what he had done and celebrated the return of his lost son who was now found by throwing a big feast in the parable of "The Prodigal Son" given by our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer Jesus Christ in Luke 15:11-32. 

Most of this Article is quoted from the Prophet
President Heber J. Grant, Prophet of God and
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints. 

     One of the things I studied recently was forgivness and the first thing I studied was forgiving others. I was reading in the "Teachings Of The Presidents Of The Church Heber J. Grant" Manual and he had alot of very awesome things to say. I would like to share those quotes with you.

     "There is nothing that will bring us more of the Spirit of God than to … be kind, considerate, charitable, long-suffering and forgiving. There is nothing that will bring more joy to us than to be ready and willing to forgive the trespasses of our neighbors against us, and there is nothing that will bring more condemnation to us than to harden our hearts and to be bitter and vindictive in our feelings towards those by whom we are surrounded".

     The Prophet, President Heber J. Grant then goes on to quote Doctrine and Covenats Section 121:45 - 46.



     "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly, then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God, and the doctrine of the Priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

     "The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy sceptre an unchanging sceptre of righteousness and truth, and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee for ever and ever."

     As we forgive others our Heavenly Father will forgive us, as it says in Doctrine and Covenats Section 64:9-10, “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men; but he that forgiveth not his brother standeth condemned before the Lord.”

     The Prophet goes on to tell a story about how our third modern day prophet President John Taylor taught him a principle that really affected him and how he developed the Christlike attribute of love and forgivness even more and he began to become more merciful and forgiving, "The Prophet of the Lord [President Taylor] said: “My boy, never forget that when you are in the line of your duty your heart will be full of love and forgiveness, even for the repentant sinner, and that when you get out of that straight line of duty and have the determination that what you think is justice and what you think is equity and right should prevail, you ofttimes are anything but happy. You can know the difference between the Spirit of the Lord and the spirit of the adversary, when you find that you are happy and contented, that you love your fellows, that you are anxious for their welfare; and you can tell that you do not have that Spirit when you are full of animosity and feel that you would like to knock somebody down.”

     President Grant then quotes 1st Corinthians Chapter 13, which is a lovely chapter, you can read it online on lds.org here if you would like :), (1 Cor. 13).

     One of the last things that the Prophet Heber J. Grant does is quote some hymns. I really like these sections that he quoted so I am going to bear my testimony after I put the first one in this thought and then I will put the rest of his quotes after my testimony. :)

     "Should you feel inclined to censure

Faults you may in others view,

Ask your own heart,

ere you venture,

If that has not failings too.

[See Hymns (1985), no. 235]"

     I know that as we forgive others we will feel the spirit guiding us and directing us in our lives more then we have ever before. We will feel our Heavenly Father's forgiveness and the forgiveness our our Savior Jesus Christ as we repent and forgive others. I promise you greater peace and spiritual guidence then you have ever had before as you do these things. :)

     "I remember that a year ago, here at the conference, I read a very splendid and wonderful song, the half of the first verse of which reads as follows:

     Let each man learn to know himself,
To gain that knowledge let him labor,
Improve those failings in himself

That he condemns so in his neighbor.

[See “Let Each Man Learn to Know Himself,” Hymns (1948), no. 91]

     … I also quoted the four short verses from our hymn [titled “Should You Feel Inclined to Censure”], a part of which reads as follows:

     Should you feel inclined to censure
Faults you may in others view,
Ask your own heart,
ere you venture,
If that has not failings too.
[See Hymns (1985), no. 235]

     I had not the slightest idea when I quoted these poems, that I would desire to quote from them again today; but in view of the condemnation and the spirit, almost, of animosity, and hate that seems to be manifested by some people among the Latter-day Saints, at the present time, regarding business and political affairs, I desire to emphasize, with all the power of my being, the last verse of that little hymn … :

     Do not form opinions blindly,

Hastiness to trouble tends,

Those of whom we thought unkindly
Oft become our warmest friends.
[See Hymns (1985), no. 235].

     … I desire to repeat the last verse of [an] excellent hymn, which I learned thirty-five or forty years ago, when Francis M. Lyman [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] first sang it for me. I wrote it that very night, and learned it the next day. I would like every Latter-day Saint to apply the teachings of this splendid verse in his or her life, and if we do that I believe we will grow in love and charity; that the spirit of peace and happiness, that President Taylor promised me when I entertained the feeling of determination to keep a man out of the Church, and the spirit of joy and peace which came to me, after the change of heart, will come to Latter-day Saints:

     And in self-judgment, if you find
Your deeds to others’ are superior,
To you has Providence been kind,
As you should be to those inferior.
Example sheds a genial ray Of light,
which men are apt to borrow,
So first improve yourself today
And then improve your friends tomorrow.
[See Hymns (1948), no. 91].

     … I beg every Latter-day Saint to cultivate the spirit of charity, of long-suffering, and brotherly love.1"

References

1. In Conference Report, Oct. 1920, 4–10; paragraphing altered.