The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(4/5/97)
If we are going to teach our children the principle of forgiveness, we need to
begin with our own lives. We must set our children a good example. In dealing
with family or friends, we hurt them when we are selfish or thoughtless. But if
we change our ways to avoid giving offense in the future, it is easier to
receive forgiveness. Repentance is a change of behavior which invites
forgiveness. If father and mother forgive each other quickly and afterwards show
increased love and consideration for each other, their children will quicKly
learn to act likewise. Repentance and forgiveness will become standards within
that family. — Elder Theodore M. Burton, General Conference, April 1983
(4/6/97)
If we learn to forgive one another within the family, we will be able to forgive
more readily within the Church and within the community. Like many good things,
forgiveness begins in the home. We must remember to teach our children that even
if others fail to be kind and considerate, we ought to be slow to condemn and
very quick to forgive. We need not be tolerant of sin, but we must become
tolerant and forgiving of the sinner. Jesus Christ gave his life to reconcile us
to God so that through his atonement we can repent and receive forgiveness of
our sins. We owe our Savior a great debt. Part of that debt is the obligation we
have to forgive one another. — Elder Theodore M. Burton, General Conference,
April 1983
(4/7/97)
"How I hate him!" she told me, and her voice breathed venom and
bitterness and her dark eyes flashed. To think that an able-bodied man would
defraud a young widow with a family to support! "How I loathe him!"
she repeated over and over. Then I told her my Bishop Kempton story where a man
forgave the murderer of his father. She listened intently. I saw she was
impressed. At the conclusion there were tears in her eyes. and she whispered:
"Thank you. Thank you sincerely. Surely I, too, must forgive my enemy. I
will now cleanse my heart of its bitterness. I do not expect ever to receive the
money, but I leave my offender in the hands of the Lord." — President
Spencer W. Kimball, General Conference, October 1977
(4/8/97)
Now, brothers and sisters, let us go to our homes and dismiss from our
beings--and purge from our souls--the venom of any feeling of ill will or
bitterness toward anyone. Let us strike from our hearts the unwillingness to
forgive and forget; and, instead, approach men in the spirit of the Master, even
those who "despitefully use you." (Matt. 5:44.) Let us pray--rather,
let us plead for the spirit of forgiveness. Let us look for the good in each
other--not the flaws. — Bishop H. Burke Peterson, General Conference, October
1983
(4/10/97)
Likewise, I appeal to us all to consider anew this counsel from Jesus:
"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his
fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy
brother." (Matt. 18:15.) To win a point does not compare with
"gaining" a brother! Let us all take extra care to avoid both giving
and taking offense. Let us be loving, kind, and forgiving--helping these friends
to become, as Peter and Paul said, grounded, rooted, established, and settled!
(See Eph. 3:17; 1 Pet. 5:10.) "The time is far spent." (Hymns, no.
184.) Savor these words quoted by a magnanimous and forgiving Prophet Joseph
Smith to a repentant and returning W. W. Phelps: Come on, dear brother, since
the war is past, For friends at first, are friends again at last. (Quoted in
History of the Church, 4:164.) — Elder Neal A. Maxwell, General Conference,
April 1982
(4/11/97)
Are there any of us here that, if it were necessary, would not get down on our
knees and humble ourselves in the most abject manner before our brethren and
sisters to obtain their forgiveness? I am proud, I know; but I have never yet
seen an hour, and I hope I never shall, that I would not get down on my knees to
my brethren and ask their forgiveness, if it were necessary to obtain it in that
way. I want the forgiveness of my brethren and sisters when I do wrong; I want
the forgiveness of my family; I want the forgiveness of my children, and of
course I want the forgiveness of my Father in heaven. I want my sins blotted out
day by day, so that they will not stand against me. I do not want my brethren to
have feelings against me. I do not want the sun to go down before I have made
everything right with them, if it is within my power to do so; and I certainly
do not want to retire to rest without the forgiveness of my God. Pardon these
personal allusions, but I mention them to emphasize if possible the feeling that
I think we should have as Latter-day Saints. — Elder George Q. Cannon,
Collected Discourses, Vol. 4, April 21, 1895
(4/12/97)
You will also discover the greatest friend of all, Jesus the Christ, our Savior
and Redeemer, full of perfect love and boundless compassion, with the power to
forgive and forget. It is difficult for me to speak of Him, for I love Him so
deeply. May the Spirit bear witness of that love and somehow touch your heart
that you may find the courage to take those steps that will bring you peace and
tranquility, that will restore your feelings of self-worth and place you on the
path to happiness. — Elder Richard G. Scott, General Conference, April 1986
(4/1/04)
"The question is frequently asked, 'How can I know when I am forgiven? How
will I feel?' Many scriptural examples provide understanding. Enos found that
his 'guilt was swept away' (Enos
1:6). He no longer approached God or man feeling guilt-ridden. King
Benjamin's people 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 4:3; emphasis
added)." - C. Max Caldwell, "The
Path That Leads to Christ," Ensign, Apr. 1996, p. 30
(10/22/04)
"Our Lord gave us an example of the true spirit
of forgiveness when he said from the cross, '... Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do.' (Luke
23:34.) We read also of that faithful disciple, Stephen, who was persecuted
and stoned, 'And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not
this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.' (Acts
7:60.)" - N. Eldon Tanner, "The
Importance of Prayer," Ensign, May 1974, p. 53
(8/31/05)
"Closely related to our own obligation to repent
is the generosity of letting others do the same—we are to forgive even as we are
forgiven. In this we participate in the very essence of the Atonement of Jesus
Christ. Surely the most majestic moment of that fateful Friday, when nature
convulsed and the veil of the temple was rent, was that unspeakably merciful
moment when Christ said, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.'
(Luke 23:34.) As our advocate with the Father, He is still making that same plea
today—in your behalf and in mine." - Jeffrey R. Holland, "The
Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," Ensign, Nov. 1996, 83
3/9/06
Topic: Do We Take Offense?
"It frequently happens that offenses are committed when the offender is not
aware of it. Something he has said or done is misconstrued or misunderstood. The
offended one treasures in his heart the offense, adding to it such other things
as might give fuel to the fire and justify his conclusions. Perhaps this is one
of the reasons why the Lord requires that the offended one should make the
overtures toward peace....
"To the Nephites the Lord said:
"...if ...thy brother hath aught against thee-
"Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then
come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you. (III
Nephi 12:23-24.)...
"Do we follow that commandment or do we sulk in our bitterness, waiting for our
offender to learn of it and to kneel to us in remorse?" - Spencer W. Kimball,
"Conference Report," October 1949, Third Day—Morning Meeting, p.132
3/19/06
"Not too long ago a young wife spoke at her husband's funeral and said, 'We came
to realize that unimportant things really are unimportant. When the spirit is
sick, there can be no true healing, no matter how strong the physical body. If
the spirit is well, then physical impairment is unimportant, regardless of the
effects of a debilitating disease.'
"The Lord has provided the way whereby our spiritual sicknesses can be healed.
In the first chapter of Isaiah,
verse 18, we read, '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.'
"And, again in the Doctrine and Covenants, 'Nevertheless, he that repents and
does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven' (D&C
1:32).
"Also, 'Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I,
the Lord, remember them no more' (D&C
58:42).
"For one to be forgiven of sin, the Lord requires that he come unto him, mourn
over his sins, forsake the sins, be teachable, forgive others, and confess." -
Vaughn J. Featherstone, "Forgive
Them, I Pray Thee," Ensign (CR), November 1980, p.29
12/16/06
"The Lord has said, 'I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you
it is required to forgive all men.' (D&C
64:10.) We are further admonished to forgive many times, even seventy times
seven. We should stop and ask ourselves if we are prepared to ask the Lord to
forgive us of our sins and trespasses only as we forgive our friends and
neighbors. How wonderful it would be if we would all forgive and love our
neighbors. Then it would be much easier for us to call upon the Lord to forgive
us of any of our wrongdoings, and as we repent and bring forth fruits meet for
repentance, we can expect Gods forgiveness and mercy to be extended in our
behalf." - N. Eldon Tanner, "The
Importance of Prayer," Ensign (CR), May 1974, p.50
4/20/07
"Let us remember that we need to forgive to be forgiven. In the words of one of
my favorite hymns, 'Oh, forgive as thou wouldst be e'en forgiven now by me.' ("Reverently
and Meekly Now," Hymns, no. 185.) With all my heart and soul, I believe in
the healing power that can come to us as we follow the counsel of the Savior "to
forgive all men.' (D&C 64:10.)"
- James E. Faust, "The
Healing Power of Forgiveness," General Conference, April 2007
1/3/08
"Brothers and sisters and friends, if we
will sue for peace, taking the initiative in settling differences—if
we can forgive and forget with all our hearts—if
we can cleanse our own souls of sin, accusations, bitterness, and guilt before
we cast a stone at others—if we forgive
all real or fancied offenses before we ask forgiveness for our own sins—if
we pay our own debts, large or small, before we press our debtors—if
we manage to clear our own eyes of the blinding beams before we magnify the
motes in the eyes of others—what a
glorious world this would be! Divorce would be reduced to a minimum; courts
would be freed from disgusting routines; family life would be heavenly; the
building of the kingdom would go forward at an accelerated pace; and the peace
which passeth understanding would bring to us all a joy and happiness which has
hardly "entered into the heart of man.'"
- Spencer W. Kimball, "Conference
Report," October 1949, Third Day—Morning
Meeting, p.133
6/9/08
"In the battle of life, the adversary
takes enormous numbers of prisoners, and many who know of no way to escape and
are pressed into his service. Every soul confined to a concentration camp of sin
and guilt has a key to the gate. The adversary cannot hold them if they know how
to use it. The key is labeled Repentance. The twin principles of
repentance and forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of the
adversary."
- Boyd K. Packer, "Our
Moral Environment," Ensign (CR), May 1992, p.66