Girl pow wows

So, its amaazing what expireinces you share with new friends in college. How reaching out to someone, sharing a bit about yourself with out expecting them to share, can strengthen you. I have made so many dear friendships here, and it amazes me how simply just sharing your story and listening to theirs bonds you. We've have all had very different expiriences, but what we've come to learn from them, we can share with one another and strengthen eachother through our knowledge and testimony. A few things I've learned, or that have made an impression on me: It means so much to be acknowledged for the small things you do-so acknowledge the small efforts others make to help. Letting someone know you were thinking about them will make a difference in their day. Patience is learned. You will be blessed if you reach out to the very people you don't want to reach out to. Try showing nothing but unconditional love for someone for a week, no matter what they do. Service and Sacrifice are the greatest expression that you care write things down... When asking for a favor, ask the person what the msot convinient thing for them would be... Share and give but don't ask for much-and stand up for yourself if someone is taking advantage of your kindness. Put yourself out there....explore beyond your comfort zone. Good things happen. Be 100% honest in everything Don't rely on first impressions look at things from the someone elses persepective Smile and say hi to strangers you pass when your out and about, hold doors open for others, take the time to pause and see if someone could use your help. Don't spend more money than you have!!! keep your priorities straight on occasion its okay to take a break. -Know your limits Look into things, make phone calls and get your ducks in a row earlier rather than later (or else you might get stuck in non cooking dorms for another semester)

Forgiving Others

“And now behold I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? Have ye walked keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins? Behold are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such as one hath not eternal life.”

-Alma 5:26-28

Most commonly the story of the prodigal son is seen as an illustration of the joy which we feel when one who has left the fold of God returns to the truth through repentance. After wasting all that his father had given him on “riotous living,” the prodigal son went back to his father’s house hoping at best to be accepted as a servant so that he might not starve. At his return however, his father rejoiced and celebrated by killing the fatted calf and by adorning his son with the best robe, a ring, and shoes for his feet. He then announced, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And [then] they began to be merry.” However the story does not end or begin there. When the prodigal son’s older brother came back from the field and heard the celebrating, “he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.” The servant replied “thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.” The older brother was angered by this. He did not understand the forgiveness his father was expressing; perhaps because he did not understand the Atonement and principals of our Savior’s love. His father’s answer was gentle as he instructed, “Son thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” When the prodigal son was returning, we read that “when he was a yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him.” The son’s response was, “Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”¹ In the next few chapters of Luke, Christ instructs us to “take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”² The son had already been rebuked- he had been humbled to repentance, and so recognizing this, the father did as the savior commanded and forgave his son without restraint. Why is it that we are commanded to forgive? What does it mean to forgive? How does it benefit us? It may be that when we forgive the people who offend us we come to more fully appreciate the role of our savior’s atonement in our life. It is through forgiving others that we can understand Christ’s love.

The saints in Kirtland were instructed, “I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” ³ The Lord has commanded that we forgive all men no matter what they do to offend us. He has warned us that “…if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.”⁴ The word trespass is translated to mean an “offense, sin, or wrong; to commit any offense, or to do any act that injures or annoys another.”⁵ That means we are to forgive those who annoy us, those who hurt us, those who take advantage of us in anyway, and those who commit serious sins against us. When we are the victim we often get caught up in ourselves and forget that our Lord is there for us, and that he suffered already the pain we feel due to the actions of another. We are reminded in Alma 7:11-13 that Christ did not just suffer for the sins of the world, but that he also suffered our pains and afflictions, our temptations, sicknesses, infirmities, and transgressions. “...that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people.”⁶ Forgiving others requires humility. We must humble ourselves and acknowledge our Redeemer’s open arms waiting to help us through the struggles we face. He will not leave us alone. He promises, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come unto you.”⁷ We must also realize that we too have and will offend others, and that we are no better than they who offend us. And we should “Remember [that] the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”⁸ And we should also remember that Christ suffered not only for our sins, but he also suffered for the sins of all men. That includes the people who trespass against us.

There was a time in my life when I was trying to forgive someone who had hurt me and my family. I was struggling to understand what forgiveness meant, and so I turned to the scriptures. I found many scriptures on repentance and forgiveness that explained the commandment to do so, but I wasn’t finding anything that actually defined forgiveness, or explained to me what would happen and what would be required of me if I forgave the person who had hurt us. I was having regular counseling sessions with my bishop who was by profession a marriage and family counselor. In one meeting, he directed me to go home and look up several talks on forgiveness from general authorities. I found a talk written by Elder Theodore M Burton titled “To Forgive is Divine.” In it he said:

“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.” ⁹

I loved how he said that we should not tolerate the sin, but tolerant of the sinner. He continued, saying, “We must do everything in our power to help sinners to change their lives for the better.” I believe that in some cases we are not required to have anything more to do with that person who hurts us, but that is for a few and uncommon circumstances. To most of us this counsel applies. In my circumstance, I had three years of no contact with my offender. Another talk I recently found in the ensign states, “It is important to note that forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgetting the offense, trusting the offender, or even associating with him or her. However it does mean letting go of self destructive anger.”¹⁰ I found that when I finally let go of the anger I was holding, not just the anger at my offender but also the anger at my family who forgave more quickly than I, and the anger at God for allowing me to go through this, when I let go of it, I was able to feel a strong and genuine expression of Christ and Heavenly Father’s love for me, and for the man who had wronged me. To forgive him I had to have faith that Christ is the advocate with the Father, and that He would judge perfectly. We read, “And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.”¹¹ Even more so I had to exercise faith in the Atonement of Christ and its power to heal my offended heart.

“So amid the conflict whether great or small, do not be discouraged God is over all— Count your many blessings angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journeys end.”¹²

As we humble ourselves before God and forgive our brothers and sisters, we are promised again, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” ¹³ I’m reminded of the story of the woman taken into adultery and condemned by the Law of Moses to be stoned. The scribes and Pharisees brought her to Christ and asked him what He thought. His answer was full of compassion and love. He said, “He that is without sin let him first cast a stone at her.” In a few minutes the place was empty, and we continue to read;

“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?

“She said, No man, lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light and the life of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” ¹⁴

I am impressed by the great love of the Savior in forgiving the adulteress woman when I hear the words of President James E. Faust’s song “This is the Christ” which reads, “How many drops of blood were shed for me?”¹⁵ When Christ stood before Pilate he spoke the words “for this cause came I into the world,”¹⁶ that cause being the redemption of his people. He had not yet suffered for the sins of the adulteress woman, but knowing the great physical and spiritual pain which He would face for her wrong, He offered her comfort and peace and forgiveness. I know that by following His example we can find the peace she must have felt. We can feel His love and know that we are not alone, that we are beloved by Him who died for us, and that we have a loving Heavenly Father who prepared the way for us through His Son so that we and our brothers and sisters may return to our home in heaven and have joy.

I know that our Father lives and I know that Christ lives. I know the peace that comes from granting forgiveness, and I know of the endless love God and Jesus have for me and for all his children. I know that Christ is not just my advocate with the Father, but that He is also the advocate for all the children of God and that all who come unto Him will be healed and forgiven. He knows our struggles and he will help us to overcome all that we are called to endure. He loves us, and has prepared the way for us to be whole, and to return to live with our Father, as eternal families so that we might have joy. I know that he came to earth and died for us, and that he arose from the grave, overcoming death. And I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bibliography:

1. The Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32

2. Luke 17:3

3. D/C 64:10

4. Matthew 6:14-15

5. Definition “Trespass” (dictionary.com)

6. Alma 7:11-12

7. John 14:18

8. D/C 18:10

9. “To Forgive is Divine.” Elder Theodore M. Burton, Ensign, May 1983.

10. “Hope and Healing in Recovering from Abuse.” Sarah E. Miller, Ensign, September 2008.

11. D/C 64:11

12. “Count Your Blessings.” Hymns no 241.

13. James 4:10

14. John 8:7, 10-12

15. “This is the Christ” Words by James E. Faust

16. John 18:37