As
I read Mosiah 4 this morning, I could not help but think on the situation of a
dear friend who has confided that his wife has not trusted him since before
their marriage because of something he did even before they married! What?
How can that be? How can you
raise a righteous family who are raising righteous families of their own, and
not believe in the principle of forgiveness?
How can you withhold that sacred gift from someone you are sealed to for
eternity? How can you not believe Christ
enough to know that the forgiveness you seek for your own sins is not something
you are required to give to others – especially those you love? (And we are told to love everyone.)
King
Benjamin makes it clear that we are all beggars. (v19) Even more than that aspect of forgiveness is
the peace and joy that come from truly forgiving. The first thing the people did when they
heard the words of King Benjamin was to fall to the earth and view themselves
as unworthy. Then they cried that the
Lord would have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that they would
receive forgiveness of their sins so that they would be purified. They BELIEVED in Jesus Christ! Then they were filled with joy because their
sins were remitted. This is a tangible
thing, folks. If you don’t believe it,
you haven’t experienced it.
Then
King Benjamin goes on to tell them that they must not withhold this same type
of forgiveness from others. Maybe not in
so many words, but in content. If you do
these things, you will “. . . retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall
grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you. . .” This is the clincher to me: v13 “. . .ye will
not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to
every man according to that which is his due.”
Maybe this is a stretch, but I believe not. Isn’t a husband who is deprived of the love,
adoration and affection from his wife being deprived? Is she not “withholding”? Is this a lack of faith in the
Atonement? I believe it is.
And
now I will step down from my soapbox. I
know the Atonement is real. I know
forgiveness is a gift Heavenly Father gives to us when we truly repent. I also know that carrying anger, resentment,
disappointment, and hurt over unfulfilled promises is a burden that weighs the
spirit down and you become numb to the things of God. This is a frightening and dangerous place to
be. I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve
had throughout my life to forgive. I
have an ex-husband whom I’ve been able to forgive and even become friends
with. I still don’t seek his company,
but I have no evil intent toward him and wish him well in his life. Forgiving a relative guilty of abusing one of
my children was a sacred experience. It
was real; it was tangible. I still
wonder how I was able to do that, yet the only answer I have when I think on it
is that it was the power of the Atonement.
It is that same gift and power that allows my marriage to be so
rich. Neither of us is perfect – far from
it, in fact. But when we slip up and do
something hurtful, forgiveness comes in a sweet way, and our marriage becomes
even more precious to us and we continue moving forward. This is a GIFT of the Atonement, I have no
doubt.
I
love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I don’t
know how it is done. It is one of the
mysteries of heaven, and I’m okay with that.
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