Robertson Family

This is my sacrament talk given today.

Today I was asked to speak on forgiveness. I used LDS.org, the scriptures, a talk by President Hinckley entitled “Of You It Is Required” and a talk by Elder Samuelson entitled “Words of Forgiveness” as my resources to prepare this talk. I pray the Spirit will be here to inspire and teach you through my words.

To forgive is to pardon or excuse someone from blame for an offense or misdeed. To forgive is a divine attribute.  To have a forgiving heart is to see the world in a different light. It is forsaking the tendency to judge, condemn, exclude, or hate any human soul. A forgiving heart seeks to love and to be patient with imperfection. A forgiving heart understands that we all need the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The scriptures refer to forgiveness in two ways. First, The Lord commands us to repent of our sins and seek His forgiveness and second, He commands us to forgive those who offend or hurt us.

First, Seeking Forgiveness from the Lord

Sin is a heavy burden. It brings the tenseness of guilt and the anguish of knowing that we have acted against the will of our Father in Heaven. It brings lingering remorse as we realize that because of our actions, we may have hurt others and prevented ourselves from receiving blessings our Father has been ready to give us.

Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can receive forgiveness for our sins through sincere and complete repentance. Sinfulness brings suffering and pain, but the Lord's forgiveness brings relief, comfort, and joy. In D&C 58:42 the Lord has promised:

“Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more”.

In Isaiah 1:18 He says “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”.

There was a time in my life when my lifestyle and decisions were not in harmony with my Heavenly Father’s commandments. I was living in the world and of the world. Deep down inside I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but Satan had a firm grasp on me. In time I became tired of the guilt and sorrow of my actions. I decided it was time to forsake my old ways and seek forgiveness. I remember how hard it was to walk into that Bishop’s office that night, so hard that I almost turned around justifying to myself that it was too painful and definitely not worth it. Somehow I had the strength to stay. As I confessed my sins to the Bishop that evening and he counseled me something completely overtook me, it was peace. It filled my body and lifted my spirit. Never have I felt the Spirit the way I did that evening. I suddenly knew the atonement was real. I knew that Heavenly Father loved me and was waiting for me with His arms open ready to forgive me. As I left that evening I knew I was experiencing a miracle. Although I was forgiven I’ve never forgotten my sins. With time, and lots of prayer, the guilt has subsided because I know that I’ve been forgiven. But I am grateful that still I remember that time in my life. Passing through all that pain has given me great strength to make the right decisions today.

Each of us has made mistakes, large or small, which if left unresolved will keep us from the presence of God. For this reason, the atonement of Jesus Christ is the single most significant event that ever has or ever will occur. This selfless act of infinite consequence, performed by a single glorified personage, has eternal impact in the life of every son and daughter of our Father in Heaven—without exception. It shatters the bonds of death.  It can prevent an eternity under the control of the devil. It opens the gates to exaltation and eternal life for all who qualify for forgiveness through repentance and obedience.

The Redeemer can settle our individual account with justice and grant forgiveness through the merciful path of repentance. Full repentance is absolutely essential for the Atonement to work its complete miracle in our lives. By understanding the Atonement, we see that God is not a jealous being who delights in persecuting those who misstep. He is an absolutely perfect, compassionate, understanding, patient, and forgiving Father. He is willing to counsel, strengthen, lift, and fortify. He so loves each of us that He was willing to have His perfect, sinless, absolutely obedient, totally righteous Son experience indescribable agony and pain and give Himself in sacrifice for all. Through that atonement we can live in a world where absolute justice reigns in its sphere so the world will have order. But that justice is tempered through mercy attainable by obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Elder Anderson tells this story:

Years ago, I was asked to meet with a man who, long before our visit, had had a period of riotous living. As a result of his bad choices, he lost his membership in the Church. He had long since returned to the Church and was faithfully keeping the commandments, but his previous actions haunted him. Meeting with him, I felt his shame and his deep remorse at having set his covenants aside. Following our interview, I placed my hands upon his head to give him a priesthood blessing. Before speaking a word, I felt an overpowering sense of the Savior’s love and forgiveness for him. Following the blessing, we embraced and the man wept openly.

I am amazed at the Savior’s encircling arms of mercy and love for the repentant, no matter how selfish the forsaken sin. I testify that the Savior is able and eager to forgive our sins. Except for the sins of those few who choose perdition after having known a fullness, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven. What a marvelous privilege for each of us to turn away from our sins and to come unto Christ. Divine forgiveness is one of the sweetest fruits of the gospel, removing guilt and pain from our hearts and replacing them with joy and peace of conscience

Which of us is not in need of the miracle of repentance? We can all experience this miracle whether we need to repent of serious sins or day-to-day weaknesses. Just as the Savior pleaded with people anciently, He pleads with us today:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

”Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Our goal surely must be forgiveness.

Second, Forgiving Others

In addition to seeking forgiveness for our own sins, we must be willing to forgive others. The Lord said: ”Ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men“ (D&C 64:9-10).

A spirit of forgiveness and an attitude of love and compassion toward those who may have wronged us is of the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the everyday circumstances of life, we will surely be wronged by other people—sometimes innocently and sometimes intentionally. It is easy to become bitter or angry or vengeful in such situations, but this is not the Lord's way. The Savior counseled, ”Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you“ (Matthew 5:44). He set the perfect example of forgiveness when He was on the cross. Referring to the Roman soldiers who had crucified Him, He prayed, ”Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do“ (Luke 23:34 ).

The Savior told His disciples a parable so that they might more fully appreciate, remember, and apply the lesson that we must forgive everyone. It’s found in Matt. 18:23–32. He described a king who wanted to settle his accounts with his servants who owed him money. The first servant owed him 10,000 talents, which would probably be the modern equivalent of millions of U.S. dollars. The servant was not able to repay the debt, so the king ordered him and his family to be sold into slavery. The desperate servant petitioned for time and patience, promising to pay all. Touched by his sincerity, the king was moved with compassion and forgave his very large debt. The servant, therefore, fell down and worshiped him.

This same servant, who had just been the recipient of the king’s wonderful act of mercy and forgiveness, immediately went in search of a fellow servant who owed him 100 pence, the probable equivalent of a few U.S. dollars. He rudely demanded immediate payment. When the fellow servant pleaded for time and patience, the first servant was not willing to extend what he had just freely received from the king. He had his fellow servant cast into prison until he could pay the debt. This callous act was observed by other servants and duly reported to the king. “And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.” Jesus then added “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses” (Matt. 18:34–35).

Those who wish to consider themselves as disciples of the Master must understand that we, like the first servant, owe a great debt to our Heavenly King for the many gifts we have received from Him. This understanding unlocks the door to the gifts of repentance and our own forgiveness. The retention of these gifts depends upon our faithful forgiveness of those who have offended us. The Savior said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7) and, “With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged” (Matt. 7:2).

Forgiving others does not necessarily mean that we would endorse or approve of the behavior or transgression. In fact, there are many actions and attitudes that deserve clear condemnation. But even in these we must completely forgive the offender. “Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).

We should pray for strength to forgive those who have wronged us, and we should abandon feelings of anger, bitterness, or revenge. We should also look for the good in others rather than focusing on their faults and magnifying their weaknesses. God will be the judge of others' harmful actions.

It is the Savior’s desire that we each feel His peace. A familiar hymn assures us:

Sweet is the peace the gospel brings

To seeking minds and true.

With light refulgent on its wings

It clears the human view.

We may have much that worries us, and we may find many reasons to be concerned. Yet, as President Spencer W. Kimball writes in The Miracle of Forgiveness, peace and the Savior’s doctrine of forgiveness are inseparably connected: “The essence … of forgiveness is that it brings peace to the previously anxious, restless, frustrated, perhaps tormented soul.”

We must look to the Savior, not the wisdom of the world, for peace and forgiveness.

In all our forgiving and seeking forgiveness, we must recognize that, despite whatever restitution we may be capable of providing or receiving, our efforts and those of others are insufficient to meet the demands of eternal justice. How, then, is true forgiveness possible? Paul, in speaking to the Ephesians, wrote that it is in Christ that “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).

The blessings that flow from the gift of forgiveness are many. First among them is peace. It is the Savior’s desire that we each feel His peace. He said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The forgiveness we offer to others and the forgiveness we receive from Jesus Christ lead us to Him and along the path to eternal life.

In closing, I’d like to bear my testimony of the truthfulness of these things. Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and knows us individually. He is eager to see us succeed. I have felt the power of the atonement in my life. I know that it is real and truly a miracle. He will bear our sins away if we will just repent as he has directed. He will grant us forgiveness. I love my Heavenly Father and our Savior. I’m so grateful for the many blessings in my life, especially this Gospel. I’m grateful for this opportunity to have prepared this talk. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.