Forgiveness - My Thoughts

“He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.”― Martin Luther King Jr. 

Over the past year, I have thought a lot about forgiveness. I even attended a workshop (or class) at LDS Single Adult Conference in May about forgiveness. It is one of the hardest commandments to live. Forgiving others is a constant battle for me. A few years back, I found myself saying “Susan, you don’t have to like that person, just don’t wish that person ill.” I found the anger inside leaving and kinder thoughts about that person being more frequent.  

I have seen examples in my life and I have read and heard stories of how the lack of forgiveness can affect lives and the lives of others. Recently over the pulpit, I have heard the story “A Piece of String”. A man was accused of robbery when he bent down to pick up a piece of string. Eventually he was released from prison when his innocence was discovered. But he never forgave those who put him in prison and would remind people quite a bit of why he was falsely imprisoned. On his death bed, this bitter man was still repeating the story of picking up a piece of string.  

Earlier in the year, I  read “Let It Go: A True Story of Tragedy and Forgiveness” by Chris Williams. It is a true account of what happen when he lost his wife and two children to a drunk driver. His first thoughts right after the accident was to forgive. At the time of the accident, Chris Williams did not know that the drunk driver lived in the same LDS ward as his wife’s parents. At the time this happened, I was a member of this same ward. Instead of the event dividing the ward, it united the ward. I am grateful that Chris Williams forgave. His decision to forgive affected more than his family. 

I thought of a friend, who passed away a year ago. When we worked together at the insurance company, we clashed. One December day, after both left the insurance company, I saw her at the temple. It was like whatever bad between us had happen was dissolved. What happened at the insurance company stayed there and was never mentioned. No apologies mentioned, but then the apologies weren't needed. We both let go of the anger and whatever bad was between us. She gave me a second chance and forgave me for being human. The atonement was able to work in our lives.