Sister Sarah Call
Young Women Secretary
A month or so ago I got in a heated argument with a loved one. Some things were said that I was both very hurt and angry about. For most of the next day I played the argument over and over in my head. I kept reliving the experience thinking about what had been said. I was full of both anger and pain. That evening I was on a walk and was thinking about the argument again. Then I remembered part of a come follow me podcast I had listened to a few weeks back. The Podcaster was talking about forgiveness and shared an experience where she had been wronged. She prayed that the pain and anger would be taken away from her and that she could forget. I decided to do just that. I said a small prayer right then and told the Lord about the pain and anger I had. Then I asked him to take that away from me. I asked him to help me forget the argument. Later that night I thought back to the argument again. I couldn't even remember the words that had hurt me so much. Both the pain and anger were gone. In that moment I was so surprised. I tried to think harder about what had happened and I couldn't.
This small miracle was a strong reminder to me of what the atonement is capable of. It is there for us to be forgiven, to learn how to forgive, and to draw closer to Christ. It helps us become like him. Use the Lord to help you forgive, because many times it is something we can't do on our own. I had never before thought to pray for that.
In April 2007, James E. Faust gave a talk on forgiveness. He said, 'Dr. Sidney Simon, a recognized authority on values realization, has provided an excellent definition of forgiveness as it applies to human relationships:
“Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.” '
Let us use this advice and put our energy to better things. I have a testimony of the atonement and testify that Christ did come to earth to atone for our sins. Let's take this gift Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have given us and put it to good use.
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