Last Sunday, a member of my church entrusted me with a copy of her notes from a talk on forgiveness. As I read her words, I found myself reflecting upon a simple question:
What is forgiveness?
At first, the answer seemed obvious. We have all heard the words, "I forgive you," or perhaps have sought forgiveness ourselves. Yet, as I sat quietly with the thought, I began to realize that forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts our Heavenly Father has given His children.
Forgiveness has the power to heal broken hearts, mend relationships, and lift burdens that have been carried far too long. It is not simply an act of kindness; it is a divine principle central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Guide to the Scriptures teaches that when God forgives us, He cancels or sets aside the punishment for our sins. Likewise, when we forgive others, we seek to treat them with Christlike love and release the feelings that have held us captive.
In many ways, forgiveness is less about changing another person and more about allowing God to change us.
"If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."
And when Peter asked how often he should forgive, the Lord replied:
"Until seventy times seven."
These scriptures remind me that forgiveness is not a single event. Rather, it is often a process—sometimes a lifelong one.
In my experience, asking for forgiveness requires humility. It requires us to acknowledge our mistakes and to seek to repair the hurt we may have caused. There is something deeply vulnerable about saying, "I was wrong. Will you forgive me?"
Likewise, extending forgiveness to another can be equally difficult.
There are wounds in this life that run deep. Some injuries are the result of misunderstandings, while others leave scars that remain with us for years. There are times when speaking face-to-face with those who have hurt us may not be possible or even wise. Yet, even then, we can place our pain into the hands of our Savior.
One of the most beautiful truths of the restored Gospel is the understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Through His suffering in Gethsemane and upon the cross, He not only took upon Himself our sins, but also our grief, our sorrows, our disappointments, and our heartache. He understands perfectly what it means to be wounded, betrayed, and misunderstood.
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows..."
Because of Him, we do not carry our burdens alone.
I have also come to believe that one of the hardest people to forgive is ourselves.
We remember our failures. We replay our mistakes. We wonder if we have done enough to merit forgiveness. Yet, the message of the Gospel is one of hope. Our Heavenly Father does not ask for perfection today. He asks for sincere repentance and a willing heart.
As children of God, we are all works in progress.
President Russell M. Nelson once taught that the Lord loves effort because effort brings rewards that cannot come without it. Each time we repent, each time we forgive, and each time we choose to begin again, we take another step along the covenant path.
Perhaps that is one of the greatest blessings of forgiveness: it allows us to move forward.
We no longer need to be prisoners of yesterday. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, we can become clean, hopeful, and renewed. We can see ourselves and others not as we once were, but as our Heavenly Father sees us—His beloved children.
Today, if there is someone you need to forgive, I invite you to pray for the strength to do so.
If there is someone from whom you need to seek forgiveness, may you find the courage to take that first step.
And if the person you struggle to forgive is the one staring back at you in the mirror, may you remember that the Savior's invitation extends to you as well.
And His forgiveness has the power to make all things new.
