Paul’s teachings about the principle of forgiveness
What were the people of Corinth commanded to do “if any have
caused grief”?
They
were commanded to forgive and to love those who would hurt or offend them. What a difficult thing to do sometimes. This is probably why it is such an important commandment;
it is one of the hardest to keep.
What blessings do we see if we forgive?
One of
the blessings we receive is that the Lord will be willing to forgive us our
trespasses when we forgive others. If we
are not willing to forgive others, neither will He forgive us. One of the other blessings that comes from
forgiving others is a feeling of peace and healing. Elder James E. Faust shared this story in his
talk entitled ‘The Healing Power of Forgiveness’ in the May 2007 Ensign.
In the beautiful hills
of Pennsylvania, a devout group of Christian people live a simple life without
automobiles, electricity, or modern machinery. They work hard and live quiet,
peaceful lives separate from the world. Most of their food comes from their own
farms. The women sew and knit and weave their clothing, which is modest and
plain. They are known as the Amish people.
A 32-year-old milk
truck driver lived with his family in their Nickel Mines community. He was not
Amish, but his pickup route took him to many Amish dairy farms, where he became
known as the quiet milkman. Last October he suddenly lost all reason and
control. In his tormented mind he blamed God for the death of his first child
and some unsubstantiated memories. He stormed into the Amish school without any
provocation, released the boys and adults, and tied up the 10 girls. He shot
the girls, killing five and wounding five. Then he took his own life.
This shocking violence
caused great anguish among the Amish but no anger. There was hurt but no hate.
Their forgiveness was immediate. Collectively they began to reach out to the
milkman’s suffering family. As the milkman’s family gathered in his home the
day after the shootings, an Amish neighbor came over, wrapped his arms around
the father of the dead gunman, and said, “We will forgive you.” 1 Amish leaders visited the milkman’s wife and
children to extend their sympathy, their forgiveness, their help, and their
love. About half of the mourners at the milkman’s funeral were Amish. In turn,
the Amish invited the milkman’s family to attend the funeral services of the
girls who had been killed. A remarkable peace settled on the Amish as their
faith sustained them during this crisis.
One local resident
very eloquently summed up the aftermath of this tragedy when he said, “We were
all speaking the same language, and not just English, but a language of caring,
a language of community, [and] a language of service. And, yes, a language of
forgiveness.” 2 It was an amazing
outpouring of their complete faith in the Lord’s teachings in the Sermon on the
Mount: “Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you.” 3
The family of the
milkman who killed the five girls released the following statement to the
public:
“To our Amish friends,
neighbors, and local community:
“Our family wants each
of you to know that we are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy
that you’ve extended to us. Your love for our family has helped to provide the
healing we so desperately need. The prayers, flowers, cards, and gifts you’ve
given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion
has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world,
and for this we sincerely thank you.
“Please know that our
hearts have been broken by all that has happened. We are filled with sorrow for
all of our Amish neighbors whom we have loved and continue to love. We know
that there are many hard days ahead for all the families who lost loved ones,
and so we will continue to put our hope and trust in the God of all comfort, as
we all seek to rebuild our lives.” 4
This story perfectly illustrates
the beautiful peace and comfort that comes to those who are hurt and offended,
when they are willing to forgive. The
families who lost their loved ones could have held a grudge for the rest of
their lives, causing anguish in their own hearts and bitterness toward the
family of the killer. Instead, they felt
love and compassion for the family of the killer and worked to find the peace
and comfort that is promised to those who can forgive.
What is the danger of failing to forgive?
Paul
teaches that if we fail to forgive, Satan can get ahold upon us and take
advantage of us in our weakness. I
believe that when we sin, we become very susceptible to temptation, and by not
repenting (remember, forgiving someone is actually repenting too!) we can be
easily led to sin again.
I know
that through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of
our sins. I know that there is a perfect
sense of peace that comes from forgiving others when they have hurt or offended
us. When we do so, we are blessed to know our Savior. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Sources:
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/64?lang=eng
