Lesson Recap and Video link

Daughters of God: Listening to the RIGHT Voice Inside of Us

Given by Devon Linn

Sunday, May 12 (Mother's Day)

So this topic today seems to be something the Lord wants us, as sisters in our ward, to discuss, and it has come from multiple promptings. First, I asked the Bishop a couple of months ago if there was anything new he wanted us to focus on for the year, and he told me that he felt really strongly that the sisters in our ward need to remember to try to see themselves the way that the Lord sees them. I mulled that over for awhile and we have planned a few lessons and activities around that general theme. But then I prayed for promptings of what we needed to hear during General Conference last month and I suddenly felt really strongly during President Uchtdorf's talk during the Priesthood Session that what he was saying was really really important for all of us to think about. As I went back to re-read what the Bishop had directed me on, I was amazed how exactly they aligned.  

I am going to read the portion of President Uchtdorf's talk that the Spirit struck as me being the most important thing for us all to hear (but since it was given during the Priesthood session, I am taking the liberty of changing all of the "sons and brothers" to "daughters and sisters" since the message is universal):

One title that defines all of us in the most fundamental way is [daughter] of Heavenly Father. No matter what else we are or do in life, we must never forget that we are God’s literal spirit children. We were His children before we came to this world, and we will be His children forevermore. This basic truth should change the way we look at ourselves, our brothers and sisters, and life itself.

Unfortunately, none of us quite lives up to everything that this title implies, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

It can be discouraging at times to know what it means to be a [daughter] of God and yet come up short. The adversary likes to take advantage of these feelings. Satan would rather that you define yourself by your sins instead of your divine potential.  [sisters], don’t listen to him.

We have all seen a toddler learn to walk. He takes a small step and totters. He falls. Do we scold such an attempt? Of course not. What father would punish a toddler for stumbling? We encourage, we applaud, and we praise because with every small step, the child is becoming more like his parents.

Now, [sisters], compared to the perfection of God, we mortals are scarcely more than awkward, faltering toddlers. But our loving Heavenly Father wants us to become more like Him, and, dear [sisters], that should be our eternal goal too. God understands that we get there not in an instant but by taking one step at a time.

I do not believe in a God who would set up rules and commandments only to wait for us to fail so He could punish us. I believe in a Heavenly Father who is loving and caring and who rejoices in our every effort to stand tall and walk toward Him. Even when we stumble, He urges us not to be discouraged—never to give up or flee our allotted field of service—but to take courage, find our faith, and keep trying.

2013 April General Conference, Four Titles, Priesthood Session - By  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

So we are HIS DAUGHTERS. We should know what that means, but we often forget to think of ourselves first and foremost as "daughters of God." I think this can be best shown with the example of how we, as women, think and talk about ourselves. One example is how women can become such complete pros at giving disclaimers or excuses over all sorts of things..."this gift isn't perfect...I look awful cause I'm not wearing any mascara...my house isn't clean (when it sure looks it)....I'm the world's worst Visiting Teacher..." even my personal favorite "I shouldn't be allowed to teach this lesson -- I should be sitting there listening to someone else teach it, cause I'm not perfect at this topic yet..." (which obviously doesn't apply to this lesson, since I can't say that NOW that we're talking about it.)

President Uchtdorf gave a perfect example of this habit of women in his talk "Happiness, Your Heritage" (from the Relief Society Broadcast in Sep. 2008).  He explained the differences between how his wife feels when she cooks a perfectly prepared, delicious, beautifully presented meal and yet always has some disclaimer about needing a bit more ginger, or using just one bay leaf next time. President Uchtdorf, on the other hand, feels proud of his cooking when he burns toast or cooks fried eggs extra runny.

Even if you think, "oh, I don't do that" you occasionally do it without even realizing it, whether it's about your house, your clothes, a gift you give, your strengths and weaknesses, or even your thoughts or behavior. But it's not the disclaimers themselves that's the problem -- the root problem is HOW we are seeing and thinking of ourselves and where those voices and thoughts are coming from. 

I think it's important we understand the "why" and look inside our hearts and honestly ask ourselves some questions:

Why do we do this? What makes us feel that we need to focus on the negatives about ourselves?

Answers from class:

• Feeling insecure in ourselves and our strengths
• Fear of Being Judged (and partly, by judging others)
• Feeling less than others because of comparing ourselves unfairly
• Fear of being thought to be imperfect (or feeling guilty that we AREN'T perfect)
• Fear that we aren't as good or loved as others
• We are focused on OUR imperfections, yet only see other's presentable best
• Feelings of our unworthiness, and disappointing the Lord
• Feeling that we have to do everything ourselves, and fear of falling short.

ALL OF THESE COME FROM LISTENING TO THE WRONG VOICE! It is Satan who is making us think and feel these ways, as not good enough, not righteous enough, not worthy enough, not pretty enough, not friendly enough, not enough, enough, ENOUGH!

So we need to ask ourselves another question:

How can we stop listening to Satan's Lies and instead listen to the Savior?

• Spend our time and energy doing the things that help us feel the Spirit on a consistent basis. He is the real "JUDGE" to help us listen to the right voice.  This includes all of the "Sunday School answers" like pray, scripture study, and church attendance.

• Pray for DISCERNMENT specifically and often - that we can see ourselves the way the Lord does. Pray for EACH OTHER -- especially your fellow sisters in the gospel  Pray that they see themselves more positively.

• Remind each other! When we hear each other saying negative things about themselves, maybe say..."Oh, none of that. Give yourself a pat on the back this time, you are amazing!"

• Take the time each week during the sacrament to pay attention to the right voice to guide you in your focus to overcome weaknesses. What a perfect time and place to renew that covenant with the Lord and aligning to His plans for you!

• EVALUATE OUR PROMPTINGS CAREFULLY (Guilt vs. Shame)  If we're doing something that goes against the Lord's commandments for us then the Spirit can tell us to change -- but the Spirit is never going to make us feel bad about ourselves for things that aren't spiritually important for ourselves or others. President Coe talked about this at the Adult Session of stake conference last week when he talked about Guilt versus Shame.  He taught that we need to evaluate what things in our life give us a sense of guilt -- what things make us feel the euphoria of confidence in the Lord -- and what things make us feel shameful and alone. He taught that the Lord, even when He shows us our faults, always uses a spirit of Hope. We need to focus on listening to the promptings to change that bring us the Lord's confidence and to avoid the voices that pull us into shame and isolation.

Start Today: Listen to the RIGHT Voice! 

True joy, the elusive thing we are all searching for, comes only through a firsthand, personal, intimate daily relationship with Jesus Christ–this is our goal. Don't let Satan's lies keep you from Him.

Quote: Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside. -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

  

You are each amazing women, and I hope that the point of this lesson resonates with our gospel knowledge that we are divine daughters of God.  We are great as we are... with make-up, without make-up, with enough money, without enough money, with a dirty kitchen or a burnt dinner or a gift someone doesn't want....the Lord sees us as amazing and "good enough" because we are HIS, and He made us!  I know that someday we are going to be blown away when we realize what He sees as really important, because I have seen that in you. The service you all give so readily, the comfort to those in need, the ministering to your visiting teaching sisters....YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!  Please start recognizing that in your lives.  Please give yourself the same benefit of the doubt that the Lord expects us to give each other.  And you will find, in humility with the Spirit this truth-- you are the Lord's creation that you are often throwing darts at.  You are HIS, and the great things you do are gifts from him.  Don't throw mud on His masterpiece.

And if you need help reminding yourself what the RIGHT voice sounds like, it will sound something like this:

You are a DAUGHTER of God.  You are his child!  He loves you unconditionally. He knows your individual potential and progress. He does not rank you or compare you with anyone else. He KNOWS you're not perfect, yet he is proud of your righteous desires!

And above all remind yourself that no mistake, no weakness, no past behavior or trial is outside of the healing and redemptive power of the Atonement. His grace is sufficient to make you whole.  And we need to bear testimony to that truth by how we treat and think about ourselves everyday.

Here is the video we didn't get time to watch, because we were too busy eating cheesecake. Enjoy watching, and remember that each of us are individuals and that we are HIS daughters!

Mormon Messages: Daughter of God Video (2 minutes)

Lesson: Forgiving others

We ran out of time for the last few ideas about how to forgive, so I give the full lesson here, for those who missed it or those who asked about the ending.

"Of you it is required to forgive", Lesson 23, George Albert Smith, given by Ellen King

By forgiving others, we free ourselves from the burden of hatred and prepare ourselves for eternal life.

That is the promise of this lesson. It's more about you and what's going on in your heart. So look inward.

This is always a good lesson because who here has not been hurt by:

• A parent who did or didn't do or say something.
• A teacher who did or didn't do or say something.
• A bishop who did or didn't do or say something.
• A visiting teacher who did or didn't do or say something.
• An employer who did or didn't do or say something.
• A husband who did or didn't do or say something.
• A friend or neighbor who did or didn't do or say something.

And what happens? We bury it. We deny our part in it. It festers. It pops up unexpectedly. It puts into motion a sequence of events that change our lives. Resentment and bitterness become a poison inside of us.

The hurt may be perceived or real. A realistic or high expectation that was unmet. A disappointment. A regret. A careless, thoughtless word or comment. And so on.

Forgiving others is good for our souls. Forgiveness frees us from the festering resentment. When we forgive we are told that our sins will be forgiven by God. Our hearts become clean and we can move into a brighter future without the burdens of the past. We are prepared to meet God.

A fine example

George Albert Smith learned a young age and incorporated that learning into his life.

In 1897, while still a young man, George Albert Smith enlisted in the Utah National Guard. At the encouragement of some of his companions, he ran for an elected office in the Guard, but during the weeks leading up to the election, a rival guardsman began spreading false rumors accusing George Albert Smith of unethical practices. As a result, Sergeant Smith lost an election that he felt he should have won. What made the situation more difficult was that the man who spread the false rumors had once been a friend.

Though he tried to brush it off, the offense filled George Albert Smith’s heart with bitterness. He went to church the following Sunday, but he did not feel right about taking the sacrament. He prayed for help and realized that he needed to repent of the resentment he was feeling. 

...A few years later, George Albert Smith made forgiving others one of his lifelong goals when he wrote in his personal creed: “I would not knowingly wound the feeling of any, not even one who may have wronged me, but would seek to do him good and make him my friend.” 

A close associate of President Smith observed that the ability to forgive was indeed one of his defining attributes: “Truly he forgave all men. He was aware in all of his life of the commandment of God: God will forgive whom he will forgive. As for us, we must forgive all men. He could do that, and then refer the matter to God. As he forgave I am sure he forgot. When one who forgives can forget, then truly that man is an unusual man, indeed a man of God!^"

 That's our goal, to love unconditionally, forgive all. But none of us is there yet.

If we understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are more disposed to forgive others.

There is one thing that we could well strive to cultivate, and that is, the disposition to forgive one another our trespasses. The spirit of forgiveness is a virtue without which we shall never fully realize the blessings we hope to receive.

The people of the world do not understand … how the Savior felt when in the agony of his soul, he cried to his Heavenly Father, not to condemn and destroy these who were taking his mortal life, but he said:

“… Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34.)

That should be the attitude of all of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That should be the attitude of all the sons and daughters of God and would be, it seems to me, if they fully understood the plan of salvation. … Anger and hatred in our hearts will not bring us peace and happiness.

The Lord has given us great information, has revealed His mind and will unto us, has taught us things that the world knows not of, and, in accordance with the information we have received, He holds us responsible and expects us to live a higher life, a more ideal life than those who do not as fully comprehend the Gospel as we do. The spirit of forgiveness is something that the Latter-day Saints might with profit exhibit more fully among themselves. … We must get into a condition where we can forgive our brethren.

How does understanding the gospel make us more disposed to forgive? What do we know that others don't? How might that help us forgive?

We have the big picture. The plan of salvation tells us about the life before, the reason for this life, the possibilities of the life to come. More than any other church. Perhaps that big picture can keep us from getting caught up in trivial, petty hurts.

We know about the true nature of God, his love for us, all of us; His plan for us; His commitment to our agency and growth; the promise of our future.

How do we get in that "condition where we can forgive"?

Perhaps by now you are thinking of someone that has offended you in some way.

So, you tell me about this person, and your emotions rise and you feel the hurt again, and I say, “You just need to forgive that person.”

Okay, you’re thinking, just like that [squint and concentrate and grunt] ...and there! It’s done! Just like that. All forgiven.

Easy right? No, it is not that easy. So, how is it done?

Let me share some ideas and I’ll ask you to add your own thoughts.

1. Make a list.


   
   Who hurt you? Who do you feel victimized, mistreated, used, or abused? Who has rejected you, or caused you pain? Who has disappointed you?


   
   Take the opportunity to get it all out. The goal is deep healing.


   
   President Thomas S. Monson explained that "conflicts in relationships often come from unresolved disputes, which lead to ill feelings, followed by remorse and regret.” Other conflicts ―find their beginnings in disappointments, jealousies, arguments, and imagined hurts. We must solve them—lay them to rest and not leave them to canker, fester, and ultimately destroy (Thomas S. Monson, Hidden Wedges, Ensign, May 2002, 18).

 [I highly recommend this entire talk.]
   
   Make sure your own name is on that list.
   
   How many times have you repressed your own feelings and thoughts, neglected yourself, believed untrue things about yourself, kicked yourself over a mistake, demanded too much of yourself, not trusted yourself? Sometimes we punish ourselves harshly.


   
   President Thomas S. Monson explained: "There are some who have difficulty forgiving themselves and who dwell on all of their perceived shortcomings. I quite like the account of a religious leader who went to the side of a woman who lay dying, attempting to comfort her—but to no avail.
   
   'I am lost,‘ she said. 'I‘ve ruined my life and every life around me. There is no hope for me.‘
   
   The man noticed a framed picture of a lovely girl on the dresser. 'Who is this?‘ he asked.
   
   The woman brightened. 'She is my daughter, the one beautiful thing in my life.'
   
   He said, ‘And would you help her if she were in trouble or had made a mistake? Would you forgive her? Would you still love her?‘
   
   'Of course I would!‘ cried the woman. 'I would do anything for her. Why do you ask such a question?‘
   
   'Because I want you to know,‘ said the man, 'that figuratively speaking, Heavenly Father has a picture of you on His dresser. He loves you and will help you. Call upon Him.' (Thomas S. Monson, Hidden Wedges, Ensign, May 2002, 18). 

2.  Be willing. (Sometimes we call this a broken heart and contrite spirit.)


   
   Open you mind and heart to the process.

 Resolve to seek peace and healing in your life, in yourself, in your relationships.
   
   

Perhaps our hurt or anger is justified, but hanging on to that justification is not pleasant. It festers, it isolates us, it causes deep emotional pain.


   
   Be willing to be at peace with the people in your life, willing to be free of guilt, fear, resentment, and being “the victim”.


   
   Forgiving someone does not mean we condone their actions or words. It does not mean we have continue to take what someone has to dish out. It means we want to learn from it and move on.


   
   It means a change of heart, our heart. 
It begins with a vision of what that healing and love can be in our lives.

   
   It means being willing to be directed by God. And he will direct you.

   
   It means dropping defenses and pride, and cleaning things up.

   
   It’s the beginning of a transformation.

    
3. Fully work through the feelings.


   
   Often we have stuffed them down, denied how we felt.


   
   Open yourself to the feelings.
   
   It’s the grieving process: Denial, resentment, anger, sadness, to acceptance.

 Feel those feelings fully.


   
   Run a hot bath, shed some tears, write in journal.
   
   

Write a letter to that person to help you clarify your feelings. Then throw it out.


   
   This may take time, but don’t go too long. The idea is to face your feelings head on and feel them.


   
   Often your eyes will be open to something you need to learn about taking care of yourself, establishing some boundaries, or trusting your own wants and needs.


   
   Or you may see your part in it and what you need to do to make amends.


   
   Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained: "The Spirit has a near-impossible task to get through to a heart that is filled with hate or anger or vengeance or self-pity." (Jeffrey R. Holland, CES Fireside for Young Adults, Lessons from Liberty Jail, Sep. 7, 2008, Brigham Young University).

    
4. Forgive
 Ask God to help you forgive, to let go, even to forget.

 It is partaking of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
   
   Here are some things that have worked for others:


   • Sometimes it helps to ask God to bless that person, to shower happiness on him/her.
   • 

Try saying aloud “I forgive you”. Hearing your own voice is powerful. Say it aloud to God and he will confirm it or let you know what the next step is.


   • Force yourself to think good, positive thoughts about the person.


   • Ask God to give you the gift of forgiveness and restore the relationship.


   • Don’t seek this too soon before all the feelings are felt, but don’t wait too long.


   • Don’t force this. It will find you.


      
   Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained: "We cannot repent for someone else. But we can forgive someone else, refusing to hold hostage those whom the Lord seeks to set free! (Repentance, Ensign, Nov. 1991, 30).

    
5. Only go to that person if the Spirit directs

.
   
   Forgiving a person does not give them permission to continue to treat us poorly.


   
   Forgiving a person doesn’t mean they even need to know.


   
   Forgiving a person doesn’t mean they will apologize.


   
   Sometimes forgiving a person means talking to them, or making amends. God will guide you as to what to do and say.

    
6. Recognize the gifts forgiveness brings


   
   Letting go of resentment is the key to the gift of forgiveness.


   
   The gift may be the lesson we learn about ourselves and our relationship. Sometimes that’s all we take away.


   
   The gift is feeling right in our hearts and with God. A peace like no other.


   
   The gift is the personal growth.


   
   The gift is freedom of conscience.


   
   The gift is a brighter future and better relationships, unhindered by the past.
   
   

Ultimately, the gift is eternal life.


   
   Our goal is to forgive and forget the incident, when we have accepted and healed from it. We strive to remember only our lesson from the experience. We learn we can be grateful, for many have come into our lives to help us learn and grow—sometimes through opposition, sometimes through love, sometimes by reflecting to us what we need to work on in ourselves.

    
7. Avoid taking offense.


   
   George Albert Smith: "By choosing to not take offense, we can purge from our hearts all feelings of unkindness." 


   
   Elder David A. Bednar taught: "When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false." (David A. Bednar, And Nothing Shall Offend Them, Ensign, Nov 2006). 


   
   President Thomas S. Monson taught: "Sometimes we can take offense so easily. On other occasions we are too stubborn to accept a sincere apology. Who will subordinate ego, pride, and hurt—then step forward with, 'I am truly sorry! Let‘s be as we once were: friends. Let‘s not pass to future generations the grievances, the anger of our time.'" (Thomas S. Monson, Hidden Wedges, Ensign, May, 2002, 18).

By forgiving others, we prepare ourselves for the celestial kingdom.

George Albert Smith:

Let each of us live in such a way that the adversary will have no power over us. If you have any differences one with another, if there have been any disagreements between yourself and your neighbors, settle them just as soon as you possibly can, under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, in order that when the time comes both you and your descendants who may be following after you may be prepared to receive an inheritance in the celestial kingdom.

...We will be in this world only a short time. The youngest and strongest of us are simply preparing for the other life, and before we get into the glory of our Father and enjoy the blessings that we hope to receive through faithfulness, we will have to live the laws of patience, and exercise forgiveness toward those who trespass against us, and remove from our hearts all feelings of hatred toward them.

...May we have the Spirit of the Master dwelling within us, that we may forgive all men as He has commanded, forgive, not only with our lips but in the very depths of our hearts, every trespass that may have been committed against us. If we do this through life, the blessings of the Lord will abide in our hearts and our homes.

  Sisters, forgiveness is hard, but possible, and oh so necessary, so...

Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God . . . will be with thee. (1 Chr. 28:20)

e

Video: Forgiveness

Have a tissue handy...

My Burden Was Made Light

Forgiveness and the power of Jesus Christ enable a man to survive losing his wife and several children in a car accident—and allow the offending driver to begin rebuilding his own life. Read President James E. Faust's talk on forgiveness: http://bit.ly/alS1ui.

Facing and Overcoming Addiction

If you or someone you love struggles with addiction, there is hope.

Web resources
Check out this website, Facing and Overcoming Addiction--Resources and Personal Stories. 

If you are a wife or mother of someone who is struggling with addiction to pornography, there is help here for you too...spouses, parents.

Support group
We have an Addiction Recovery Program in our area, provided by the Church and based on gospel principles. It is confidential and is meant for those with addictions, those affected by addictions, and support people. Everyone is at a different step of recovery so there is a lot of love and understanding.

It's every Sunday at 7:30 pm at the Stake Center. I go down every week and would be glad to pick you up. Call me.

e

Question & Answer Lesson

This week the Bishopric organized a question and answer lesson for our combined RS/PH lesson.

Elder Scott suggested this in a 4-hour training session with local PH leadership. Let the ward members offer help and answers for each other.

Each question and answer are limited to just a few minutes. Comments were offered in an encouraging way because these are honest questions from the heart.

Here are a few of the questions:

Q
What's the best way to help a wayward child that has been taught well?

A
Parents pressuring all the time may irritate and backfire.
Honor agency.
Live your life so they will always want to be there with you.
Remember the parable of  the prodigal son.
The cycle will take it's course.
Discuss through the years God's love for them.
Have total unequivable acceptance.
Keep hope.
Tell of your love for them.
Express pride in them, in their lives as they are now.

Q
Is there such a thing as a sin that cannot be forgiven?

A
If we accept Christ, he will cover our sins. If not we will have to pay the price.
Sometimes we choose to keep some of our sins. We are forgiven of those which we choose to give to Him.
Only sin against the Holy Ghost is unforgivable.
Come unto Christ. It's always an invitation.

Q
Why don't we have going away get-togethers for families leaving?

A
The Bishop answered that with all the new move-ins and move-outs they were afraid that someone would be overlooked and get feelings hurt.
Maybe we could do it once a month and make it a general gathering after church, a potluck.

Q
My spouse means well but is too critical of others. What can I do to help?

A 
Be gentle but firm, ask "do you need to rethink you view".
The core teaching of the gospel is forgiveness. Think about how far you are following him.
Look at your own faults.
Let's not be too judgmental about those who are judgmental. Look inward first.

Q
Can we bless and pass the sacrament while camping on Sunday?

A 
There are special occasions such as scout jamborees and so on, that create special memories.
Only under the direction of the bishop, that is, the bishop for the area you are camping in.
Try to attend a church in the area where you are.

There were quite a variety of questions and answers and we hope to do this again.

Thanks, Bishop.

New Church Website: Combating Pornography

The Church has just released a new anti-porn website: Combating Pornography: Replacing darkness with light

If you or someone you love is struggling with pornography, there is hope. You’ll find articles and resources for five audiences: Individuals, Spouses, Parents, Youth and Leaders.

Each of those main categories carries four subcategories: Prevent, Recognize, Overcome and Support. Thus, each group gets individualized attention.

There is also a list of books and articles as suggested reading for pornography users and their spouses or family members.

In whatever way pornography or addiction to pornography may touch your lives now or in the future, I encourage you to take a few minutes to visit this new website and learn more about how to avoid it, how to heal from it or how to help others.

I'll post a permanent link to it in the right column of the blog.

e

P.S. If you or someone you know is addicted to pornography. Please join us on Sunday evenings for the Addiction Recovery Support group. Call Evone Pope, Deb Chiapelli or Ellen King.

Lesson Recap: The Power of Forgiving

JS Lesson 34 The Power of Forgiving
Taught by Marie Tiller

The Saints should be armed with mercy
notwithstanding the iniquity among us.

“A man who had stood high in the Church while in Far West [Missouri], was taken down with chills or ague and fever. While his mind as well as body was weak, disaffected parties soured his mind and persuaded him to leave the Saints and go with them. He gave some testimony against the Prophet. While the Saints were settling in Commerce, having recovered from his illness, he removed from Missouri to Quincy, Illinois. There he went to work chopping cordwood to obtain means to take himself and family to Nauvoo, and [give] a present to the injured man of God if, peradventure, he would forgive and permit him to return to the fold. … He felt that there was salvation nowhere else for him and if that was denied him all was lost as far as he was concerned. He started with a sorrowful heart and downcast look.

“While [the man was] on the way the Lord told Brother Joseph he was coming. The Prophet looked out of the window and saw him coming up the street. As soon as he turned to open the gate the Prophet sprang up from his chair and ran and met him in the yard, exclaiming, ‘O Brother—–, how glad I am to see you!’ He caught him around the neck and both wept like children.

“Suffice it to say that proper restitution was made and the fallen man again entered the Church by the door, received his Priesthood again, went upon several important missions, gathered with the Saints in Zion and died in full faith.”

This man could have used his illness to excuse his behavior, but his heart was changed and he did all he could to seek out all injured parties and make restitution.

Joseph freely forgave him and welcomed him back.

Forgiveness involves mercy, long-suffering, patience, sorrow, joy, justice, restitution, strength, tenderness, loss, and unity.

The natural woman in us makes this principle challenging to live, sometimes. We judge, we misunderstand and we are ever trying to balance mercy with the desire for justice.

This is where the Atonement comes in to soften our hearts that we may have mercy towards one another.

It is necessary in our families, and in a ward family, where we know so much about each other and our weaknesses.

Forgiving can restore unity of feeling, trust, and peace in our lives.

Let us emulate Joseph Smith's example, "And I will now covenant with you before God, that I will not listen to or credit any derogatory report against any of you, nor condemn you upon any testimony beneath the heavens, ... until I can see you face to face, and know of a surety; and I do place unremitted confidence in your word, for I believe you to be [wo]men of truth."