“Forgiving Others: What’s in It for Me?” New Era, Sept. 2019, 6.
Forgiving Others: What’s in It for Me?
Four blessings found through forgiving.
Illustration by Joel Castillo
When was the last time someone made you angry or hurt your feelings? Are you still a little upset about that experience, or have you let it go? One of the things Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ help you do is forgive others. As you forgive others, you follow God’s commandment to “forgive all men” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:10), but you also receive a bunch of blessings. Here are just a few of those blessings:
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You strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ. When you don’t hold grudges, Jesus Christ can heal you. As He helps you heal, your testimony of Him and His Atonement will grow (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:63; Psalm 147:3).
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You have more energy. Not forgiving others can wipe you out mentally and emotionally. So, when you forgive others, you trade in anger for happiness, confusion for clarity, and tiredness for energy.
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You feel the Spirit more. Forgiving others helps you to have the Holy Ghost with you. Wouldn’t you like to feel more love for others, for God, and for yourself? The Holy Ghost can give you that, plus more peace and guidance (see Galatians 5:22).
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You get blessings from keeping the commandments. Heavenly Father blesses you when you keep the commandments, and since forgiving others is a commandment, He can bless you even more (see Doctrine and Covenants 64:10; 130:21).