Choices and Forgiveness

Why do some people think that the choices they make only affect them? For example, a woman has an abortion because, she says, it’s her body and she's not hurting anyone else. Or if someone does not take care of their health, are they only affecting themselves?

I've thought a lot about the choices we make.  Yes, we have our free agency to make the choices we do. But are we only affecting ourselves?  I think not.

What of that aborted child? Did that woman who chose to abort that child simply affect herself? What about the generations that are possibly affected because that child was not born or given a chance to develop and have posterity of their own.

And what about the person whose health failed because of the choices they made and now rely on others to take care of them.  What happened to their agency?

I've made some very poor choices in my life time as I know we all have.  But somehow I have been greatly blessed so I must be doing some things right too.

There is a book called Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball.  It is a wonderful book and one that everyone should read. It talks about forgiveness in every aspect. And because of the choices we make we all need forgiveness. The chapters title give us a clue as to what's contained in the book.

• This Life is the Time: "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God" - Alma 34:32. Don't delay your repentance.  We must work on being forgiven in this life time.
• No Unclean Thing Can Enter: "All men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence . . ." - Moses 6:57. We must be sanctified in order to be in God's presence.  There is no other way.
• None Righteous, No, Not One: "The greatest of all faults is to be conscious of none." - Carlyle.  All are sinners and therefore, are in need of repentance and forgiveness.
• These Things Doth The Lord Hate: "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imagination, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" - Proverbs 6:16-10
• The Sin Next to Murder: " . . . These things are a abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost." - Alma 30:5. What is the sin(s) next to murder? These are the diabolical crimes of sexual impurity.
• Crime Against Nature: " . . . Their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature; And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly . . . " - Romans 1: 26-27.  Straight from bible regarding homosexuality.
• Sins of Omission: "A wrongdoer is often a Man that has left something undone, not always he that has done something." - Marcus Aurelius. Failure to act after we have committed to something or shirking a responsibility are some sins of omission.
• As a Man Thinketh: " . . . Filthy dreams defile the flesh . . . " - Jude 8. Thoughts are the seeds of acts. A person is literally what they think.
• Point of No Return: "But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come." - Doctrine & Covenants 84:41
• Repent or Perish: " . . . Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." - Luke 13:3 Repentance is the key to forgiveness.
• Conviction - the Awakening: "The awakening of the conscience is the grandeur of the soul." - Charles A. Callis.
• Abandonment of Sin: "By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins - behold, he will confess them and forsake them." - Doctrine & Covenants 58:43
• Lifting Burdens Through Confession: ". . . I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts." - Doctrine & Covenants 61:2.  This is a big one.
• Restitution: "If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statues of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live,he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him . . ." - Ezekiel 33:15-16
• Keeping God's Commandments Brings Forgiveness: Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven." - Doctrine & Covenants 1:32
• Avoiding Pitfalls: "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Matthew 26:41
• Charting a Safe Course: "When a man does not know which harbour he is making for, none is the right one." - Anonymous  Know where you are headed.
• Forgive to be Forgiven: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." - Matthew 6:14-15.  This is another big one.
• As We Forgive Our Debtors: "O man, forgive they mortal foe, Nor ever strike him blow for blow; For all the souls on earth that live, To be forgiven must forgive, Forgive him seventy times and seven; For all the blessed souls in heaven Are both forgivers and forgiven." - Alfred Lord Tennyson.  I love this one!!
• A Time of Reckoning: ". . . Prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come; That their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked,both in this world and in the world to come . . ." - Doctrine & Covenants 88:84-85
• The Church Will Forgive: " . . . Whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall Ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also." - Mosiah 26:29
• God Will Forgive: "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more." - Doctrine & Covenants 58:42. Whatever you have to go through to repent, this is where it is all worth it.
• The Miracle of Forgiveness: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and at sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men? And [Christ] hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved." - Mosiah 7:27.34

My hope is that as I forgive, I will be forgiven. What a great blessing forgiveness is!

"To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” Robert Muller