FAIR's Rising Generation

Archive for July 1st, 2009

I’m not writing this post to come down on anyone (Except you. Yeah. You know who you are!), but I’m hoping to make us all think about, ya know, stuff. In some (many? most?) cases, when a person offends us, we think of ways to get him or her back. Somewhere in the back of our minds, we’re thinking, “I really know I should forgive this [insert favorite insult here], but I’m just too darn mad.” In other words, we use our anger as our justification…committing the crime while we’re still temporarily insane, so to speak. Our desire for revenge clouds our sense of love and mercy, and so we decide–now–that perhaps we’ll forgive the person later–at our own convenience–once our burning anger has faded. Nevertheless, consider the paraphrased verses below, taken from the D&C:

“And him that repenteth not of his sins…do with him as the scripture saith unto you. And this ye shall do…not because ye forgive not, having not compassion, but that ye may be justified in the eyes of the law (64:12-13).”

This scripture is taken waaayyyyyy out of context, but hopefully it still gets the job done: If somebody offends you, or even commits a crime against you, sure, you can bring them before the law, but you should have forgiven that person long, long ago. This is the standard that God has set for us. He means it when he says he requires us to FORGIVE EVERYONE…again and again and again.

“If men will smite you, or your families, once, and ye bear it patiently and revile not against them, neither seek revenge, ye shall be rewarded. And then, if he shall come upon you or your children, or your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation, I have delivered thine enemy into thine hands. And then if thou wilt spare him, thou shalt be rewarded for thy righteousness; and also thy children and thy children’s children unto the third and fourth generation (98:23,29-30).”

The injustices committed here will be dealt with beyond the grave. It seems like an empty promise if you lack a testimony. However, what’s really interesting here is that, even once you are justified in incapacitating your enemies, the Lord would still rather you “bear it patiently, neither seek revenge,” and forgive <–I wonder if we sometimes forget that this is all in our very own scriptures. (Btw, this is good bf/gf, husband/wife advice. Pink’s ‘Please Don’t Leave Me’ illustrates the point nicely if you can tolerate her music…which for me is the exception, not the rule. Uh-oh, I’m rambling…).

“[D]eep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation (127:2).”

I tricked you. You thought this whole post was about forgiveness. Hah. In fact, it’s about a lot of randomly thrown together stuff (not really). This quote really takes things to a new level, and really…this post is actually about putting up with stuff without responding with rage, fear, jealousy–whatever the case may be (yeah really). It’s bigger than that.

“If thou art called to pass through tribulation…if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb…know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good (122:5-7).”

This is a very heavy verse, but it’s to make a statement: When things are THAT bad, how do you reconcile yourself with the last point? How is it done? Do we just shrug it off and say, “Maybe a prophet of the Lord…but not me.”? Do we get all defiant? Do we tell the Lord we don’t care because we don’t think he’s very nice to put us through all that? In other words, do we justify ourselves by arguing that God has been unjust towards us? Or do we bear all things with patience, with an eye single to the glory of God?

And how many of us can actually pull this off?

Am I the biggest hypocrite who ever walked the face of the Earth? I hope not, because I’m trying, and I am getting better (key point), so hopefully I have something semi-inspirational to share: How is it done? You strengthen your testimony. That’s right. Believe that your life is in God’s hands. Believe that all service you render to your neighbor is nothing but service to your God. Because guess what? Even if your neighbor is a degenerate ingrate, you know that your Savior appreciates what you do. If your neighbor offends you without provocation, hope for his sake that he gets the help he needs. Love them who spitefully use you; think of them as brothers and sisters. But most of all, forsake the world! Know that you are striving for something infinitely better than the petty nonsense that you and I cling to now. And know, when the Holy Ghost expands your mind and pours light into it, that the tribulations you bear in this life are trivial. And on a serious note, I don’t want to sound insensitive with that, but everything you lose in this life will be restored in the next. And it happens when you’re fully devoted to Christ, His God and yours, and the ideal of Eternal Life.

Sound like a dupe? Once again…strengthen your testimony. When you listen, God speaks.

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FRG needs more writers, regardless of age, who are interested in writing a guest post for us, so if you have a message to share you may submit a sample of your words to us via our web form at http://youth.fairlds.org/contact.php.  Chances are good that we’ll like what you have to say and set you up as a guest blogger on our site.