Since we (or, more accurately, I, since Dan got a new calling) teach the twelve-year-olds in our ward during Sunday School, I've started using that week's topic as the topic for my personal scripture study. This week's topic is on repentance, and I read a profound talk by Elder Lynn Mickelson (sp?) yesterday that I wanted to share. In the talk, Elder Mickelson suggested that we need to be careful about "airing dirty linen," since making certain sins unnecessarily public can make those sins harder for individuals to repent of (the exception, of course, is of sins committed against a public, which require public restitution).
What I found most interesting about this talk, though, was the way he linked forgiveness to judgment. Too often, he said, we're tempted to air other people's dirty linen in public for them--in other words, to present the unsavory things we know about them for public scrutiny and (our) judgment. This is wrong, he suggests, precisely because it goes against what we know of forgiveness. The Lord said that we are required to forgive all men--not just those who have sinned against us, but we are required to forgive those who have sinned, period. It's part of showing charity or empathy towards them. I thought this was insightful view of the importance of forgiveness, and I'm hoping to use this principle to show a little more empathy, and a little less judging.
1 comment:
I love teaching callings for that purpose. Before we left State College I was teaching the Laurels and I felt that in preparation for my lessons I was able to grow so much spiritually as an individual. I hope that you continue to do so as well.
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