TOTW: Elder Duncan; The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness

About a week ago, I started a new project. (which to my family and especially Parker, is not a huge surprise at all) But this project is one that I am really excited for and I hope it grows and can help more people than just myself. Honestly, if I'm the only person doing it, that's fine because I've learned a lot in the past week and hope to continue to learn a lot! However, I've learned that through companion study and even in secular school, that learning in groups through dialogue and the questions of others can help our own personal learning even more! General Conference talks are for EVERYONE and I can promise that if you'll join along in reading and in dialogue, your mind will be enlightened and you will be blessed for sure!
I decided to go through the General Conference talks one by one for the next six months-- almost in a Book Club style, but online-- SO if you have comments, questions, opinions, or concerns relating to the talk-- let's talk about it! Leave a comment, send an email or direct message, etc.!
This last week's talk was The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness, by Elder Duncan of the Seventy. You can read, listen, or watch it here.

photo from lds.org

I loved this talk so much. One thing that I've had a hard time with over the course of my life thus far is forgiveness. Forgiving others and forgiving myself. I believed that there was an Atonement, but I wasn't sure how to apply it to myself to make the necessary changes to become better. At times I've been too prideful to ask for help and, "an unforgiving heart harbors so much needless pain." Oh, how unfortunately I can testify of that.
I loved when Elder Duncan stated, "I am convinced that most of us want to forgive but find it very hard to do so." He continues to talk about how if we are faithful we WILL be compensated for every wrong committed towards us-- but we must remain faithful. And then Elder Duncan gives one of my favorite (and yet sometimes the most difficult) pieces of advice, "One key to forgiving others is to try to see them as God sees them..... Can you imagine how our families, our communities, and the world at large might change if we all tried to see each other as God sees us?"
Can you imagine that change? For just a second, pause and imagine that change. With all of the ruckus and crazy things that happen on a DAILY BASIS, imagine for a second how the world would be different if we all tried to see each other as God sees us.
Incredible.
One of my other favorite quotes from Elder Duncan's talk was, "To forgive is not to condone." Wrongs are still wrong. When we forgive others, we give them the opportunity to try again to be a little better because "none of us should be defined by the worst thing we have ever done."
And to be quite frank, another reason to forgive (a HUGE reason to learn how to forgive) is that, "We must remember that forgiveness of our own sins and offenses is conditioned upon our forgiving others."
This is huge. And a little scary. And daunting at times. But God will not leave you aid-less. "If you are having trouble forgiving another or even yourself, ask God to help you... We need not be a victim twice. We can forgive."
With God, we can conquer anything placed before us. I'm sure of that. Through our Savior's Atonement, "We will be free."
I know it.

What are your thoughts, feelings, impressions, and/or questions from Elder Duncan's talk?
This week's TOTW is Elder Bednar's talk: Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins; you can read, listen, or watch it here.

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