The prophet teaches me that I should love and forgive others

April 2008, Talk #2

President Gordon B. Hinckley said: "May God help us to be a little kinder, to be more forgiving, to lay aside old grudges and nurture them no more."

He was asking us to love and forgive others. As followers of Christ we are commanded to love our neighbors. If someone does something that hurts us or upsets us, we need to forgive them.

Sometimes it is hard to forgive others. Even though it is hard, it is a commandment and we must obey it. Heavenly father will help us to forgive if we will go to him in prayer and ask for his help.

A good example of forgiveness can be found in First Nephi. After the prophet Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, Nephi's older brothers Laman and Lemuel began to rebel against those who were living righteously.

Nephi told his older brothers that they were sinning and that they needed to repent. Laman and Lemuel became very angry with Nephi. They tied him up and planned to leave him to be eaten by wild animals.

Nephi prayed to heavenly father and asked for help. The ropes were loosened from his hands and feet. This made Laman and Lemuel even angrier and they tried to hurt Nephi.

Some of the other righteous people pleaded with Laman and Lemuel not to hurt Nephi. Nephi's older brothers hearts were softened and they were sorry for their wickedness.

Laman and Lemuel bowed down before Nephi and asked for his forgiveness. Instead of being angry with his brothers for trying to hurt him, Nephi said that he “did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and … did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness” (1 Ne. 7:21).

We, too, can choose to forgive those who have hurt or offended us. Forgiving others is a necessary part of Heavenly Father's plan. Heavenly Father will forgive us for our sins, if we will forgive others.