April 7, 2016 - Thursday in Nauvoo

Happy 10th anniversary Bob and Mary!  It seems like only yesterday you walked into the Highland Ward on that Sunday, after you met in the Oakland Temple, holding hands!  That was the day you drove the Bishop crazy when he could not come off the stand and talk to you!  We are grateful for and acknowledge your first 10 years together!

We got an early start this morning as 5:00am rolled around.  I was able to get up and get going with mom on our morning devotional and prayers.  And then we had a marvelous walk around Nauvoo on a cold and very brisk morning.  What a wonderful way to start our day!  I got this picture of the beautiful morning sunrise;

Looking up Parley Street from the statue of Brigham and Joseph

As we were about to leave for our site assignments, we got a call from the scheduling missionaries and mom's schedule got changed from a split shift 5 hour day, to a full shift 7.5 hour day.  We were expecting it.  Mom and I have been very blessed to not get sick on this mission and we have had our schedule extended several times when the other missionaries get sick.  

I worked a full shift at the Blacksmith's shop training two new missionaries that will not likely be scheduled in the sites.  One is a teamster and one is assigned to the FM group.  So I spent the day "exposing" them to the duties of the Blacksmith.  Fun times!

From my conference notes, I was grateful for the talk by Elder Kevin R. Duncan.  He spoke about the need for us to be forgiving.  Here is a summary of his thoughts as I found them on the Church website;

"There is not a soul alive who will not, at one time or another, be the victim to someone else’s careless actions, hurtful conduct, or even sinful behavior. …

Gratefully, God … has taught us that we can forgive! Even though we may be a victim once, we need not be a victim twice by carrying the burden of hate, bitterness, pain, resentment, or even revenge. We can forgive, and we can be free! …

One key to forgiving others is to try to see them as God sees them. …

Too often we look at the offender the way we would look at an iceberg—we see only the tip and not beneath the surface. We do not know all that is going on in a person’s life. … Please do not misunderstand. To forgive is not to condone. We do not rationalize bad behavior or allow someone to mistreat us because of their struggles, pains, or weaknesses. But we can gain greater understanding and peace when we see with a broader perspective. …

Forgiveness is the very reason God sent His Son, so let us rejoice in His offering to heal us all. The Savior’s Atonement is not just for those who need to repent; it is also for those who need to forgive. If you are having trouble forgiving another person, or even yourself, ask God to help you".

To forgive someone is to try and see them as Heavenly Father sees them.  What an excellent parallel to what Joseph Smith had to endure in Liberty Jail.  He was placed in the most challenging of circumstances with guards who verbally abused the Prophet and his people.  Remember when Joseph finally had his fill of the vile oaths and conversations the guards directed at him and his Church?  He could take no more and stood up in chains and rebuked the guards in the strongest of terms.  When they shrunk back and closed their abusive mouths, he turned to his brethren and said; "even the Lord loves these men".

Yes, it is our duty, even our commandment, to forgive others even if that forgiveness is not acknowledged.  The Lord will take care of the rest if we will just be humble and forgiving of others.  The Lord has promised us untold blessings for being able to forgive others, and ourselves, as we make every effort to live the commandments and follow the Saviors example all the days of our lives.  We can do it!  It may not be easy, but it will be worth it!