"Very Good, Jodi"

Forgiving others and forgiving ourselves. It's never easy and often a long process. I know that I've done many things wrong. I know that I've hurt people. I know that I haven't traveled down the path that others thought was the right one for me. I do know that I have asked for forgiveness. I know that I can ask until the ends of the world, but until the recipient(s) accept the effort, it will all be in vain. Well, not a total waste of time. It is then up to the recipient(s) to accept the effort. The burden is now theirs. Once forgiveness has been asked with sincerity. It is not up to the recipient to judge if the request is sincere or not. That is up to God. Can you just imagine getting to Heaven and having God say to you..."They asked you with a sincere heart, for forgiveness, yet you refused to forgive them... Why? Aren't I, the final judge?" A quote from Pres. Hinkley ...In our day the Lord has said in revelation: “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men”

These riffs or wedges can come at any time. Sometimes we don't even know we've caused a riff. We don't even know we've offended someone. We usually don't find out until someone else says something... you know, sort of like gossip. Ah. Yes. Gossip. The biggest wedge of all. "Did you hear what so-and-so said?" Feelings get hurt so often when 'so-and-so' said something to somebody that got repeated to you-know-who.

If you aren't LDS aka Mormon, some of this article won't make a lot of sense, but the heart of the article is for everyone and anyone whoever has been hurt or who has caused hurt. Hopefully, we can forgive and be forgiven by those closest to us.