by Gary Hyde
An interpretative sign placed near the viewing area at Narin Falls, British Columbia, Canada reads;
“Over time, water and glaciers have brought many changes to this landscape. The Green River in front of you carries sand and gravel which have worn away the bedrock. When the river water moves in a circular motion, these abrasive particles carve round depressions called pot holes. Occasionally, this carving causes the bottom of the neighboring pot holes to join through an underground passage”.
As you look at the Narin Falls these potholes are easily identifiable, some of them are nothing more than a small divot in the rock, while others reach six to seven meters in diameter.
Narin Falls is a dramatic example of the great erosive power of water. The "potholes" have been created in the base rock over time as small pebbles and sand get caught in a swirling eddy of water tossed to and fro cutting ever-deepening circles into the rock. The winter storms may temporarily wash the smaller potholes clean, but can then deposit even larger rocks, chipping, scraping, gouging away at the sides and bottom of the hole in an ever widening, ever deepening erosive action.
To the viewer, the falls and the river appear to be unchanged by all these destructive forces, but over time these potholes have altered the very channel of the falls and the course of the river.
Like Narin Falls, we can suffer a similar type of erosive power in our lives. We experience the “potholes” of life which can be just as dramatic and just as devastating as those of the falls, but instead of rocks or boulders acting as the abrasive power, we supply a different kind of irritant.
These irritants can come from many different sources, real or imagined. There seems to be no event too great or happening too small that we can’t view it as an “unforgivable” sin, and thus hang onto it, storing it away in our memory bank to be recalled at some later time of stress or anger. The actual source of these irritants may stem from a multitude of reasons, such as an expanded ego or a denial of self worth; believing that we are always right, or being ungrateful. Often times we take ourselves too seriously, feeling that life has been unfair with us and that we are always the victim. Greed of any kind can drive us to making poor choices and decisions. Holding on to our emotional baggage and keeping it hidden deep within can prevent us from experiencing a real joy in our life. Some tend to focus on things that they do not have rather than what they do have and the good things they have accomplished. We often fail to forgive others or even ourselves for mistakes, errors or failures, and it is too easy to judge others by our standards rather their own merits. The reasons are many and varied for which we tend to pile this guilt upon ourselves.
The accumulation of these “potholes “in life can take a real emotional or physical toll on mind, body and spirit; manifesting themselves through loss of sleep, irritability or poor health.
Unlike the Narin Falls we have been given a solution for the cleansing of our minds and bodies from these imperfections, these transgressions or sins; and that is through the act of repentance and forgiveness. Yet, rather than repenting of our acts and asking for forgiveness, or offering forgiveness to someone who has trespassed against us, we will often ask “How can I forgive such a heinous act”? “How can I forgive such a personal insult”? “How can I forgive”?
But we can forgive, and we must forgive. We have been commanded to forgive. The Lord has told us: “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”. (D&C 64:9-10)
When Christ was crucified on the cross, His final words were “Father, forgive them”. (Luke 23:34) He was asking the Father to forgive those who had just falsely accused Him; to forgive those who had just beaten and scourged Him and nailed Him to the cross, to hang there until dead; to forgive those who, even in His most painful moments offered not compassion, but ridicule, not sorrow, but hate. He knew that they would not repent, He knew that they did not care, and that they would not care for more than 2000 years; yet still He asked, “Father, forgive them”.
“Forgive them”; how hard it is for us to say these two simple words; “I’m not the one at fault here, why should I be the one to forgive; it is up to them to do the repenting”. The Lord tells us “I the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” (D&C 64:10).
But it happens all the time, time and time again! How many times must we forgive someone? The Lord tells us “Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22). People can and do change and it is our duty to forgive them.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has provided the atonement that we may be cleansed from all sin and become pure before Him.
How much agony have we created in our lives because we do not fully understand the atonement; what it is, and what it can do for us?
In order to change things, first we must have faith in Christ, then we must ask forgiveness and we must remember that “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42)
The Atonement of Christ can take away not only the pain of our sins but also the pain of things that happen to us over which we have no control. “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people”. (Alma 7:11)
The Book of Mormon prophet Enos tells us of how he had received a remission for his sins. “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed”. When Enos heard this he asked “Lord, how is it done?” The Lord answered him “Because of thy faith in Christ”. (Enos 1:4)
As we submit to the will of the Lord and experience that joy of forgiveness, we can be as father Lehi when he tasted of the fruit of the tree of life and “beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted”. (1 Nephi 8:11)
“and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God”. (4 Nephi 1:16)
Copyright 2010
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