The Miracle of Forgiveness

by Spencer W. Kimball

The Miracle of Forgiveness

Genres: Religion, Lds, Nonfiction, Church, Spirituality, Self Help, Inspirational

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Born on March 28, 1895, in Salt Lake City, Spencer W. Kimball grew up in Thatcher, Arizona. After completing a mission and marrying Camilla Eyring, he settled in Safford, Arizona, to raise his family and run an insurance business. Years of Church and community leadership preceded his calling as an Apostle in 1943. Overcoming severe health problems, he became Church President on December 30, 1973, at the age of 78. He led the Church with spiritual power and energetic determination during a period of dramatic vitality and growth. His administration produced significant advances in doctrinal understanding, member unity, and gospel expansion worldwide. In the 12 years of his presidency, the number of operating temples doubled, the number of missionaries increased by 50 percent, and the priesthood was extended to all worthy male members. He died in Salt Lake City on November 5, 1985.

Reviews

[Roasterx · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please don't take this review as blasphemy or a sign of slipping faith. I have made peace with my faith.

I don't think that this book does good things for certain kinds of people. It was written for the righteous. It seems to lack a sinner's perspective. It can also be a dangerous weapon in the hands of a zealot.

In my case, I almost lost my soul to the utter hopelessness that this book made me feel. I told my Stake President about this and he immediately told me that he felt that I should read the Book of Mormon instead. He also told me that I wasn't the first to tell him that and that he had stopped recommending this book to people.

As far as the argument that a prophet (or a soon to be prophet) wrote the book, and therefore the book is doctrine; I say phooey. Have you read any of Ezra Taft Benson's early books, some of them are scary, scary, right wing lunacy. Furthermore, do we believe that everything a prophet has ever said, in thier whole life, is doctrine? Of course we don't. We have our own discernment to bridge that gap.

Approach this book with clean hands and intact faith. In fact, I would recommend Believing Christ by Stephen Robinson in place of this book, simply because Robinson focuses on grace rather than guilt. Maybe that is the bottom line, I believe that this book is too heavy on the guilt end and not heavy enough on the forgiveness end.

[Richard Dutcher · Rating 1 out of 5]

A psychologically damaging book.

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Forgiveness? It would take a miracle.

[Joe Krakovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Miracle of Forgiveness" explains the steps necessary for one to try to receive forgiveness from the Lord for one's sins. But it is much more than that. It explains how we are led into sin through temptation and by giving into passions and succumbing to weaknesses of the flesh. Examples of various sins are listed.

Did you ever get a bad feeling for committing a sin? Did you feel bad for cheating on an exam, even if you didn't get caught? Did you feel bad for not helping an old lady struggling up the stairs with her groceries? Did you feel bad for being unfaithful? Depending on the sin, it can cause you real anxiety and affect your social life.

The author explains that you need to recognize your sin, decide to never do it again, confess, if necessary, make restitution, if possible, keep other commandments, avoid future occurrences, and, most importantly, forgive others if we hope to be forgiven.

If one takes these steps then given time, and sincere prayer, one may finally get some peace of mind.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't get why this is such a famous book within Mormondom. It is basically just a rule book. I've heard that to soften the blow, you're supposed to start with the last two chapters, then read the whole book. To me the last two chapters were just so-so, and they definitely didn't make up for the harshness of the rest of the book. Do people really recommend this to people who suffering emotionally and struggling to gain forgiveness? I read this on my mission (my most righteous period in my life). I was keeping the commandments and had nothing to get off my chest. It still pushed me to an unhealthy guilt. I still like Spencer Kimball, I just didn't like his book. I am open to the idea of someone enlightening me on why this is supposed to be such a great book.

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

A better title for this book might be "It's a Miracle Jesus Even Likes You". The author, Mr. Kimball, has the audacity to suggest that a women would be better off dead than to give into a rapist. Is he suggesting that the victim bears at least some of the responsibility for such a horrendous deed?

He also suggests that masturbation may lead to homosexuality.

There's a lot of judging in this book and very little about forgiveness.

[Amy LaVange · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not so sorry to say that I hated this book. Keep your forgiveness.

[Peter Boling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Death is preferred over rape? Really? Lunacy.

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first half of this book will tear you down and make you feel like you need to go see your bishop for even the smallest little thing like taking the last Oreo cookie out of the cookie jar. But then the last half of this book will show you the true power of the atonement and what Christ has done for us. I would recommend this book to anyone but remember to finish the whole book before you talk to your bishop.

[Wesmanlv · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book has several problematic issues. The main one being that is is just silly bigotry. Masturbation leads to homosexuality? Homosexuality leads to bestiality? Is Kimball for real? I am amazed at the numbers of raters to 'love' this book. Are they saying they actually believe such nonsense? I have yet to see (and i am 100% sure i never will see) any and i do mean ANY proof that such statements have any truth whatsoever. And -if the book promotes those two lies, than i can only assume that one should be cautious about what other lies the book contains.

kimball was not a prophet simply because he fails the 'test' of a prophet. he spoke lies. period.

i gave it one star because i couldn't give it anything less. This book is a complete waste of time and energy. don't bother with it.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to rate this book...did I love it, like I'll read it over and over? Did I agree with every word? Instead of feeling guilty, I felt the power and love in obedience, and felt strongly how there are real consequences for actions that the world tends to gloss over or mock. However, I find it a difficult book to read, though I would recommend this to anyone who is feeling like sowing their oats and repenting "someday."

[-uht! · Rating 1 out of 5]

uh oh. i put my winkey by her who-ha. thank goodness the creator of the multiverse, inventor of quantum mechanics, space, time, and all that exists, had nothing better to do than to concern himself with the juxtaposition of the naughty bits of a singular species in all the universe. how groovy of him.

hmmm... wait a minute... why *doesn't* he have anything better to do? i mean... the universe is a big place with a lot going on. i guess it just goes to show how awesome he really is. so awesome that while supernovae are happening, he can piddle away his time on counting the number of times i spank it in a week.

awesome.

[Mike Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A horrendous book meant to use extreme guilt to make people conform to Mormonism's rigid lifestyle. It takes the most natural and healthy of human desire and turn it into deep "sin."

One such gem revolves around avoiding masturbation because it can lead to homosexuality. It even implies that this can lead to even further grotesque sexual perversion (i.e. bestiality).

Overall, a book that can be very destructive to the very people it's supposedly trying to help.

[Tamra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a supplement to a RS lesson I was teaching. I'd read chapters in this book before (when I was struggling with those topics), but hadn't made it past chapter 6, which everyone should skip. Chapter 6 is an out-of-date view on homosexuality. The church approaches homosexuality differently now, and with more compassion.

Some of the things were hard for me to take--like his opinion that women shouldn't wear shorts and that teenagers shouldn't drive cars. But when you focus on the doctrine and ignore some of the out-of-date funny stuff, he's right on. We all need repentence, and it is a miracle when you know you've been forgiven and you feel clean.

I marked in my copy all the parts that I liked, and I have a separate book where I wrote pages and pages of quotes. There is some priceless stuff in here. And I HIGHLY recommend chapter 19, even if you don't read anything else. It's about forgiving others and it's phenomenal.

I'd be willing to let anyone borrow this book to read. Though I did do a lot of marking in it, and highlighting things I struggle with, so it'll be possibly too insightful into my life. Yeah, that list of sins on page 25? 86 specific sins listed, plus a catch-all. I marked 30 as sins I have or have had a problem with. I'm sure there's more. But that's why we have the Atonement. And that is a miracle.

[Alicia Krauchuk Fenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

No particular reason to read, just heard it was good and decided to read it.
It's uh...very humbling to read. A good tweak for the soul! :-)
I noticed a friend was reading one of his books and remembered this one. I would recommend reading this book every few years or so just to, uh, keep on track. :-)
Very compassionate and straight forward.

[Chelsea Malcolm · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is full of so many wrong teachings. It teaches rape culture and victim blaming under a thin layer of "but we love you anyway" type sayings. I want to take this off my list but I think I should keep it and add my review to the list. If you are thinking about reading this book please don't take it to heart, if you have read this book and been hurt by it- know that you are not alone.

[Calle · Rating 1 out of 5]

In Kimball's book, everybody is evil, including the coffee drinker, but none more so than the homosexual. Kimball finds it regrettable that today's society is more tolerant towards homosexuals than in Old Testament times when homosexuals and other fornicators were stoned to death. No wonder gay mormons are driven to suicide, and not only gay mormons, but all mormons will inevitably fail to live up to Kimball's impossible moral standards (one possible reason people in Utah consume so much antidepressants). This book is guaranteed to cause lots of despair, hopelessnes and crushed self-esteem among many readers. It's just about the worst book you could give to someone who's struggling with any type of personal problem (statements like "one should give his or her life rather than to yield to loss of virtue" could even be interpreted as to encourage suicide, althouh that, too, is a sin as we learn in a later chapter). He also describes "sins against the Holy Ghost", which are unforgivable, even if repented.

"The Miracle of Forgiveness" is an example of religious programming at its worst. It is designed to keep the flock in line by preventing critical thinking (which is denounced as the sin of rebellion) and demanding obedience to religious authorities (ie the LDS church leaders, including the author); even failure to pay tithes is a sin. The author also spends a lot of time complaining about the declining morals of modern society, where women wear shorts in public and work instead of being housewives and people play golf instead of observing the Sabbath. It's written with a holier-than-thou attitude and the author's contempt and dislike for humanity in general and "sexual deviants" in particular, is evident throughout the whole book. Kimball likes to give examples of people who have come to him seeking help and these meetings inevitably end with him giving them a condescending lecture about their moral failings. I knew the LDS church was strict but I didn't know they had the type of misantropic, cold-hearted, taliban mentality they must have to promote this fear-and hate-mongering book.

[Rich · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kimball teaches that Masturbation leads to homosexuality and that Homosexuality leads to bestiality. He was writing about "problems" that he had encountered anecdotally in counseling church members, but which more recent studies shows is completely wrong. Thank goodness he was wrong!

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has got to be one of the worst books I have read. It's a book of hatred by a man lauded to be a man of love. After reading this book, I find it hard to believe that he is such.

[Todd · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot express the depth of loathing for this book. First, for those of you not in the know, this is a niche book from a small alternative, deeply conservative sect of Christianity called Mormonism (the Brighamite branch of the the church, no headquartered in Utah, started by Joseph Smith in the early 19th century). So for that, we must all be thankful that its reach and influence is limited, and as this was written in the 1970s, it's also dated, even within the Mormon community.

If anyone wants to understand Mormon morality and psycho-pathology, look no further. Here, the cultural interweaving of a longing to be good with the inescapable worthlessness of a Christian worldview of sin is cranked up to 11 by Mormon authoritarianism. The passages on rape, masturbation, and homosexuality are especially enlightening and disgusting. Let the psycopathic paternalism and condescension wash over you, bathing you in the slime of its hatred masquerading as love and concern (Kimball may have been the original, most diabolical concern troll imaginable).

As a young pre-pubscent boy, one who was already aware that I wanted to hold hands with, kiss, and love other boys, this book twisted my mind into a ball of self-hatred and death wishes that I'm still trying to work out 40 years later.

[Hillary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and sense have had bitter feelings towards it. Recently I read it again, carefully with a different frame of mind and an intent heart. It is truely a sweet book. While some parts seem condemning, the book is really about love. It is an excellent "how to" for repentance. It illustrates well the intense desire Heavenly Father has for each of us to live with him again and really places an emphasis on the tender act of the Atonement the Savior personally and willingly committed. It is not a self-help, but rather a guide to peace and love. I recommend it to all, not just those climbing through the repentance process.

[Kristi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! when I think of the psychological damage this book caused me as a teenager...its a MIRACLE I ever came back to the church. This book is not allowed in my home. Believing Christ is MUCH better for us sinners.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

A guilt-laden piece who's main purpose, in my opinion, is to scare people into keeping inline with the LDS morality code. I admire what he tried to do, but he went about it entirely the wrong way.

[Paul Duffy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my hell. Even though I didn't even fully believe what was written in this book at the time I read it, it still made me feel like shit. If I could give this book zero stars, I would.

[Jacque · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily one of the most damaging books ever written. Hateful, demeaning.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the best book I have read on the Gospel (other than the Scriptures themselves, of course.) Every page --almost every paragraph--humbled me and my sole (and my soul's) desire was to repent. My understanding of the Atonement has never been clearer, and my reverence for my Savior has never been as profound as when I read this book. As I read it, I felt as if God was removing my heart of stone and replacing it with one of flesh.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

At least it ends on a positive note (Matt 11:28-30). Since the first few lines of a review are usually all people see, I'll put my overall impressions here. I must say in fairness that this did bring a positive change in my life, and the last 2 chapters are very nice and encouraged me to come to Christ more fully. HOWEVER, this book is full of statements that are theologically incomplete and would be misunderstood if taken out of context. In the second to last chapter, SWK addresses just such a quote from JS, when he stated that adulterers cannot inherit the Celestial Kingdom. SWK goes to lengths to explain that this must be reinterpreted as meaning (in the context of all of JS's other statements) that only unrepentant adulterers would be excluded. So it is terribly ironic how often SWK makes the same mistake. The most common are: 1. statements about our supposed ability to be perfect/pure/sin-free (which must be reinterpreted as being about major sins only--SWK is urging us to avoid major sins, while recognizing that we all are sinful and need Jesus), and 2. statements about our supposed ability to perfect/sanctify/cleanse ourselves (which also must be reinterpreted as being possible only through Jesus).

This is my first time reading SWK's classic since reading Believing Christ and Scott Burton's manuscript (not available yet, but the working title is "Who Could Have Supposed"). They drastically altered my perspective on grace and the Atonement, and I can't help notice as I'm reading TMOF for the fourth time, how heavily dated it is. It's an embarassment to see how poorly it reflects our post-Benson emphasis on the Savior in the Church (I believe it was ETB's call to read the BOM that provided us with our current, proper, emphasis on Christ). I don't think I would recommend it to young people today, who I think would be better sent to Robinson for guidance before being told, for example, that suicides are guilty of committing a controllable offense (p. 106; SWK doesn't acknowledge that depression can limit agency), or that we qualify for heaven's rewards through our hard work and effort (look to other parts of the text for the rest of the equation, which SWK leaves out painfully often).

In one of the more egregious examples of atonement-ignoring passages, on p. 83 he writes, "Our ills are usually of our own begetting. They must be corrected by ourselves. Man is the master of his destiny, be it good or bad. Man has the inherent capacity to heal himself physically. A doctor may cleanse a wound, sew it up, bandage it well, but the natural power of the body must do the healing. Likewise, a healing process in the spirit and mind must come from within--from self-will. Others may help to cauterize the mound, suture it, and provide a clean, proper environment for the healing, but the body, with the aid of the Spirit, must heal itself. Accordingly, some totally conquer homosexuality in a few months, others linger on with less power and require more time to make the total comeback. The cure is as permanent as the individual makes it and, like the cure for alcoholism, is subject to continued vigilance." As I read this, I felt a welling up of frustration for this perpetuation of bootstrap Mormonism--the brand of our religion that seems to posit that we can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, and that only "the weak" among us--as if that weren't all of us!--need ask for help in the process.

Here's another shocking example, under the heading, "Trying Is Not Sufficient" (pp. 164-165): "It is normal for children to try. They fall and get up numerous times before they can be certain of their footing. But adults, who have gone through these learning periods, must determine what they will do, they proceed to do it. To 'try' is weak. To 'do the best I can' is not strong. We must always do *better* than we can" (emphasis in original). In other words, we are not all weak--apparently most of us are superhuman and don't make mistakes or fall short once they get past childhood--they always just put their minds to things and do them without failure.

A page earlier, he wrote, "Desire is not sufficient. In other words, it is not real repentance until one has abandoned the error of his way and started on a new path. Someone has said that there is only one way to quit a bad habit and that is to stop." It seems that in this fantasy world where grace is an afterthought rather than the help we rely on throughout the process, we have to perfect ourselves first (stop our sin without help, because that is the "only way," before we can show "real repentance") before Christ will deign to ratify our worthiness with forgiveness. If that is the formula for forgiveness (self-perfection through triumphant bootstrap effort) then why would we need a savior at all? Half the time when reading this text, the reader will wonder where all the perfect people are who can supposedly follow this celestial program, and why he always seems to have such a hard time measuring up.

It is not all disheartening. I am grateful for the reminders of how important purity is, and as long as I keep that perspective that it is through Christ that I am purified, not through my own merits, I think the book shouldn't be too discouraging :)

I should say that my criticism of TMOF didn't originate with me. My institute teacher in Alabama, Scott Burton, shared a story once of a little hunched-over lady coming up to SWK at a conference once, and shaking his hand. "Oh, President Kimball," she is reported to have said, "I just loved your book. It made me feel so BAD!" Allegedly he replied something to the effect that if it made a sweet little old lady like her feel bad, then perhaps he had overdone it.

An interesting story--it may not be true, but it is true for the true ideas it contains. Prophets in every dispensation have had a responsibility to cry repentance, and certainly I am glad that as a living prophet (even when an apostle), he answered this call. I also am quick to acknowledge that all of us are sinful, and need repentance--and Christ! Yet it seems importance where the emphasis is placed. I prefer Robinson's approach as one that leads the sinful to Christ by emphasizing His merits and how glorious and good He is. SWK's approach, which seems to start with how awful, horrible, and bad we are, can lead to discouragement and turn away the sinner before the process is complete. As my stake president recently told me, it is important when reading TMOF that you get all the way through, because most of it is not going to put you in a very hopeful mood.

I agree that we need a reason for Christ before we will feel our desperate need for Him, and perhaps this is the best approach with some. So, it remains a classic, and I'm certain it will continue to change lives for many decades to come.

I should add that I think it's neat how the titles of SWK's two classics go together to make a coherent phrase: "Faith preceeds the miracle...of forgiveness."

Perhaps I should add a personal note. SWK has had a lot of influence on my life. I loved him as a child as the prophet of God on the earth. I have benefited from many of his teachings. Today (5/29/09) when I heard that LDS scholar Truman Madsen had died, I was reminded of another blessing I had received from following a teaching of SWK to the Madsen family.

I did not know Truman so well, but his wife Ann was one of my most memorable professors at BYU. One story she told has really stayed with me. She said that when she and Truman were thinking about getting married, they visited their good friend Spencer W. Kimball in his office. They told him they were thinking about getting married, but waiting until ... Read Moreafter they had finished some additional schooling (grad school, iirc). He told them they should not wait, and as they were leaving, added, almost as if as an afterthought, "Oh, and don't wait to have children." Ann said she was extremely grateful for that prophetic advice. They didn't wait, and had their three children right away. Ann said she then went into early menopause, and if she hadn't followed SWK's advice, they would have missed their chance. It has always been a reminder to me that the Lord's timetable is not the same as my own, and that I need to go to Him whenever I'm making plans, and not rely on my own wisdom.

Because of this story and others that I have heard in Mormonism about the importance of not delaying marriage and children, Shauri and I had our daughter Adelaide shortly after marrying, and we continued to bring additional children into our family as often as the Lord permitted us, even though I was still in graduate school and we were struggling financially. If we had waited until I had graduated in 2007, we would maybe have only 1 child now, instead of four beautiful children and another on the way. I am profoundly grateful to SWK as a man of God who was in tune with our Heavenly Father and boldly told the truth as he saw it, even when I may disagree with his delivery.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was an intense read, and took me awhile to get through. But was very insightful and has given me a deeper understanding of the gospel. One quote from this book that stuck out to me was: 'Jesus may stand and knock, but each of us decides whether to open. The Spirit is powerless to compel a man to move. The man himself must take the initiative. He must himself desire to repent and take the specific steps. He must, as Paul counseled, " put on the whole armor of God," and thus insure that he is " able to stand against the wiles of the devil."(Eph. 6:11.) That armor is incomplete without steadfast effort to live God's commandments. Without such effort repentance too is incomplete. And incomplete repentance never brought complete forgiveness.' One other quote that I really liked was " Man can conquer self. Man can overcome. Man can forgive all who have trespassed against him and go on to receive peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come.'
Definitely a great read, but it sure made me feel inadequate.... which I think the first half of the book is suppose to point out since we are all human and make mistakes. But once I got past that and Pres. Kimball got more in-depth with the process of repentance, it helped me cover my feelings of inadequacy with the desire to do and become better every day.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel that this is one of the most over-rated unofficial Mormon texts of all time. While I can't say that there are any doctrinal problems with the text, I felt that it misrepresented the gospel. The first half or so of the book is designed to help you understand that you are a worthless sinner. Really, the people who are inclined to read it are also generally inclined to recognize their guilt already. This means that the book first focuses on piercing their tender hearts with deep wounds (see Jacob 2). It was Kimball's intent to thus prepare the reader for the second portion that witnesses the 'good news' of the gospel. However, I feet that it generally fails to rekindle the hope necessary for repentance (see Alma 42). It fails to help people feel or recognize God's love. I would only recommend it to callous self-righteous jerks, and then only if they were closely connected to a kind and loving role-model and spiritual leader who can help them find God's love.

[Lydia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this book thoroughly twice. After the second time, I began to question Spencer W. Kimball as a Prophet of God. It is essentially an awful book designed to induce fear into people and make them think that there is an Obsessed God living in the Sky that is watching your every move, every thought and is writing a naughty list. Kimball teaches that we humans are born sinners and are worthless without the Mormon God. It teaches the reader to self-loathe their own body and biology as well as promotes homophobia and misogyny.

It's written by a hypocritical bigot, who was nothing more than a Charlatan.

Would give the book ZERO.