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The Divine Gift of Forgiveness, Journal Edition
In this book, Elder Andersen writes especially to those who are "awakening" unto God—those who are just beginning to discover or who seek the divine gifts and power of repentance and forgiveness in their lives. The Divine Gift of Forgiveness is organized in such a way that readers can choose the section or chapter that applies most to them and study it without having to have read from cover to cover. Leaders can similarly recommend specific chapters to those with whom they work. Filled with powerful doctrine along with stories and experiences, this book will help all readers become more devoted disciples of the Savior.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
February 8, 2020
Think of this as a "Miracle of Forgiveness" by President Kimball 2.0
The same topic is updated with a tone of beauty and wonder and compassion and love and mercy surrounding the topics of repentance and forgiveness.
Elder Andersen has dozens and dozens of really fabulous stories about people who've repented, about people who've forgiven horrible things done against them.
Elder Andersen was my mission president so I was excited to read this as soon as I saw news of its publication on our mission facebook page.
It was a beautiful book.
The same topic is updated with a tone of beauty and wonder and compassion and love and mercy surrounding the topics of repentance and forgiveness.
Elder Andersen has dozens and dozens of really fabulous stories about people who've repented, about people who've forgiven horrible things done against them.
Elder Andersen was my mission president so I was excited to read this as soon as I saw news of its publication on our mission facebook page.
It was a beautiful book.
October 29, 2023
This was AMAZING! I mainly read and listened
to this for a religious class I was taking called institute for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the teacher who taught it was amazing. I took a different classs with him on zoom (same as this class) over the summer for the first time and he was just as good. So I thought why not sign up for another zoom class of his and I decided to do this one. So for the past few months, I've been getting up an hour early twice a week for my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and they were from 830am-915/20 am. It was worth it!
This book changed me and gave me new perspectives of Christ's Atonement and repentance and to know more about God's love, why a Savior, why the Atonement, why forgiveness and other things such as the difference between feeling Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly sorrow when repenting. And also seeking forgiveness mainly from God since seeking it from those we've hurt or did something to fall off the path a small moment, ultimately we need to feel Godly sorrow and ask for God's forgiveness most of all.
All of that was amazing but there were also some parts in particular that had helped me personally to know that because I was sexually abused and to see that my abuser, my own dad, will never want to change it seems, I felt peace to know even more so thst I'm on loan to my earthly parents. My Heavenly Father is my real Father and loves me more than I can ever know. The author said as follows for those who have been abused,
"For those who have been sexually abused or unfairly taken advantage of, let me say to you that God loves you in a way that I can scarcely express. In the eyes of God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, chastity and virtue can never be taken from someone else's terrible abuse toward you and violation of your God-given body. Chastity and virtue are spiritual qualities determined by our own choices and cherished by God. No one can rob or take these away from you. Those who have attempted to do so will pay a terrible price for their wickedness. When they come to a spiritual recognition of what they have actually done, whether in this life or the next, they will have to bear the burden of their sins. Their suffering will be enormous. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."
If they do in fact, repent in this life, and desire to make restitution, they will cry unto God with all their soul that He might heal the suffering of the ones violated by them. Your offender may pay a significant price, but this will never be able to make full restitution for the pain and suffering that has come to you. This explains, in part, why forgiveness from The Church for sexual abuse and unfaithfulness requires much more than merely acknowledging these sins.
There is a supernal, heavenly love for the innocent that have been harmed by the evil acts of others. If you, in your innocence, have been a victim of the unholy choices of others, I promise you that God knows you, loves you, and will help take the pain from you as you turn to Him in your sorrow....Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I promise you that you will receive compensatory blessing for the injustices thrust upon your life. The Lord has promised that through Him you may receive 'beauty for Ashes' (Isaiah 61:3). In time, you will also be blessed with the spiritual gift to forgive. The sins and spiritual sickness of others will one day hurt you no more as you feel the Lord lift the burdens of your broken heart and completely heal the wounds in your soul."
So to hear and read that, I felt like God was almost talking to me personally and I just felt so much joy and happiness and peace all over again to surely know that my Savior atoned for me, for my pain and sorrows. My iniquities. The abuse I would have to go through. In another part of this book, Neil L. Andersen says of Christ's suffering in Gethsemane in Jerusalem,
"In the terrible suffering in Gethsemane, Mark said that Jesus was "sore amazed." "Sore amazed" in Geeek means astonished, awestruck. Jesus had known since our Premortal life that He would take upon Himself the sins of all, but He had never experienced the Atonement. The agony, the pain, was immeasurable. In our day, He described His experience as "the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God," "which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit." Jesus Christ was being "bruised for our iniquities."
To hear what He went through as it was described by Him, I think of times his His suffering and Atonement can and has been taken advantage of. As if He went through all He did for nothing. But if I now ever make any kinds of shortcomings or mistakes which I do of course cause I'm human and not perfect, I never want to take the Atonement for granted ever even though I never would. But after this book, I've become closer to knowing my Father in Heaven and Savior loves me. To know that without Christ's Atoning sacrifice and His resurrection, we wouldn't be able to fully repent to God and cry TO HIM and ASK HIM most of all to forgive us. We can ask our leaders and others to forgive us for our sins, but ultimately, it's actually God we truly and mainly need to ask for that forgiveness since in a way we also offended Him and need to make restitution with Him.
If anyone had questions about my faith or anything about this, I can try and answer. Messaging would be better actually and please no hateful comments or anything. I will delete those.
to this for a religious class I was taking called institute for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the teacher who taught it was amazing. I took a different classs with him on zoom (same as this class) over the summer for the first time and he was just as good. So I thought why not sign up for another zoom class of his and I decided to do this one. So for the past few months, I've been getting up an hour early twice a week for my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and they were from 830am-915/20 am. It was worth it!
This book changed me and gave me new perspectives of Christ's Atonement and repentance and to know more about God's love, why a Savior, why the Atonement, why forgiveness and other things such as the difference between feeling Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly sorrow when repenting. And also seeking forgiveness mainly from God since seeking it from those we've hurt or did something to fall off the path a small moment, ultimately we need to feel Godly sorrow and ask for God's forgiveness most of all.
All of that was amazing but there were also some parts in particular that had helped me personally to know that because I was sexually abused and to see that my abuser, my own dad, will never want to change it seems, I felt peace to know even more so thst I'm on loan to my earthly parents. My Heavenly Father is my real Father and loves me more than I can ever know. The author said as follows for those who have been abused,
"For those who have been sexually abused or unfairly taken advantage of, let me say to you that God loves you in a way that I can scarcely express. In the eyes of God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, chastity and virtue can never be taken from someone else's terrible abuse toward you and violation of your God-given body. Chastity and virtue are spiritual qualities determined by our own choices and cherished by God. No one can rob or take these away from you. Those who have attempted to do so will pay a terrible price for their wickedness. When they come to a spiritual recognition of what they have actually done, whether in this life or the next, they will have to bear the burden of their sins. Their suffering will be enormous. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."
If they do in fact, repent in this life, and desire to make restitution, they will cry unto God with all their soul that He might heal the suffering of the ones violated by them. Your offender may pay a significant price, but this will never be able to make full restitution for the pain and suffering that has come to you. This explains, in part, why forgiveness from The Church for sexual abuse and unfaithfulness requires much more than merely acknowledging these sins.
There is a supernal, heavenly love for the innocent that have been harmed by the evil acts of others. If you, in your innocence, have been a victim of the unholy choices of others, I promise you that God knows you, loves you, and will help take the pain from you as you turn to Him in your sorrow....Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I promise you that you will receive compensatory blessing for the injustices thrust upon your life. The Lord has promised that through Him you may receive 'beauty for Ashes' (Isaiah 61:3). In time, you will also be blessed with the spiritual gift to forgive. The sins and spiritual sickness of others will one day hurt you no more as you feel the Lord lift the burdens of your broken heart and completely heal the wounds in your soul."
So to hear and read that, I felt like God was almost talking to me personally and I just felt so much joy and happiness and peace all over again to surely know that my Savior atoned for me, for my pain and sorrows. My iniquities. The abuse I would have to go through. In another part of this book, Neil L. Andersen says of Christ's suffering in Gethsemane in Jerusalem,
"In the terrible suffering in Gethsemane, Mark said that Jesus was "sore amazed." "Sore amazed" in Geeek means astonished, awestruck. Jesus had known since our Premortal life that He would take upon Himself the sins of all, but He had never experienced the Atonement. The agony, the pain, was immeasurable. In our day, He described His experience as "the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God," "which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit." Jesus Christ was being "bruised for our iniquities."
To hear what He went through as it was described by Him, I think of times his His suffering and Atonement can and has been taken advantage of. As if He went through all He did for nothing. But if I now ever make any kinds of shortcomings or mistakes which I do of course cause I'm human and not perfect, I never want to take the Atonement for granted ever even though I never would. But after this book, I've become closer to knowing my Father in Heaven and Savior loves me. To know that without Christ's Atoning sacrifice and His resurrection, we wouldn't be able to fully repent to God and cry TO HIM and ASK HIM most of all to forgive us. We can ask our leaders and others to forgive us for our sins, but ultimately, it's actually God we truly and mainly need to ask for that forgiveness since in a way we also offended Him and need to make restitution with Him.
If anyone had questions about my faith or anything about this, I can try and answer. Messaging would be better actually and please no hateful comments or anything. I will delete those.
January 24, 2020
This book is written is simple and plain language. But it represents a meaningful change from the way repentance and forgiveness were presented in The Miracle of Forgiveness. While The Miracle of Forgiveness focuses on defining specific sins with the intent of ensuring readers do not rationalize away sin, this book focuses on the blessing and promise of forgiveness. The former approach left many feeling guilty and hopeless, the latter leaves readers with hope and a desire to improve.
Do not confuse simple and plain language with a lack of depth. This book has profound ideas, though they will sound pedestrian to those who have heard this approach to repentance and forgiveness their entire lives. One example of depth is Elder Anderson’s comment that instead of focusing our efforts to change (or helping others with change) on willpower or steps of repentance, we should focus on gaining greater faith in Christ. I have seen how building faith in Christ changes behavior and increases the likelihood and permanence of change.
It is difficult to communicate true miracle of forgiveness unless you experience it yourself or witness it in someone close to you. Our repentance and feelings of guilt don’t earn anything. Grace is a gift. We turn to God and accept that gift made possible through the atonement of Christ. And all the theology in all the world can never provide the clarity and appreciation we gain for forgiveness from experiencing it firsthand.
Do not confuse simple and plain language with a lack of depth. This book has profound ideas, though they will sound pedestrian to those who have heard this approach to repentance and forgiveness their entire lives. One example of depth is Elder Anderson’s comment that instead of focusing our efforts to change (or helping others with change) on willpower or steps of repentance, we should focus on gaining greater faith in Christ. I have seen how building faith in Christ changes behavior and increases the likelihood and permanence of change.
It is difficult to communicate true miracle of forgiveness unless you experience it yourself or witness it in someone close to you. Our repentance and feelings of guilt don’t earn anything. Grace is a gift. We turn to God and accept that gift made possible through the atonement of Christ. And all the theology in all the world can never provide the clarity and appreciation we gain for forgiveness from experiencing it firsthand.
January 4, 2020
I'm a new bishop. This book taught me great principles to aide in my own relationship with God as well as the special privilege I have to help others do the same. As I read, I marked it up and took notes in the front pages to help summarize my own thinking and applications. I came away with many new ideas and insights I'll use when counseling with members of my congregation. I highly recommend Elder Anderson's book to everyone, those struggling with large personal mistakes, those hurt by the mistakes of others, and those simply striving to be a little better each day.
December 7, 2021
A decent treatise on forgiveness in which nothing particularly groundbreaking is brought up.
August 8, 2021
This is NonFiction/Religious. The title is not exactly accurate, but I get why the author (or the publishing powers that be) used the word "forgiveness" instead of the word "repentance." I think that when people hear the word "repentance" they get a little tense and then brace themselves for a lecture. But this was a book about that "R" word.
The first half took me awhile to get through and not because of the issue mentioned in the first paragraph above. It felt, at first, that the author googled "repentance" and then proceeded to use every scripture, every story, and every quote by prominent members of his church. That is never my favorite when it isn't accompanied by the author's own personal stories and passion about this topic. It felt like a review (aka a lecture), which, theoretically, is always a good thing.
But the redeeming value I found was in the entire last half. That is when I glimpsed his passion for the subject and his heart felt love for the people. That is when I sat back and absorbed his message, which was wonderful. There was even a part that I listened to with my husband and one of my daughters. All three of us enjoyed it. So 3 stars for this one.
The first half took me awhile to get through and not because of the issue mentioned in the first paragraph above. It felt, at first, that the author googled "repentance" and then proceeded to use every scripture, every story, and every quote by prominent members of his church. That is never my favorite when it isn't accompanied by the author's own personal stories and passion about this topic. It felt like a review (aka a lecture), which, theoretically, is always a good thing.
But the redeeming value I found was in the entire last half. That is when I glimpsed his passion for the subject and his heart felt love for the people. That is when I sat back and absorbed his message, which was wonderful. There was even a part that I listened to with my husband and one of my daughters. All three of us enjoyed it. So 3 stars for this one.
January 20, 2020
Though Elder Andersen qualifies his remarks as a beginners guide to repentance, I found the concepts in this book quite profound. So much so that one story in here changed the course of a family relationship of mine, as I was able to try and see that person differently, and have compassion and forgiveness for them.
One of the more touching stories that was shared was of a wife with a husband with a pornography addiction. She remarried happily but later in life ended up taking care of her ex husband as he slowly suffered and died from cancer. That time she took care of him ended in complete forgiveness on her part as she served him and as he was grateful for her care. Inspiring.
Absolutely recommend this book. All the stars and everyone should read it.
One of the more touching stories that was shared was of a wife with a husband with a pornography addiction. She remarried happily but later in life ended up taking care of her ex husband as he slowly suffered and died from cancer. That time she took care of him ended in complete forgiveness on her part as she served him and as he was grateful for her care. Inspiring.
Absolutely recommend this book. All the stars and everyone should read it.
July 1, 2020
Beautifully written. Once I finished this book I started over with chapter one.
April 3, 2021
This book is a “must read” for all who seek a better life by becoming a better person!
May 2, 2020
The main thing I noticed about this book is that it doesn't focus on when you need to repent, or what you should do in the repentance process, a check-list, but it's focus is clearly on Jesus Christ. There is a chapter called THE GIFT OF HIS PRECIOUS SON. I listened to this chapter twice and gleaned different things from it each time. Some parts of the book, especially the beginning where Elder Anderson gives many stories, got a bit long. It is a book that takes time to take in, but worth it.
The following are quotes from the book that I would like to remember:
--"My prayer is that as you open more completely your heart to God and thoughtfully consider the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ found in this book, you will be stirred with even greater attention to the remarkable adventure of becoming a more devoted disciple of the Savior. Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained, “If we choose . . . the course of discipleship, we will . . . move from what may be initially a mere acknowledgment of Jesus on to admiration of Jesus, then on to adoration of Jesus, and finally to emulation of Jesus. In that process of striving to become more like Him . . . we must be in the posture of repentance.” (Introduction)
--"Daily, as we are humble, the Lord will reveal our weaknesses to us...As we seek earnestly to know ourselves, to make honest assessments of what we are and of where we are, the Lord will reveal, in answer to our prayers, where our repentance should be focused."
--"The scriptures contain beautiful examples of the inner strength and courage of believers’ faith to repent, to come unto Christ, and to be forgiven of their sins...The king of the Lamanites and, significantly, all of his household had been converted to the teachings of this Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who would come to the earth...
Ammon and others who were consecrated to teach the word of God began to see the change in the hearts of the people. This did not come just because of Ammon’s teaching, but through revelation, prophecy, and “the power of God working miracles in them.
This is a very important principle. Without the power of God working miracles in our life, going through a perfunctory list of things to do to repent, or asking the bishop what we should do to right our life, will rarely have the staying power to sustain us in a continuing commitment to keep the commandments of God.
A miraculous thing happened to thousands of the king’s people. The scripture states, “As many of the [people who] believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.”
There are times in our lives when we hear something, it feels right in our heart and makes sense in our mind, and we embrace it. But then difficult times come, and we are not sitting in the temple, in a sacrament meeting, or listening to general conference, and we retreat from what we once embraced, not having the will or faith to stay strong. There is a very important distinction made with the king’s people who rejoiced in Ammon’s message of a Savior and Redeemer. It says that they were “converted unto the Lord.”
They weren’t converted unto Ammon, they "were converted unto the Lord, and that made all the difference.
Because of their repentance, the Lord changed their hearts and they turned completely to God.
The people of Ammon determined that “they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite [their enemies].” They would not return to their sin—never.
Most will never have the grievous sin of murder as these men did prior to being “converted unto the Lord,” but the lessons from their lives are applicable in our own lives. Their example teaches us not to give up on life. Repentance opens the door of hope to a new life with Jesus Christ.
The qualities that defined the people of Ammon after their conversion are qualities that must define our own lives as we truly repent of our sins.
And what relevance is there to us that they had swords that had become bright because of their repentance? It means that once we are in the process of repenting and we become bright and clean through the blood of the Lamb of God, we bury anything that takes us to the place we were before we repented." (Ch. 4 A Powerful Scriptural Example)
--"As we deeply consider our own sins and come to recognize our complete and utter dependence upon Jesus Christ for our own personal redemption, our love for God blossoms. As we understand even the smallest part of the price He paid for our sins, we are filled with never-ending love for Him. We yearn to know more about our Redeemer and how He lovingly and sacrificially fulfilled the law of justice. With our inexpressible gratitude, we desire to repent, realizing the inestimable value the Father and the Son placed on our souls. “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; for, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him."
--I have long appreciated a verse in the twenty-ninth chapter of Alma. Alma uses opposites to emphasize the consequences of our choices: “He that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or. . . .” My first thought would be to fill in the blank by saying that the opposite of joy would be sorrow, or maybe sadness. The phrase Alma uses is “joy or remorse of conscience.”
Remorse of conscience is a wonderful teacher, even in the simple digressions of our youth, if we will learn from our mistakes. Elder Ronald A. Rasband explains that “our Heavenly Father knew we would need help, and that’s why He gave us the principle of repentance. Repentance is the cleansing principle of the gospel. It’s the greatest friend we have."
--How incomprehensible but wondrous that Christ never yielded to any temptation pressed upon Him by Satan. The author of Hebrews referred to Christ as our High Priest, and wrote, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” King Benjamin taught us that “he shall suffer temptations.” The Savior Himself said that “he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things.
C. S. Lewis expressed this idea: “Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. . . . You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness—they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full extent what temptation means.” (ch.8 The Gift of His Precious Son)
--Elder Anderson talked of a friend he had in High School in Seminary who said she had a love of the gospel, but then, often, he said, on Monday morning, he would learn of her weekend activities and her difficulties following the Word of Wisdom and keeping the standards of the Church. I loved what he said next....Sometimes she would talk to me about her weekends. She seemed sorry for what she had done and wanted to do better. I would encourage her by talking about willpower, choosing the right friends, not getting in certain situations, and being able to say no. She seemed to appreciate the encouragement, but she continued doing the same things month after month. She spoke of wanting to change and repent, but it never seemed to happen.
If I were talking to her today, I would speak less to her about the steps that would be required for repentance, and much more about the source and power of her ability to change, to repent, and to be forgiven. I would speak about her faith in Jesus Christ. I would try to help her realize that if she would build her knowledge and belief in Christ, and strengthen her faith in Him, then her trust and confidence in Him would bring power—His power to help strengthen her in changing her behavior."
Alma went to Amulek’s home and stayed with him many days.
In one of their first teaching experiences, when it was Amulek’s turn to speak, he explained that he was a man of no small reputation in Ammonihah, and then he added, “Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power . . . I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know.”
I have always been intrigued by Amulek’s words, “I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know.” My friend in seminary knew the answers to the questions asked by the seminary teacher, but she did not know the strength and power that could come to her personally if she would look to Christ and build her faith in Him. She knew, yet she would not know.
For Amulek to change who he was and become a mighty believer, he had to take the things he had learned, things he had been told, things that he knew intellectually, and open his heart spiritually. He then put his spiritual learning into action. The strengthening of his faith in the Savior brought the changes he needed. Interestingly, about eight years later, we find him with Alma teaching the people known as the Zoramites, who were spiritually in a similar situation to those in Ammonihah eight years previously. However, these people he was now teaching were poor and had been unfairly treated by the more affluent Zoramites. The spiritual issue, however, was the same.
--The prophet Alma taught the Zoramites how faith in the word—which is in Christ—as it is nurtured, will grow from a seed, to a seedling, to a powerful tree of faith in Christ.
Faith is multidimensional; it has depth and breadth. Your faith is growing or diminishing. Faith grows and strengthens within us as we desire to believe, as we ponder the word of God, as we increase the sincerity and frequency of our prayers, as we repent and keep the commandments, and as we experience the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives.
Experiencing the miracles of God, and experiencing the profound repentance that leads to forgiveness, begins by building a sure foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ brings the necessary power to ignite true repentance. President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “If we really understood and could feel even to a small degree, the love and gracious willingness on the part of Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins we would be willing to repent of all our transgressions and serve him.”
If you find yourself making the same mistakes, struggling to be firm in your desire to change, express to your Heavenly Father your love for Him and strengthen your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn of Him, study about His sacred Atonement, and think deeply about what He suffered for you. Keep His commandments with more exactness. As you do your part to build your faith in the Savior, I promise you that heaven will compound this gift of faith, and you will have the spiritual strength to repent of your sins and not return to them. (ch. 9 Faith Leads, Repentance Follows)
--Offering our whole soul means that we do not hold back. We don’t say, “Oh I want to give up this sin, but I want to hold on to another one.” We don’t excuse ourselves by saying, “I made mistakes, but there are others who are worse than I am.” And we don’t add, “This is not really my fault because I was overly influenced by another.” We don’t pity ourselves, saying, “I’m not good enough and God does not want to hear from me.” Rather, we come boldly to the throne of God—sincerely, honestly, with real intent. We not only express our sorrow, but we listen as the Father guides us in what we should feel and what we should do next. We believe completely in prayer and repentance; COMPLETELY, knowing that in this very difficult experience, our spirits will be renewed, cleansed, and refined.
The Christian writer C. S. Lewis explained, “Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work. I want You. . . . No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there; I want to have the whole tree down. . . . Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.”
As we humbly come to our Father in Heaven, there is tremendous power in praying vocally. The Lord has said, “And again, I command thee that thou shalt pray vocally as well as in thy heart.”
Joseph Smith writes about the morning of the First Vision, “So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. . . . It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.”
We show our Heavenly Father our true intent as we anticipate and plan for our communications with Him. (ch. 10 Only through the Father and the Son)
--An additional distortion of the adversary directed toward the person desiring to repent is his deceitful appeal to postpone or delay repentance. President Henry B. Eyring said, “That temptation to delay comes from our enemy, Lucifer. He knows that we can never be truly happy unless we have hope in this life and then realization, in the next, of eternal life. It is the greatest of all the gifts of God. . . . And so Satan tempts with procrastination throughout our days of probation. Any choice to delay repentance gives him the chance to steal happiness from one of the spirit children of our Heavenly Father.
In C. S. Lewis’s book The Screwtape Letters, the devil’s minion, Uncle Screwtape, instructs his nephew, Wormwood, a less experienced tempter, how to keep the mortal who is beginning to consider repentance from continuing along this righteous path. “It remains to consider how we can retrieve this disaster. The great thing is to prevent his doing anything. As long as he does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this new repentance. Let the little brute wallow in it. . . . Let him do anything but act. No amount of piety in his imagination and affections will harm us if we can keep it out of his will. " (ch 11 The Devil’s Throat)
The following are quotes from the book that I would like to remember:
--"My prayer is that as you open more completely your heart to God and thoughtfully consider the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ found in this book, you will be stirred with even greater attention to the remarkable adventure of becoming a more devoted disciple of the Savior. Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained, “If we choose . . . the course of discipleship, we will . . . move from what may be initially a mere acknowledgment of Jesus on to admiration of Jesus, then on to adoration of Jesus, and finally to emulation of Jesus. In that process of striving to become more like Him . . . we must be in the posture of repentance.” (Introduction)
--"Daily, as we are humble, the Lord will reveal our weaknesses to us...As we seek earnestly to know ourselves, to make honest assessments of what we are and of where we are, the Lord will reveal, in answer to our prayers, where our repentance should be focused."
--"The scriptures contain beautiful examples of the inner strength and courage of believers’ faith to repent, to come unto Christ, and to be forgiven of their sins...The king of the Lamanites and, significantly, all of his household had been converted to the teachings of this Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who would come to the earth...
Ammon and others who were consecrated to teach the word of God began to see the change in the hearts of the people. This did not come just because of Ammon’s teaching, but through revelation, prophecy, and “the power of God working miracles in them.
This is a very important principle. Without the power of God working miracles in our life, going through a perfunctory list of things to do to repent, or asking the bishop what we should do to right our life, will rarely have the staying power to sustain us in a continuing commitment to keep the commandments of God.
A miraculous thing happened to thousands of the king’s people. The scripture states, “As many of the [people who] believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.”
There are times in our lives when we hear something, it feels right in our heart and makes sense in our mind, and we embrace it. But then difficult times come, and we are not sitting in the temple, in a sacrament meeting, or listening to general conference, and we retreat from what we once embraced, not having the will or faith to stay strong. There is a very important distinction made with the king’s people who rejoiced in Ammon’s message of a Savior and Redeemer. It says that they were “converted unto the Lord.”
They weren’t converted unto Ammon, they "were converted unto the Lord, and that made all the difference.
Because of their repentance, the Lord changed their hearts and they turned completely to God.
The people of Ammon determined that “they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite [their enemies].” They would not return to their sin—never.
Most will never have the grievous sin of murder as these men did prior to being “converted unto the Lord,” but the lessons from their lives are applicable in our own lives. Their example teaches us not to give up on life. Repentance opens the door of hope to a new life with Jesus Christ.
The qualities that defined the people of Ammon after their conversion are qualities that must define our own lives as we truly repent of our sins.
And what relevance is there to us that they had swords that had become bright because of their repentance? It means that once we are in the process of repenting and we become bright and clean through the blood of the Lamb of God, we bury anything that takes us to the place we were before we repented." (Ch. 4 A Powerful Scriptural Example)
--"As we deeply consider our own sins and come to recognize our complete and utter dependence upon Jesus Christ for our own personal redemption, our love for God blossoms. As we understand even the smallest part of the price He paid for our sins, we are filled with never-ending love for Him. We yearn to know more about our Redeemer and how He lovingly and sacrificially fulfilled the law of justice. With our inexpressible gratitude, we desire to repent, realizing the inestimable value the Father and the Son placed on our souls. “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; for, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him."
--I have long appreciated a verse in the twenty-ninth chapter of Alma. Alma uses opposites to emphasize the consequences of our choices: “He that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or. . . .” My first thought would be to fill in the blank by saying that the opposite of joy would be sorrow, or maybe sadness. The phrase Alma uses is “joy or remorse of conscience.”
Remorse of conscience is a wonderful teacher, even in the simple digressions of our youth, if we will learn from our mistakes. Elder Ronald A. Rasband explains that “our Heavenly Father knew we would need help, and that’s why He gave us the principle of repentance. Repentance is the cleansing principle of the gospel. It’s the greatest friend we have."
--How incomprehensible but wondrous that Christ never yielded to any temptation pressed upon Him by Satan. The author of Hebrews referred to Christ as our High Priest, and wrote, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” King Benjamin taught us that “he shall suffer temptations.” The Savior Himself said that “he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things.
C. S. Lewis expressed this idea: “Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. . . . You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness—they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full extent what temptation means.” (ch.8 The Gift of His Precious Son)
--Elder Anderson talked of a friend he had in High School in Seminary who said she had a love of the gospel, but then, often, he said, on Monday morning, he would learn of her weekend activities and her difficulties following the Word of Wisdom and keeping the standards of the Church. I loved what he said next....Sometimes she would talk to me about her weekends. She seemed sorry for what she had done and wanted to do better. I would encourage her by talking about willpower, choosing the right friends, not getting in certain situations, and being able to say no. She seemed to appreciate the encouragement, but she continued doing the same things month after month. She spoke of wanting to change and repent, but it never seemed to happen.
If I were talking to her today, I would speak less to her about the steps that would be required for repentance, and much more about the source and power of her ability to change, to repent, and to be forgiven. I would speak about her faith in Jesus Christ. I would try to help her realize that if she would build her knowledge and belief in Christ, and strengthen her faith in Him, then her trust and confidence in Him would bring power—His power to help strengthen her in changing her behavior."
Alma went to Amulek’s home and stayed with him many days.
In one of their first teaching experiences, when it was Amulek’s turn to speak, he explained that he was a man of no small reputation in Ammonihah, and then he added, “Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power . . . I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know.”
I have always been intrigued by Amulek’s words, “I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know.” My friend in seminary knew the answers to the questions asked by the seminary teacher, but she did not know the strength and power that could come to her personally if she would look to Christ and build her faith in Him. She knew, yet she would not know.
For Amulek to change who he was and become a mighty believer, he had to take the things he had learned, things he had been told, things that he knew intellectually, and open his heart spiritually. He then put his spiritual learning into action. The strengthening of his faith in the Savior brought the changes he needed. Interestingly, about eight years later, we find him with Alma teaching the people known as the Zoramites, who were spiritually in a similar situation to those in Ammonihah eight years previously. However, these people he was now teaching were poor and had been unfairly treated by the more affluent Zoramites. The spiritual issue, however, was the same.
--The prophet Alma taught the Zoramites how faith in the word—which is in Christ—as it is nurtured, will grow from a seed, to a seedling, to a powerful tree of faith in Christ.
Faith is multidimensional; it has depth and breadth. Your faith is growing or diminishing. Faith grows and strengthens within us as we desire to believe, as we ponder the word of God, as we increase the sincerity and frequency of our prayers, as we repent and keep the commandments, and as we experience the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives.
Experiencing the miracles of God, and experiencing the profound repentance that leads to forgiveness, begins by building a sure foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ brings the necessary power to ignite true repentance. President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “If we really understood and could feel even to a small degree, the love and gracious willingness on the part of Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins we would be willing to repent of all our transgressions and serve him.”
If you find yourself making the same mistakes, struggling to be firm in your desire to change, express to your Heavenly Father your love for Him and strengthen your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn of Him, study about His sacred Atonement, and think deeply about what He suffered for you. Keep His commandments with more exactness. As you do your part to build your faith in the Savior, I promise you that heaven will compound this gift of faith, and you will have the spiritual strength to repent of your sins and not return to them. (ch. 9 Faith Leads, Repentance Follows)
--Offering our whole soul means that we do not hold back. We don’t say, “Oh I want to give up this sin, but I want to hold on to another one.” We don’t excuse ourselves by saying, “I made mistakes, but there are others who are worse than I am.” And we don’t add, “This is not really my fault because I was overly influenced by another.” We don’t pity ourselves, saying, “I’m not good enough and God does not want to hear from me.” Rather, we come boldly to the throne of God—sincerely, honestly, with real intent. We not only express our sorrow, but we listen as the Father guides us in what we should feel and what we should do next. We believe completely in prayer and repentance; COMPLETELY, knowing that in this very difficult experience, our spirits will be renewed, cleansed, and refined.
The Christian writer C. S. Lewis explained, “Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work. I want You. . . . No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there; I want to have the whole tree down. . . . Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.”
As we humbly come to our Father in Heaven, there is tremendous power in praying vocally. The Lord has said, “And again, I command thee that thou shalt pray vocally as well as in thy heart.”
Joseph Smith writes about the morning of the First Vision, “So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. . . . It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.”
We show our Heavenly Father our true intent as we anticipate and plan for our communications with Him. (ch. 10 Only through the Father and the Son)
--An additional distortion of the adversary directed toward the person desiring to repent is his deceitful appeal to postpone or delay repentance. President Henry B. Eyring said, “That temptation to delay comes from our enemy, Lucifer. He knows that we can never be truly happy unless we have hope in this life and then realization, in the next, of eternal life. It is the greatest of all the gifts of God. . . . And so Satan tempts with procrastination throughout our days of probation. Any choice to delay repentance gives him the chance to steal happiness from one of the spirit children of our Heavenly Father.
In C. S. Lewis’s book The Screwtape Letters, the devil’s minion, Uncle Screwtape, instructs his nephew, Wormwood, a less experienced tempter, how to keep the mortal who is beginning to consider repentance from continuing along this righteous path. “It remains to consider how we can retrieve this disaster. The great thing is to prevent his doing anything. As long as he does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this new repentance. Let the little brute wallow in it. . . . Let him do anything but act. No amount of piety in his imagination and affections will harm us if we can keep it out of his will. " (ch 11 The Devil’s Throat)
March 17, 2023
I usually refuse to purchase anything written by an apostle or general authority. Feels very priestcrafty to me. Like why am I paying for Elder Anderson’s special witness of Christ? Shouldn’t that just be free. Who profits off this book? Him personally or the church? Just kinda bizarre. But my bishop recommend this book so I bought it for $15 and read it. And I really liked it.
Every testimony has its up and downs and mine has been down lately. There just feels like an overall departure from Christ and his actually teachings. Elder Hamilton told BYU students in a recent devotional address to “Substitute the word Savior or Lord or Jesus Christ in place of ‘the Church.’” Elder Oaks taught Saints in Chicago that "Jesus did not pray that his followers would be diverse. He prayed that they would ‘be one.’” It’s just hard to swallow that this is what the Lord’s chosen and anointed have chosen to preach and focus on right now.
But I digress. This book - The Divine Gift of Forgiveness - reminds me who the Savior is and how his incredible atonement affects my daily life. Elder Anderson takes everything back to the basics and tells personal and interesting stories that highlight how and why we need a Savior and what he can do for us every single day.
Terrible things will happen to you and you’ll probably do terrible things. But because of Jesus Christ and his atonement, you can forgive and be forgiven. There is no greater message of hope and power than that.
Every testimony has its up and downs and mine has been down lately. There just feels like an overall departure from Christ and his actually teachings. Elder Hamilton told BYU students in a recent devotional address to “Substitute the word Savior or Lord or Jesus Christ in place of ‘the Church.’” Elder Oaks taught Saints in Chicago that "Jesus did not pray that his followers would be diverse. He prayed that they would ‘be one.’” It’s just hard to swallow that this is what the Lord’s chosen and anointed have chosen to preach and focus on right now.
But I digress. This book - The Divine Gift of Forgiveness - reminds me who the Savior is and how his incredible atonement affects my daily life. Elder Anderson takes everything back to the basics and tells personal and interesting stories that highlight how and why we need a Savior and what he can do for us every single day.
Terrible things will happen to you and you’ll probably do terrible things. But because of Jesus Christ and his atonement, you can forgive and be forgiven. There is no greater message of hope and power than that.
September 16, 2020
I loved all of it. As I read further along into the book, personal questions and desire for clarifications started to arise, and wonderfully, they were answered and explained. Every single time it happened, an answer was there. I loved reading about the grace, mercy, and love given from our Heavenly Father and our Savior to a person who has sinned and has been sinned against. I will most definitely read again.
My favorite quotes:
"Forgiveness is not excusing sin, it is trusting in the Atonement of the Lord, Jesus Christ."
"Forgiveness is not forgetting, but remembering in peace."
"President Dallin H Oaks said, "I believe that the promise to always have his spirit to be with us, not only refers to the Holy Ghost, but also to the ministering of angels. Those who worthily partake of the sacrament enjoy the companionship of the spirit of the Lord and the ministering of angels.""
My favorite quotes:
"Forgiveness is not excusing sin, it is trusting in the Atonement of the Lord, Jesus Christ."
"Forgiveness is not forgetting, but remembering in peace."
"President Dallin H Oaks said, "I believe that the promise to always have his spirit to be with us, not only refers to the Holy Ghost, but also to the ministering of angels. Those who worthily partake of the sacrament enjoy the companionship of the spirit of the Lord and the ministering of angels.""
April 21, 2020
This is a beautifully simple book. It’s a reminder that self improvement and repentance are a joy, and though difficult at times, shouldn’t be an unpleasant burden. Elder Anderson at one pointed quoted a small child who said in church, “I love to repent.”
I also appreciated the idea Elder Anderson explored that while church leaders may forgive sin on behalf of the institution, it’s the Lord who ultimately forgives us. And he will manifest that forgiveness through the presence of the Holy Ghost. When we feel the presence of the Holy Ghost, we can be assured the atonement of Christ is taking place in our life.
The most effective way to improve and change is often not through focus on changing behavior, but deepened focus and faith in Christ.
These concepts are simple, and they are deep. This is a book of encouragement for an individual from any walk of life.
I also appreciated the idea Elder Anderson explored that while church leaders may forgive sin on behalf of the institution, it’s the Lord who ultimately forgives us. And he will manifest that forgiveness through the presence of the Holy Ghost. When we feel the presence of the Holy Ghost, we can be assured the atonement of Christ is taking place in our life.
The most effective way to improve and change is often not through focus on changing behavior, but deepened focus and faith in Christ.
These concepts are simple, and they are deep. This is a book of encouragement for an individual from any walk of life.
January 31, 2021
I loved this book. I will buy this book. I want to refer to it often. I am so grateful for the experience I had reading this.
December 11, 2021
This book changed my life. I’ll forever be grateful for the time and thought Elder Anderson put in to write it, I’m not the same person because of it❤️
November 9, 2021
If you read this book prayerfully it will change your life. Inspired.
December 12, 2025
Felt like reading a really long general conference talk (in a good way.) I love all the stories he included!
I love how this book changed my view of forgiveness. It softened my heart:’)
I love how this book changed my view of forgiveness. It softened my heart:’)
January 25, 2022
So often, repentance is viewed through the lens of shame. No wonder—it’s often been taught that way. Elder Anderson shares the Savior’s message of love and the truly divine, wonderful, joyful, gift of repentance and healing that He offers. If the idea of repentance scares, intimidates, and shames you, I invite you to read this book. You will learn that God meets you exactly where you are right now and loves you completely. Just like a parent comforting a child with a scraped knee, God loves you and wishes to tenderly bind your wounds and heal you and lead you to become stronger and more like Him.
February 15, 2020
There are a lot of great things about this book. Elder Andersen uses stories effectively as a medium to discuss the repentance process. It's also clear that Elder Andersen cares deeply about the book's audience and those that he ministers to on a one-on-one basis.
That said, this isn't really a book about forgiveness. It's a book about repentance in an LDS context. A better, more descriptive title for this book would be something like, The Divine Process of Repentance.
I say that because the book focuses almost exclusively on the LDS process of an individual reconciling himself or herself to God following sin. A book about forgiveness would include substantial discussion about seeking and granting forgiveness between mortal individuals. The process of asking for forgiveness can be very challenging, as can be giving it and accepting it. And yet, this book never really touches on these meaty topics in spite of the title.
Not only is this book really about repentance, and not forgiveness, but it seems to focus only on trivial sins committed by young adults or children or extremely weighty, serious sins committed by adults. Let me explain. Throughout the book, there are several stories given, usually by General Authorities, of some small sin they committed when they were young. The pattern in these stories is similar: the youth commits a sin, is confronted or realizes the wrong, and then learns a life long lesson and commits to never commit that sin again. For example, Richard C. Edgley stole some bath towels from a luxury hotel he worked for in Jackson Hole while he was a young adult one summer. His father saw it, expressed disappointment and Richard drove hundreds of miles to return the towels. Then, he committed to never sin again. These stories are youthful, don't involve significant or complicated sins and have a simple, straightforward resolution.
The other type of sins/stories discussed/shared are on the polar opposite end, those sins which imperil marriages, families and salvation. These stories, shared by Elder Andersen, are almost entirely sexual in nature. These stories often involve Church disciplinary courts, divorce or estranged relationships. Even when Elder Andersen shared accounts from the people after they recovered, these portions of the book were really a downer and depressing. These stories didn't have a lot of hope.
But there is almost nothing in the middle. I'm not a youthful person making small, somewhat innocent mistakes in my day-to-day life. I'm also not out committing adultery day-to-day (or ever). And so Elder Andersen's book seems to entirely miss the situations I face day-to-day where I grapple with issues surrounding repentance or forgiveness.
This isn't one of the better books put out by church leaders. I would not recommend it to others.
That said, this isn't really a book about forgiveness. It's a book about repentance in an LDS context. A better, more descriptive title for this book would be something like, The Divine Process of Repentance.
I say that because the book focuses almost exclusively on the LDS process of an individual reconciling himself or herself to God following sin. A book about forgiveness would include substantial discussion about seeking and granting forgiveness between mortal individuals. The process of asking for forgiveness can be very challenging, as can be giving it and accepting it. And yet, this book never really touches on these meaty topics in spite of the title.
Not only is this book really about repentance, and not forgiveness, but it seems to focus only on trivial sins committed by young adults or children or extremely weighty, serious sins committed by adults. Let me explain. Throughout the book, there are several stories given, usually by General Authorities, of some small sin they committed when they were young. The pattern in these stories is similar: the youth commits a sin, is confronted or realizes the wrong, and then learns a life long lesson and commits to never commit that sin again. For example, Richard C. Edgley stole some bath towels from a luxury hotel he worked for in Jackson Hole while he was a young adult one summer. His father saw it, expressed disappointment and Richard drove hundreds of miles to return the towels. Then, he committed to never sin again. These stories are youthful, don't involve significant or complicated sins and have a simple, straightforward resolution.
The other type of sins/stories discussed/shared are on the polar opposite end, those sins which imperil marriages, families and salvation. These stories, shared by Elder Andersen, are almost entirely sexual in nature. These stories often involve Church disciplinary courts, divorce or estranged relationships. Even when Elder Andersen shared accounts from the people after they recovered, these portions of the book were really a downer and depressing. These stories didn't have a lot of hope.
But there is almost nothing in the middle. I'm not a youthful person making small, somewhat innocent mistakes in my day-to-day life. I'm also not out committing adultery day-to-day (or ever). And so Elder Andersen's book seems to entirely miss the situations I face day-to-day where I grapple with issues surrounding repentance or forgiveness.
This isn't one of the better books put out by church leaders. I would not recommend it to others.
February 9, 2021
Unique Latter-day Saint Gospel Perspectives
This is a highly religious book, written by a humble adherent to his faith's doctrinal beliefs. To any student of applied religion, this work offers some well-documented discussions of the core beliefs of Latter-day Saints. As such, although many of his teachings are compatible with the ideas and works of C. S. Lewis and Thomas Merton, this work was written more specifically to the Church's believers than for general audiences unfamiliar with the Church's unique teachings.
If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then this insightful book will have personal value and meaning to you as the basis for faith, hope, and charity that come from the powers of repentance and forgiveness. Because of its depth and encouragement for personal study and prayerful reflection, this book should be read in small installments to appreciate the powers of the Savior's atonement for everyone else, but for you personally.
If you are not a member of the Church, then with an open mind, this book will provide insights and understanding to what Latter-day Saints believe as to their central focus on the love and redeeming love of Jesus Christ.
If you are an unbeliever in religious faith and devotion, then this book might seem outside the thinking of today's worldview of secular understanding. However, it might offer some contrasting perspectives into how peace for many comes through life-changing religious devotion in a chaotic and nihilistic world.
Written by one of the Church's Twelve Apostles, this unofficial and personal review offers the wisdom and heartfelt insights of an individual who has spent several decades serving others and sharing his witness of God's love for mankind. This work includes many shared stories of remarkable individuals whose faith has brought them hope and peace.
This is not a philosophical or sociological study of religious beliefs, neither is it an academic critical review. Rather it is a practical application of one believer's doctrinal and scriptural interpretation of the need for reconciliation between individuals and their maker in acquiring hope and peace from their own personal limitations and failures.
This is a highly religious book, written by a humble adherent to his faith's doctrinal beliefs. To any student of applied religion, this work offers some well-documented discussions of the core beliefs of Latter-day Saints. As such, although many of his teachings are compatible with the ideas and works of C. S. Lewis and Thomas Merton, this work was written more specifically to the Church's believers than for general audiences unfamiliar with the Church's unique teachings.
If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then this insightful book will have personal value and meaning to you as the basis for faith, hope, and charity that come from the powers of repentance and forgiveness. Because of its depth and encouragement for personal study and prayerful reflection, this book should be read in small installments to appreciate the powers of the Savior's atonement for everyone else, but for you personally.
If you are not a member of the Church, then with an open mind, this book will provide insights and understanding to what Latter-day Saints believe as to their central focus on the love and redeeming love of Jesus Christ.
If you are an unbeliever in religious faith and devotion, then this book might seem outside the thinking of today's worldview of secular understanding. However, it might offer some contrasting perspectives into how peace for many comes through life-changing religious devotion in a chaotic and nihilistic world.
Written by one of the Church's Twelve Apostles, this unofficial and personal review offers the wisdom and heartfelt insights of an individual who has spent several decades serving others and sharing his witness of God's love for mankind. This work includes many shared stories of remarkable individuals whose faith has brought them hope and peace.
This is not a philosophical or sociological study of religious beliefs, neither is it an academic critical review. Rather it is a practical application of one believer's doctrinal and scriptural interpretation of the need for reconciliation between individuals and their maker in acquiring hope and peace from their own personal limitations and failures.
July 8, 2020
At first glance the book may seem basic to members who have been taught the gospel their whole lives. But there is so much here beneath the surface of this book that takes a very different approach than “The Miracle of Forgiveness” we grew up on that emphasizes the role of grace and faith in Christ towards the end of transformation over a mechanistic guide for fixing errors.
Elder Nielsen really expounds basic doctrines of repentance and shows how they are central to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I learned several good points about repentance: It is best undergone as a continual process. We do not pay the price of our sins that was always paid for by Jesus. Repentance is changing us to align us with his will. That change comes through grace though it requires spiritual work on our part. It’s not just a fix job, it’s a complete remaking. The church helps us repent but forgiveness only comes from God, not priesthood holders even as they make determinations about church blessings as a means to assist us in our coming to Christ. However, Christ is the “keeper of the gate” and “employeth no servant there”.
I really appreciated his emphasis on grace, or divine assistance, in addition to works or fruits of repentance. The whole book is so lovingly written, and the last chapter is especially beautiful. Weaves together passages from the standard works and so many really good real life stories. Was pleasantly surprised to read a chapter on the assistance we can receive from loved ones beyond the veil in our journey of repentance. Must read for all members of the Church.
Elder Nielsen really expounds basic doctrines of repentance and shows how they are central to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I learned several good points about repentance: It is best undergone as a continual process. We do not pay the price of our sins that was always paid for by Jesus. Repentance is changing us to align us with his will. That change comes through grace though it requires spiritual work on our part. It’s not just a fix job, it’s a complete remaking. The church helps us repent but forgiveness only comes from God, not priesthood holders even as they make determinations about church blessings as a means to assist us in our coming to Christ. However, Christ is the “keeper of the gate” and “employeth no servant there”.
I really appreciated his emphasis on grace, or divine assistance, in addition to works or fruits of repentance. The whole book is so lovingly written, and the last chapter is especially beautiful. Weaves together passages from the standard works and so many really good real life stories. Was pleasantly surprised to read a chapter on the assistance we can receive from loved ones beyond the veil in our journey of repentance. Must read for all members of the Church.
May 22, 2020
I was looking for a book to help me in my spiritual life, and found something that did so much more. Together with the Holy Scriptures, I found myself studying this book with an unending appetite and desire. Elder Andersen lays out all the important themes and aspects of repentance, forgiveness and all the facets of the Lord's atonement for us. There wasn't a chapter in this book that didn't have me tearing up with hope or shouting for joy in my heart. It had me reflecting on so many aspects of my life and where I truly want to be.
I highly encourage all my friends to pick this book up. Don't just read it, STUDY it. Especially all of us who want to effect a great change in our hearts and lives and want to better understand Jesus' role in our salvation as we accept Him. And bring your scriptures and the conference talks it references along too because all the truths in this book are based from them.
One final thought...I have also read The Miracle of Forgiveness and it is also a good book that teaches us important aspects of the Lord's plan. However, I found The Divine Gift of Forgiveness to be "just what the doctor ordered" for me. It is an easier read and had me highly engaged.
Thank you Neil L Andersen for writing this book. It has made a great difference in my life!
I highly encourage all my friends to pick this book up. Don't just read it, STUDY it. Especially all of us who want to effect a great change in our hearts and lives and want to better understand Jesus' role in our salvation as we accept Him. And bring your scriptures and the conference talks it references along too because all the truths in this book are based from them.
One final thought...I have also read The Miracle of Forgiveness and it is also a good book that teaches us important aspects of the Lord's plan. However, I found The Divine Gift of Forgiveness to be "just what the doctor ordered" for me. It is an easier read and had me highly engaged.
Thank you Neil L Andersen for writing this book. It has made a great difference in my life!
December 27, 2021
This is a really good book. It changed the way I think about repentance and forgiveness. I feel I want to try and be better and better.
April 30, 2020
I spend most of my reading time immersed in fiction, but when the opportunity came to read The Divine Gift of Forgiveness by Elder Neil L. Andersen (a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) it struck me as something that would be good for me to read.
I took this book in a bit at a time. It's obviously a deeper sort of read than the page turners I typically seek out. I was particularly touched by the examples Elder Andersen shared of those who had repented of various sins and felt our Heavenly Father's forgiveness. Their heartfelt stories were touching and can help a reader feel not only the importance of repenting, but the blessing and peace that comes from it.
This was a great book to read during this Easter month. Sometimes it's easy to let the holiday go by with only passing thoughts of the Savior, but taking the time to really focus on what the Savoir did for us in the Garden of Gethsemane is so important. Not only that, but it was a good reminder that we have an invitation to not let the sacrifice only go that far. He sacrificed for all of our sins, and it's up to us to then take the daily steps to repent so His sacrifice for us isn't in vain.
I took this book in a bit at a time. It's obviously a deeper sort of read than the page turners I typically seek out. I was particularly touched by the examples Elder Andersen shared of those who had repented of various sins and felt our Heavenly Father's forgiveness. Their heartfelt stories were touching and can help a reader feel not only the importance of repenting, but the blessing and peace that comes from it.
This was a great book to read during this Easter month. Sometimes it's easy to let the holiday go by with only passing thoughts of the Savior, but taking the time to really focus on what the Savoir did for us in the Garden of Gethsemane is so important. Not only that, but it was a good reminder that we have an invitation to not let the sacrifice only go that far. He sacrificed for all of our sins, and it's up to us to then take the daily steps to repent so His sacrifice for us isn't in vain.
April 14, 2020
WOW WHAT A BOOK. Seriously, this has got to be the best resource for studying repentance besides scripture and personal experience but also this book has those things!
I love how authentic this is, nothing vague about it like what you sometimes hear of maybe someone's example thats hard to follow and sounds more dramatic than relatable. But this book shares so many beautiful experiences with Christ and His Atonement! Like reading Alma the Youngers account is super insightful but we don't know what it was like for him to go through dis fellowship or what it was like for him to take the sacrament again but this book shares that AND MORE!!! I seriously loooove it. It grew my testimony and gratitude for the Savior, it actually taught me clearly why we need to go to priesthood leaders for serious sin, and it made me not just want to be better but see how I can.
I love how authentic this is, nothing vague about it like what you sometimes hear of maybe someone's example thats hard to follow and sounds more dramatic than relatable. But this book shares so many beautiful experiences with Christ and His Atonement! Like reading Alma the Youngers account is super insightful but we don't know what it was like for him to go through dis fellowship or what it was like for him to take the sacrament again but this book shares that AND MORE!!! I seriously loooove it. It grew my testimony and gratitude for the Savior, it actually taught me clearly why we need to go to priesthood leaders for serious sin, and it made me not just want to be better but see how I can.
November 30, 2020
If you have ever doubted that the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are inspired men and women who want the best for its members, read this book. Elder Andersen does an amazing job writing with the spirit and sharing tender and loving guidance here. I couldn’t get though a few words without having an overwhelming sense of the love my Heavenly Father has for me and the righteous desire to be a better person.
This book is destined to become a Church classic like President Kimball’s Miracle of Forgiveness. It’s such a powerful book that it struck me that I should re-read it every year or two.
Reading this book will inspire you to do what is necessary to grow closer to your Heavenly Father.
This book is destined to become a Church classic like President Kimball’s Miracle of Forgiveness. It’s such a powerful book that it struck me that I should re-read it every year or two.
Reading this book will inspire you to do what is necessary to grow closer to your Heavenly Father.
August 29, 2020
For anyone who wishes to truly understand the simple, yet profound, gift of Forgiveness that Christ offers us - this is the book. It is a short and simple read, yet profound in that it can touch the human heart to a depth that can cause true change if one wishes. Repentance is not a punishment but a joyful gift. It is not easy at times, but it is always so very worth it. Nothing compares. Without it we are stuck in a dark downward spiral, yet with it we are elevated unto light, truth, and joy, embraced by our Father in Heaven and our Savior. An unmistakable feeling. Read it! 5 STARS.
July 21, 2020
There was so much that was beautifully inspiring in here. I worried that it might be too much like President Kimball's The Miracle of Forgiveness, but it was sufficiently different that there was plenty for me to learn. Some parts were such a revelation to me, that I feel like my life is forever changed for the better. I would give it five stars, but a few of the included stories from other people seemed very long and I couldn't relate to them.
May 29, 2021
This book included a wide variety of examples that allowed the doctrines taught to be applied and understood by myself (and many others).
I was able to take a pilot institute class/course on this book. The classes were amazing as the teacher was able to guide each lesson to allow for open discussions on each chapter and explain the principles and doctrines clearly.
I was able to take a pilot institute class/course on this book. The classes were amazing as the teacher was able to guide each lesson to allow for open discussions on each chapter and explain the principles and doctrines clearly.
February 12, 2020
It was a great book. I highly recommend it.
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