President James E. Faust of the
First Presidency shared an account that illustrates the importance of not
harboring ill feelings toward those who may try to offend or hurt us:
“In the beautiful hills of
Pennsylvania, a devout group of Christian
people live a simple life without automobiles, electricity, or modern
machinery. They work hard and live quiet, peaceful lives separate from the
world. Most of their food comes from their own farms. The women sew and knit
and weave their clothing, which is modest and plain. They are known as the
Amish people.
“A 32-year-old milk truck driver
lived with his family in their Nickel
Mines community. He was not Amish, but his pickup route took him to many Amish
dairy farms, where he became known as the quiet milkman. Last October he
suddenly lost all reason and control. In his tormented mind he blamed God for
the death of his first child and some unsubstantiated memories. He stormed into
the Amish school without any provocation, released the boys and adults, and
tied up the 10 girls. He shot the girls, killing five and wounding five. Then
he took his own life.
“This shocking violence caused great
anguish among the Amish but no anger. There was hurt but no hate. Their forgiveness was
immediate. Collectively they began to reach out to the milkman’s suffering
family. As the milkman’s family gathered in his home the day after the
shootings, an Amish neighbor came over, wrapped his arms around the father of
the dead gunman, and said, ‘We will forgive you.’ [In Joan Kern, “A Community
Cries,” Lancaster New Era, Oct.
4, 2006, p. A8.] Amish leaders visited the milkman’s wife and children to
extend their sympathy, their forgiveness,
their help, and their love. About half of the mourners at the milkman’s funeral
were Amish. In turn, the Amish invited the milkman’s family to attend the
funeral services of the girls who had been killed. A remarkable peace settled
on the Amish as their faith sustained them during this crisis.
“One local resident very eloquently
summed up the aftermath of this tragedy when he said, ‘We were all speaking the
same language, and not just English, but a language of caring, a language of
community, [and] a language of service. And, yes, a language of forgiveness.’ [In Helen Colwell
Adams, “After That Tragic Day, a Deeper Respect among English, Amish?” Sunday News, Oct. 15, 2006, p. A1.] It
was an amazing outpouring of their complete faith in the Lord’s teachings in
the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you.’ [Matthew
5:44.]
“The family of the milkman who
killed the five girls released the following statement to the public:
“‘To our Amish friends, neighbors,
and local community:
“‘Our family wants each of you to
know that we are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that you’ve
extended to us. Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we
so desperately need. The prayers, flowers, cards, and gifts you’ve given have
touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached
beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for
this we sincerely thank you.
“‘Please know that our hearts have
been broken by all that has happened. We are filled with sorrow for all of our
Amish neighbors whom we have loved and continue to love. We know that there are
many hard days ahead for all the families who lost loved ones, and so we will
continue to put our hope and trust in the God of all comfort, as we all seek to
rebuild our lives.’ [“Amish Shooting Victims,”
www.800padutch.com/amishvictims.shtml.]
“How could the whole Amish group
manifest such an expression of forgiveness? It was because of their faith in
God and trust in His word, which is part of their inner beings. They see
themselves as disciples of Christ and want to follow His example.
“Hearing of this tragedy, many
people sent money to the Amish to pay for the health care of the five surviving
girls and for the burial expenses of the five who were killed. As a further
demonstration of their discipleship, the Amish decided to share some of the
money with the widow of the milkman and her three children because they too
were victims of this terrible tragedy” (“The Healing Power of Forgiveness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 67–68).
FORGIVENESS IS SO HARD AND SO IMPORTANT. The following message is an example of what kind of people we should strive to become. How many of us have been hurt by others with much more smaller offenses and yet we harbor bad feeling or cast judgement on others?
President Uchtdorf's talk states:
"Let us be kind.
Let us forgive.
Let us talk peacefully with each other.
Let the love of God fill our hearts.
Let us do good unto all men.
We are not perfect.The people around us are not perfect.People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way.Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord’s way.
Remember, heaven is filled with those who have this in common: They are forgiven. And they forgive.Lay
your burden at the Savior’s feet. Let go of judgment. Allow Christ’s
Atonement to change and heal your heart.
Love one another.
Forgive one
another.
The merciful will obtain mercy.
Of
this I testify in the name of the One who loved so well and so
completely that He gave His life for us, His friends—in the sacred name
of Jesus Christ, amen."
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