Chapter 11: Forgiveness Through Faith in Christ

Sin consists in actions that deviate from the most beneficial path.¹ Sin causes guilt. While this guilt can be ignored or covered in this life, it is constant, permanent, and plain after this life.²

As with all other gifts from God, forgiveness of past sins comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

Desire to be forgiven

It isn’t necessary to believe in God to desire forgiveness for our transgressions towards other people. Guilt and other negative consequences of sin spur us to seek after peace and contentment. Experiencing negative emotions or consequences is quite common, though it does not typically yield lasting change, and it is certainly insufficient to entice a person to undergo the harrowing transformation that is required for a person to experience joy in the presence of God.

An understanding of the love of God cannot be obtained or increased in a way that yields joy except through faith. God could reveal his love to anyone, at any time, to any degree, but doing so outside of the faith process would fill the recipient with indescribable agony due to the inescapable guilt with which it would fill them. Faith is the only mechanism through which a person can gain an understanding of the love of God in a way that yields joy because the need to choose and act on the part of the participant releases them from the guilt they would otherwise feel. One who has faith in Christ will not only gain a greater understanding of the love of God, but they will also reform their beliefs and actions to conform to their understanding of God as it improves in accuracy and depth.

Whenever a person is truly converted to God, it is through an increased understanding of his love. There are many examples of this in scripture.

When Alma began to understand the love of God, he was so racked with his guilt that he laid on the ground in paralyzed silence for three days. He said:

12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. (Alma 36)

When the Lord appeared to Paul and told him that his zealous persecution of the Christians was wrong, his turmoil was so great that he went without food and water for three days (see Acts 9:4-9).

When Zeezrom heard the gospel preached by Alma and Amulek, “his soul began to be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea, he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell.” (Alma 14:6)

The guilt experienced by those who, through faith, have gained an understanding of the love of God is a measured dose of what we will feel at judgment if we are not reconciled to God. If we take that dose and use it to come to a full understanding of the reality and contents of judgment day, we will believe that hell is worse than any pleasure offered by sin:

Prepare your souls for that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the righteous, even the day of judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery. (2 Nephi 9:46)

Jesus pointed out that those who are forgiven of much will be much more grateful than those who are forgiven of little:

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. (Luke 7)

One interesting aspect of this account is that both debtors would have been under the same consequence of prison or enslavement for their debts. While our gratitude indeed differs, it only does so commensurate with our perception of the degree of offense we have committed. In reality, all sin is equally sufficient to cause eternal torment: a sinner in one is a sinner in all: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

Desire for Christ must be consummate in order to bring about forgiveness. For many outcomes, a light desire is insufficient, and when it comes to a desire for forgiveness of past sins, nothing less than everything will do. Anything less than an absolute, sincere surrender to God will not free you from the guilt of your past sins. You “must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul.” (2 Nephi 25:29)

The scriptures provide examples of what this looks like in practice. When a proud king was taught the gospel,

17 ...the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:
18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.... (Alma 22)

Forgiveness of past sins not only frees a person from the guilt of knowing that they could have done better, but also provides motivation for abstaining from future sin. One cannot be forgiven by God without recognizing a greater portion of God’s love, which in turn makes them love him more (see Luke 7:47).

Without forgiveness of past sin, future sinlessness could not bring the peace and contentment it qualifies for, as the guilt and sorrow for past sins would endure no matter how perfect one’s future actions might be:

15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?
16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?
17 Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?
18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?
19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?
20 I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil?
21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.
22 And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness? Behold, what will these things testify against you? (Alma 5)

Because perceived value leads to desire, one’s degree of understanding of the value of forgiveness through Christ will determine one’s desire to obtain it. One who desires to change because of the love of God will do more for longer than one who does not. One who understands the love of God will value aligning their actions with his more than anything in this world.

Reasons to believe forgiveness is possible

Jesus is “mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.” (Alma 7:14) He provides evidence of his ability to forgive sins in the form of personal evidence and outwardly visible evidence.

The strongest evidence for Jesus’ ability to forgive sins is the fact that when one follows his prescribed instructions, they will receive the undeniable peace that comes. The greater one’s recognition of their true situation, the more obvious the alleviation from guilt and sorrow will be when forgiveness is obtained:

Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy. (Alma 36:21)

A recognition of one’s receipt of forgiveness is something internal to the individual, but the actions it motivates can be seen by others. Those who are forgiven do not act contrary to their understanding of God’s character. They do what they believe he would do in their place at all times and in all places.³ The jarring difference in their behavior and their sudden ability to do and endure very difficult things attest to the internal change wrought by obtaining forgiveness from God for past sins.

While many of these changes will go unnoticed by others, some of these actions fall into the category of miracles. During his mortal ministry, Jesus performed miracles in order to provide reasons to believe that he had the power to forgive sins:

1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7 And he arose, and departed to his house. (Matthew 9)

In our day, the Lord has likewise provisioned servants to the earth demonstrating the miraculous signs that he promised would attend all believers in order that mankind might have faith that Jesus has the power to forgive sin.

Obtaining forgiveness through faith in Christ

The actions associated with obtaining faith in Christ are fully surrendering to him, forsaking sin, and asking forgiveness:

And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them. (Mosiah 4:10)

Asking for forgiveness can’t be the first step in this process. Asking for forgiveness doesn’t change you. It doesn’t force you to abstain from sin, nor does it place you in a state where you can continue to sin without the previous consequences. Rather, forgiveness is a blank slate that allows you again to choose whether you will keep all of God’s commandments for the rest of your life.

Actual change must precede forgiveness. It is for this reason that repentance comes before baptism:

And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. (2 Nephi 9:23)

God’s forgiveness figuratively washes your garments clean:

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins. (Alma 5:21)

However, God’s forgiveness does not prevent you from once again staining your garments through repeated sin.

People who have faith in Jesus not only obtain forgiveness, but they also abstain from future sin:

10 And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of <u>their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood.</u>
11 And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments <u>were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said</u> unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him. (1 Nephi 12)

After this life, it will be impossible to lie to yourself about whether you have completely obeyed God or not:

27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.
29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.
30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?
31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved! 
32 Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it! (Alma 5)

It is “because of [our] faith in the Lamb of God [that our] garments are made white in his blood” and we become “righteous forever.” (1 Nephi 12:10) You don’t actually believe in Jesus if you don’t do what he says:

And [Jesus] said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? (2 Nephi 31:10)

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)

God has made us free to decide how to choose, and just as you were able to choose sin in the first place, you will remain free to choose to sin in the future:

Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins? (Alma 5:27)

If you recommit a sin at any future date, you stand in the same state as you were before you were forgiven:

And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God. (D&C 82:7)

As long as you re-stain your garments through choosing to sin, you cannot dwell with him:

And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb. (Alma 34:36)

In order to retain the Lord’s forgiveness, you must continue to forsake all sin, all the time, and you can do this by retaining in remembrance God’s greatness, his goodness, his love for you, and your nothingness before him:

6 ...be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in <u>the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal</u> body—
8 And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there is none other salvation save this which hath been spoken of; neither are there any conditions whereby man can be saved except the conditions which I have told you.
11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and <u>always</u> retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and <u>standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come...</u>
12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. (Mosiah 4)

14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.
15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside _<u>every</u>_ <u>sin,</u> which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism. 
16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me. (Alma 7)

There is no point in obtaining forgiveness for past sins without first choosing to become the kind of person who will not repeat any of the past sins forgiven. It is only after you have decided to forsake your sins that you should cry to God to forgive you of your past sins:

O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day. (Mormon 9:6)

Many will fall short in their attempts to obey all of God’s commandments after asking for forgiveness. The Lord’s mercy makes provision for this. As often as you repent, you will be forgiven:

Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. (Mosiah 26:30)

However, any who willfully sin and die will carry their guilt eternally, as if Christ never came:

But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore, he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God. (Mosiah 16:5)

But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Mosiah 3:12)

`And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. (3 Nephi 27:19)`

When it comes to obtaining forgiveness, the rules of the game, as it were, may seem unfair, given that all live for different lengths of time, all learn these things at different times, and all have different circumstances, but there is no unfairness with God. God is perfectly just, and provisions exist for every circumstance.

For example, those who choose to wait to obtain forgiveness for past sins just before they die have not cheated the system. They can never enjoy the joy, peace, and happiness that those who have lived a long life of dedication to God enjoy because the deathbed repentant can’t acquire a lifetime of experiences, lessons, and sacrifices in the short time they have. Likewise, those who die without the time or opportunities to live such a long life of discipleship are judged according to their circumstances.