How many times will the Savior forgive?

I am the type of person who loves perfection. I love being in control of my life and doing things right. But I have one weakness that I have never seemed to overcome completely. I have always been an emotional eater, and at times it has gotten completely out of hand. There have been moments when all I could do was pray and give myself completely to God, knowing that I couldn't overcome this struggle on my own. Sometimes I have felt hopeless because I messed up again and again and didn't think I could ever overcome this weakness. I have wondered if the Savior really would help me again and again. And again. (To see a post I wrote about this, click on this link: "Food, Self Worth, and the Real Me" ... and here is the follow-up post.)

The following is a friend's recent post on Facebook. It was very timely, and something I needed to hear. She shares a beautiful testimony about families and the hope of eternal life, and then she illustrates the Savior's ability to forgive.

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Christ.



These past few months I've been challenging myself to recognize the blessings in my life and become more grateful for them. I am so so thankful for the atonement. Knowing that it is not the end when we have made mistakes is such a powerful thing to know. We have second chances. Third chances, fourth chances, and fifth chances even. However many chances it takes for us to get things right, The Lord is waiting and wanting to forgive. That knowledge to me is priceless. As long as we are striving, struggling, and desiring, the Lord is waiting with a forgiving heart and open arms. At times when I have made wrong choices and felt that I could not carry on, I have felt overwhelming peace and reassurance that the Lord has mercy and enough love to carry me through tough times. I'm thankful for trials big and small so that we are able to come closer to our Savior and have him help us through. I love knowing that we all have the same end goal in mind, just how we get there is different. I love love love the gospel with all of my heart, and my great family who would do anything for me. I'm thankful for a forgiving Savior and brother who has paid for my mistakes. I'm thankful for the knowledge that none of us are perfect, yet are capable of a perfect love, and lastly I'm thankful for our Father in Heaven who wants the best for us and is waiting until we are with him again.

Each of us struggles with something. And each of us messes up, sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes over and over and over again. How can the Savior love us enough to continue to forgive us?

Although we may feel otherwise, Jesus Christ wants to forgive us. In an April 2013 conference talk, Elder Craig A. Cardon said that Christ "does not excuse us in our sins. He does not condone our return to past sins. But when we repent and obey His gospel, He forgives us. . . . If we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of His Atonement strengthens us in our moment of need, and His redeeming power sanctifies us as we '[put] off the natural man.' This brings hope to all, especially to those who feel that recurring human weakness is beyond the Savior's willingness to help and to save." This last sentence is crucial in our repentance process, and it is a principle I am still trying to understand. For me, the most important thing to remember is that no matter how many times I sin, I can always come to my Savior and ask Him for strength to overcome my sins. It doesn't seem fair to me that I can mess up so many times and He will continue to give me chances, but because of that I am eternally grateful. He will never give up on me. Or anyone. The beauty of this principle is that "He allows for improvement over time rather than demanding immediate perfection." We have a lifetime to become like Him.

Why does God give us weakness?

One definition of "weakness" as stated in Merriam-Webster is "a quality or feature that prevents someone or something from being effective or useful; a fault or defect."

As human beings, we are subject to the "natural man" which limits us from being completely "effective or useful." We have faults, simply because we don't understand everything perfectly and we cannot be perfect by ourselves. Part of God's plan is to allow us to go through trials so that we can learn and grow from them.

One of the most turned-to verses of scripture regarding weakness is Ether 12:27: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

In this scripture we are told that we are given weakness (singular) so that we might be humble and turn to Christ. This "weakness" is a general term that every human being born on the earth faces. Every person is limited in their abilities independently of Christ. But when we acknowledge our weakness and humble ourselves, Christ makes "weak things become strong" unto us.

In his second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul tells us that he glories in his infirmities because [Christ's] strength is made perfect in weakness." Paul states, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). (The footnote to "weak" in this verse takes the reader to "Humility" in the topical guide.)


The scriptures also tell us that the weak ones of the world will confound the wise and spread the kingdom of God. God restored the fulness of the gospel to the earth "to prepare the weak for those things which are coming on the earth, and for the Lord's errand in the day when the weak shall confound the wise. . . . And by the weak things of the earth the Lord shall thrash the nations by the power of his Spirit." (D&C 133:58-59)

D&C 1:19-28 states, "The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh." We are given weakness so that we will not trust in the counsel of the world but in God. The verse goes on to list other reasons God relies on the weak ones of the world: "That every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; That faith also might increase in the earth; That mine everlasting covenant might be established; That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers." God even gave His commandments to His servants in their weakness, "after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding. And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known; And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed; And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent; And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time." All of these principles are a result of individuals exercising "weakness" or "humility."

It is the weak and the simple who spread the kingdom of God, because they are those who will be the must humble and rely on God in all things. "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are." God chooses the weak things of the world to confound the wise "that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:27). We are given weakness to remind us that it is through God that we receive all wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. We are given weakness so that we don't glory in ourselves but in God! He gives us limitations to remind us that He is in charge. It is only through Him that we are made strong.


In summary, here are several reasons we are given weakness:
- To humble ourselves enough to have the Spirit so we can spread the kingdom of God.
- To allow Christ's grace to make us stronger.
- That the power of Christ may rest upon us.
- To remember who we should trust in (Christ, not men).
- That we might speak in the name of God.
- That faith might increase.
- That God's everlasting covenant might be established.
- That the fulness of the gospel might be proclaimed.
- That we might understand God's commandments.
- That we might gain knowledge and blessings.
- To remember that God is in charge and we must glory in Him and not ourselves.
- To cause us to search for answers and rely on the Lord because we admit that we don't know everything.