D&C 64:5-8

64:5-8 - The Lord speaks specifically about Joseph Smith saying that "the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom shall not be taken from my servant... inasmuch as he obeyeth mine ordinances." The Lord reminds that Joseph Smith is not perfect, but that He "forgives sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness, who have not sinned unto death." The IM quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as explaining" those who turn from the light and truth of the gospel; who give themselves up to Satan; who enlist in his cause, supporting and sustaining it; and who thereby become his children- by such a course sin unto death. For them there is neither repentance, forgiveness, nor any hope whatever of salvation of any kind. As children of Satan, they are sons of perdition." I struggle to understand the concept of sons of perdition, or sinning unto death. It's one of those things that I just don't understand well. In comparing the saints then to his "disciples, in days of old," he says that they likewise, "sought occasion against one another and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened." About this, the IM quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as teaching, "The Lord declared that when he was in his ministry his disciples sought occasion against one another and failed at times to forgive in their hearts. It was this condition which prompted Peter to ask the Lord how many times he should forgive his brother, 'till seven times?' The Lord answered him, 'I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.' As the disciples of old brought upon themselves affliction and chastening, so we, when we do not have in our hearts the spirit of forgiveness, bring upon ourselves affliction and chastening from the Lord." Harboring resentment brings constant feelings of hate and anger, and that eats away at your spirit, I don't care who you are. The forgiveness isn't for the other person, they are not effected either way, the forgiveness is for us. I like the saying, "withholding forgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."

I'm super short on time again tonight, it seems that that has become the new standard, so I'm going to try to think of another way or time to study the scriptures because it's so important to me and I want to continue, but I want to be able to spend more time on it and not be subject to "time."