Powerful Stories of Forgiveness

Like many across the country, I was moved by the recent story of forgiveness shown in a courtroom.  In 2018 a Dallas police officer Amber Guyger entered the apartment of Botham Jean thinking that it was her own, and finding Jean there she shot and killed him.  She received 10 years in jail which was controversial because it was so short.  Botham’s brother, Brandt Jean, gave an incredible speech recently in which he forgave the murderer of his brother and suggested that he had no desire for her to have to go to jail.  He told her, “I forgive you, and I know if you go to God and ask him, he will forgive you…  I love you just like anyone else.”  And if that wasn’t incredible enough, he then looked up at the judge and asked if he could give the killer of his brother a hug, which he did in a moving scene of forgiveness and reconciliation.  He told her that his desire was that she would give her life to Christ.  What an incredible example of forgiveness and the pure love of Christ. 

             I believe that the Book of Mormon has a similar example of the power of forgiveness to bring people unto the Savior in the story of Aaron.  When Ammon and King Lamoni went to deliver his brethren out of prison in the land of Middoni, they ran into the king over all the land and father of Lamoni.  He wasn’t happy with finding a Nephite with his son, “He drew his sword that he might smite him to the earth” (Alma 20:16).  Ammon overpowered him, though, and eventually compelled the king to agree to deliver Ammon’s brethren out of prison in Middoni.  Aaron was one of those imprisoned, and I’m amazed what he did after he was released.  Mormon recorded, “After he departed from the land of Middoni he was led by the Spirit to the land of Nephi, even to the house of the king which was over all the land save it were the land of Ishmael; and he was the father of Lamoni.”  He not only resumed his missionary work after suffering so much in prison, but he went straight to the king who had attempted to kill his brother as surely Ammon had recounted to him.  It was a great show of love and forgiveness and humility, especially in his first words to the king: “O king, we are the brethren of Ammon, whom thou hast delivered out of prison. And now, O king, if thou wilt spare our lives, we will be thy servants” (Alma 22:1-3).  Aaron not only looked past the fact that this man had sought to slay his brother, but he also humbly offered to serve him in a hope that this would help him to receive the gospel.  Like Brandt Jean, Aaron’s desire was not to see enemies suffer but rather that they would give their life to Jesus.  Because of this forgiveness and love on the part of Aaron the king was moved to repent of his sins and come unto the Lord.  These examples in forgiving in these serious circumstances serve as a powerful reminder to us that we need to show complete forgiveness in the small things day to day.  If our desire truly is for others to give their life to the Savior, we would always be willing to forgive.