“Some recent studies show that people who are taught to forgive become “less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed,” which leads to greater physical well-being. Another of these studies concludes “that forgiveness … is a liberating gift [that] people can give to themselves.” (Elder James E Faust)
We know that all marriages go through difficult times at some point in our lives, however problems can become perpetual when we do not apply forgiveness in our relationship. When I talk about forgiveness in our relationship, I mean that there are conflicts that can be solved in such an easy way if we forgive, but if we prefer not to forgive, then the problems get bigger and bigger. If we forgive our spouse, we show that we are humble enough to fix any misunderstanding in our marriage.
For me it has not always been easy to forgive and one of the barriers I have found in my path is anger. I love when Elder Lynn G. Robbins said “Understanding the connection between agency and anger is the first step in eliminating it from our lives. We can choose not to become angry.” I like this quote because it makes me think about the hard times, I’ve gone through letting myself be controlled by anger, even knowing that I was the only one responsible for my actions. This did not allow me to consecrate myself to my marriage and it prevents me from forgiving others easily.
As Goddard said: “consecration in marriage is not just about receiving our entrance card to the Celestial Kingdom. It’s also about becoming qualified for the life. We will presumably be living here. This requires a transformation of character. ” character transformation means to me taking care of our companion, love, respect, and forgive him or her.
In my 11 years of marriage I can say that doing these things has not been easy, however I can say that it’s been worth it. I started by not criticizing my husband and not highlighting his weaknesses. I thought that if I relieved with my friends about my husband, I would feel better, however I learned that what I was doing was getting away from my husband little by little.
I like to highlight his virtues and thank him for what he does for me and my family. This has given me better results and has united us more as friends and as a couple.
I conclude with my testimony that forgiving others has changed my life and the most benefited has been myself.
My Dream Marriage 