In answer to your question, the Church abhors such evil conduct and counts it among the grossest of sins. A member who would abuse any of his children this way would be excommunicated from the Church.

Your question, "How do you forgive such evil terrible things?" is a hard question to answer because the pain is so great. It is easy enough for those who have not suffered this pain to point to the teachings of Christ which direct us to forgive others so that we can be forgiven of our mistakes (see Matt. 6:12). The scriptures even go so far as to instruct us to forgive "seventy times seven" (see Matt. 18:21-22). Such doctrine is difficult for most of us even though we know that our Savior has directed us accordingly. Just the reading of such things does not take away our pain.

There are countless other scriptures we could refer to in order to justify the position of forgiving no matter what; the fact is, it is not easy. Let me refer you to another scripture found in John 9:1-3 which says, "And as Jesus passed by he saw a man which was blind from his birth and his disciples asked him saying, 'Master, who did sin? This man, or his parents that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.'"

The man in this scripture, as well as his parents, had suffered in their lifetimes because of this blindness; nevertheless, his blindness served as a way to show the "mysteries of God" to others. And I think it may be the same for you. As you plead with the Lord for the ability to overcome the hurt and the bitterness you feel, to soften your heart and to give you the peace that you need, your ability to gain these Christ-centered virtues will serve to show the mysteries of God through you so that others suffering similar pain will have hope and direction and confidence in the Savior.

As Christians, we all believe that Christ's suffering and crucifixion provided an atoning sacrifice to take away our sins, but as we learn from the apostles and other prophets, he suffered pain and affliction and temptation of every kind, not just for our sins, but for our grief and our pain and our infirmities and our sicknesses. It is a significant thing to remember that the Lord knows you and loves you and that his atoning sacrifice will provide you with the peace and comfort and ability to forgive a man who apparently appears to be unworthy of forgiveness.

I do not mean to suggest that it will be an easy task on your part and it may take a long time, but in your willingness to turn all of this over to the Lord and gain the peace that you need, the atonement of Jesus Christ will take from you your pain if you will ask him to do it. Even exercising a hope of being able to forgive, over time, you actually will.

Sincerely,

Donny Osmond


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