Children of God + Forgiveness

Hi, all! I know it's Saturday, but I had to read, re-read, and think about this week's talks because I felt the need to do so, as I have been struggling. It's the end of the school year, it's my first year of teaching, and I feel a mixture of emotions. If any of you are also teachers, and have had similar experiences, please let me know and give me advice below! :)

And now, on to the talks. I am going to do some bullet points on thoughts I had for both of them, plus I do have a print for each talk as a freebie for you! First up, "Am I a Child of God" by Elder Brian K. Taylor.

• I think it is normal and human to question where we come from. Even if we know our royal origin as children of God, we all wonder if it is true at times. This is nothing to be ashamed about! It is an opportunity for us to come closer to our Father and Savior, should we choose that route.
• In a world where many question who/what they are, we can always find peace as we strive to understand our eternal potential and learn from the Spirit the answers to these questions. The gifts of prayer, priesthood blessings (especially patriarchal blessings), and scripture study can lead to answers we seek.
• Service to others help us to strengthen our belief of our divine nature, as well as see others' divine heritage. It also helps us to come together as brothers and sisters.
• When we put the belief of our religion into practice, we will come to have a perfect understanding of our Father's and Savior's perfect qualities, and perfect them in ourselves.

Next up, "Even as Christ Forgives You, So Also Do Ye" by Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk. This one was particularly difficult for me, because I struggle to forgive myself and those I feel should know better, especially when a sincere apology has not been forthcoming. Therefore, I am only going to share a few thoughts, and keep the rest to ponder on.

• Repentance is a personal responsibility. This means that nobody else can do this for us. I believe that forgiving is also a personal responsibility, which is difficult for me to admit.
• When we seek the Holy Ghost and always remember our Savior's Atonement, we can forgive anything. 
• I loved the example of extending love to the family of someone who has offended us/done us wrong. I have often wondered about the families of those who commit heinous crimes and how they feel. While most of us (myself included) are quick to judge and say they are probably partially to blame, I feel there are times when this is not the case. Each of us has the ability to choose, no matter what our parentage or upbringing.
• Forgiveness brings peace. We all need more peace. I've decided that when my anxiety starts to increase, I am going to do some self-reflection to see if it is because I need to forgive. I had the opportunity to do that this past week, and it really helped!

That's all I have for today, friends! I will be back (hopefully tomorrow) with another General Conference talk to share my thoughts on. Until then, have a wonderful and blessed day!