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Vengeance Is Mine!

Vengence!

This topic can turn into a 'how to forgive' or 'why we should forgive' kind of theme, but that is not the purpose (especially as there is many threads covering forgiveness alread). My interest here is to discuss why many seek vengence with an end to find the cure for reaching such an agressive mode so quickly. It even happened among the disciples...

D&C 64:8
My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against one another and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened.

D&C 64:9
Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

Now you may wonder what I am on about. To make it as clear as possible I will give an example: Let us say that someone you know and thought was a close friend, steals your prized journal, reads it and then shows it to a few others. Most likely you will be furious... ok stop there. That is my point right there, control, breathe, ount from 1 to 100 but do not react quickly.

Not so easy huh?

Here is another example:

You are walking in a forest and a poisonous snake bites you, you become enraged with anger by the sly beast of the field and have a couple of choices...

a. Seek after it and kill it
b. Ignore the beast and look for a cure as the poison gets worse

Is it really an easy thing to say, 'The Lord will deal with that...'? Rather than try to 'fix' things now or bring gratification now?

What are your thoughts if I have not confussed my point?

Mine Vengeance

Great topic. I think one of the reasons we have trouble really just letting the Lord take care of it is a faith issue. If we really truly understand and believe that there is justice in the resurrection then we should be content allow this justice to resolve the issue, or should we....

I mean of course, we should, but if someone hurts us real bad, we don't really want to think they can repent and seek forgiveness and not suffer as we have suffered. We are, perhaps, afraid that they will be forgiven for what they have done and not suffer for their actions. In truth, I don't believe forgiveness necessarily means we don't suffer for our actions. I mean, I think we still will feel sorrow and regret for the things we have done. Yet, that is so far in the distant future, and our pain is very much in the present, so we want them to hurt the way we have hurt.

Even Israel's sons did this when their sister was raped. When Shechem defiled Dinah, Simeon and Levi. They killed an entire community of males in revenge - after convincing these men to convert, and even after Shechem agreed to marry Dinah and convert to Judeaism (which to me is like a repentance).

It was wrong then and it is still wrong today, but I think it is very much a part of human nature. A part we must constantly fight against.

Vengeance Is Mine! Studies Doctrine Mormon

It isn't an easy thing to do. Many, many years before I was active again in church, I was working at a bank. One of the customers accused me of photocopying parts of his accounts and showing them to people in town. I didn't do it. At the time this was to have happened I didn't even know he had an account with the bank. Never the less, I was fired. I tried for two years to have my story be heard by the bank, I went to 21 lawyers and was told by each one,that they had dealings with the bank thus they couldn't help me.

I wanted my job back, and I wanted the gentleman who accused me to apologize. My husband wanted revenge. He slashed this mans tires on three separate occasions. He bad mouthed him, he ranted and raved.

When the 21st lawyer told me that he couldn't help me and that the statue of limitations had run out, I was exhausted emotionally. I was so ashamed of my husband, and I was a wreck emotionally.

I had townspeople come to me and offer to close out their accounts at the bank, all I had to do was give them the word. I refused to do that. My husband wanted me to. But I kept telling everyone that I don't operate that way.

Five years later the gentleman who accused me had a stroke. Then a year after that he had a heart attack. Almost 10 years to the day he accused me, I ran into him at a store. He said hi, asked me what I had been up to. I was confused to say the least. I said hi back and told him briefly what I had been up to, just working. This happened every time I saw him.

He had forgotten who I was. His strokes and heart attack had done some damage to him. I ran into his wife and I boldly asked her about the incident at the Bank. From her I found out the true story. I am so very thankful that I didn't seek revenge on them. They had been duped and cheated, and unfortunately I was just one of the innocent victims. They were innocent victims too. I have been friends with them since. The gentleman is in a VA Nursing Home. He is severely obese, has diabetes, had both legs amputated and we fear he is in the beginning stages of ahlzimers. His only child was murdered at the prison where he was working. This family doesn't need or deserve hate or revenge. They need prayers and thoughtful and generous hearts.

It is very hard to not seek revenge. BUT, when you follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and pray for the resentment, anger, the feelings of revenge to be banished from you, it becomes easier and easier to give it to God. Each time something else happens, a snake bites you or a dog gets into your garbage and strews it all over the neighborhood, you don't anger as easily.

Once I was active in Church, I found that I was calmer and calmer. No road anger, no driving by mouth. Even my member family have noticed the change in me. When I do start to feel anger ~ I am able to recognize it quickly and say a quick prayer to banish it.

Oh, I also feel that the scripture in D&C about the Lord will forgive who he chooses to, but we must forgive everyone, goes hand in hand with this. Remember that scripture and it is easier to banish the anger, resentment, revenge, road rage.

Edited: AGene on 13th Jan, 2004 - 11:43pm

Mine Vengeance

Tenaheff

That I believe is the issue at hand, faith in the Justice of the Lord. We do not readily see any kind of justice so we think if any is to be administered then we need to do it ourself.

AGene

That is another key in finding a cure --> recognizing who we are. A person that is a professional does not get mad when something goes wrong, they simply work towards a solution, thus our attitude needs to be 'professional'. This in my opinion means a greater spiritual awareness to incorporate both the faith necessary and the awaress to let the Unseen act on our behalf.