Forgiving Ourselves--book reveiw

This is a book that every person on the Planet should read. Seriously. Wendy Ulrich writes with clarity, compassion, and a perfect understanding of our psyche's and emotions as we all struggle to "get over" and get through our weaknesses. Every page is more and more fulfilling. A few weeks ago, I read the entire "TWILIGHT" series over a weekend. Easy read, nothing complicated. And when I was done, I thought about the series for about 10 minutes longer, and it was gone.

I began reading this book soon after, and found myself transformed with every page. It is not an easy read, it is a HEALING read. I still have not finished it, because it is a substantial amount of thought-provoking movement inside of me. It is not merely going in and running out. Her suggestions linger inside to the point that I find myself re-reading some passages, hoping the words will cement into my DNA!

Some of her words:

"Repentance is not the back up plan; repentance is the plan." Repentance is not what is left after we botched the true goal of obedience and undefiled righteousness. When learning from others' experiences and failure has not been enough, repentance is a blessed part of how we get to obedience and undefiled righteousness--learning by our own experience and failure, trusting in God's love and sure provisions, activating our own reluctant resilience. This is the only path for us."

And another one:

"Self-forgiveness requires a mature understanding of the purpose of life, which is not to get back to God in the same state of innocence and purity we were in when we left Him. Rather our charge here is to learn the compassion, humility, discipline, and understanding of good and evil that come only with experiece and risk, failure and resilience. Our charge is to get back to God much, much wiser and better than when we left Him, something we can only accomplish thought traveling the bruising, bloodying roads of mortal temptation,affliction, and periodic failiure, as well as the roads of triumph, satisifaction, and ultimate joy."

And one more quote from her book, altho it is a quote from President Boyd K. Packer, November 1995 Conference address, talking on the consummate power of the Atonement:

"Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonment of Christ.

When your desire is firm and you are willing to pay the "uttermost farthing" (See Matt:5:25-26), the law of the restitution is suspended. Your obligation is transferred to the Lord. He will settle your accounts.

I repeat, save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. This is the promise of the atonement of Christ."

So, go get it. Order it online at Amazon, buy it at Walmart, or your local LDS bookstore.

It is worth every stinkin cent.

WHY? Because I said so. And I'm the Mom.