Digital Only: Youth Voices

The Forgiveness Fix

In seventh grade there was this kid who bullied me. He spread awful, untrue rumors about me and got other people to believe that I wasn’t a good person. People would exclude me because of the rumors he spread, and even some of my friends started believing them. I talked to my parents and one of my teachers about it, but I was too scared to talk to the boy about it.

During the summer, I did a band camp, and this boy was in the same lesson group as me. At first, I was upset that I had to be around him again. But then I decided to talk to him. After the second lesson, I told him that the things he’d said about me weren’t true and asked him why he came up with them.

He apologized and ended up confessing to everyone in school that the rumors were fake. And I forgave him. At band camp, I invited him to play cards with me during our breaks, and we eventually became friends.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my goal is to be a peacemaker. I try to be friends with everybody. My dad taught me about forgiveness and that when you repent for your sins, the Lord says He will “remember them no more” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42). Forgiveness can fix so much.

Jesus Christ is the greatest role model. He is perfect. I know that if I follow Him, I can enter the celestial kingdom with Him and Heavenly Father.

Brady H., 14, New York, United States

Likes swimming, lacrosse, and playing the piano.