oh sweet forgiveness

In my conversion process over the years, one of the hardest ideas to grasp has been; receiving forgiveness for my sins requires forgiving others. Matthew 5:44; Doctrine and Covenants 64:9–10; Matthew 6:14-15 After all, Jesus forgives all I do; can I not forgive others? Luke 23:34; Matthew 18:21-35 Of course it is a commandment to forgive, but for a long time I missed the reason for the commandment. Forgiving others helps me more than those I forgive. Feelings of anger, injury, sadness, bitterness, or revenge that can halt forward spiritual progression are wiped away, replaced by godly peace and love. If I bask in the glory of my hurts, I allow the perpetrator to harm me over and over again. Finally, although some purposely seek to wound others, most offense isn't caused by malice but misunderstanding.