LDS Freedom Forum

This request was asked of me and I thought i'd see what everyone heres take was:

Comment on a "unified" principle of forgiveness that incorporates both the rigid 5-step approach to repentance that we teach as missionaries/parents and that instantaneous forgiveness of alma the Younger or the woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7 where forgiveness appears to come without repentance. Reconcile these two extremes.

"I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men".

We teach the repentance process, but only the Lord knows all of the circumstances and when to make exceptions.

Just as Laman and Lemuel, though obviously incredibly wicked, for reasons known only to the Lord were blessed (and cursed, based on their ensuing misuse of agency) with angelic visitations and all manner of signs and wonders. So, the unifying concept is there are the five steps to follow for repentance, it is the requirement unless the Lord deems otherwise. (and even in those cases, I would still bet that the other steps were carried out, just after the event.

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I would say that God will always forgive as fast as your character makes the required turnaround. Once the turnaround occurs the steps of repentance will inevitably follow and God will not wait till the whole process is done to extend grace/mercy.
BUT I'm not sure the examples you gave of instant forgiveness are valid one's.

The sinner woman: I believe, based on my own experiences, that she had to have been struggling with repentance for some time. It takes a lot to go to a priesthood holder in repentance, MUCH LESS THE LORD HIMSELF IN BODILY FORM! And in front of pharisees! She had clearly reached the point where nothing else mattered but repentance, she could not wait to come to the Lord in a more private setting. She was clearly frantic, in my opinion.
And we don't know what concrete steps to change/repair she had done before and after the coming to the Lord; it's unsafe to assume the were none.
Furthermore, the Lord said "She loved much".

Alma the Younger: You need to contrast his story with Laman and Lemuel; Just like Alma, they had a prophet father concerned and praying for them no doubt; and they also saw an angel who rebuked them-yet it produced no faith or sincere repentance. Alma was in a different place, spiritually. I believe that Alma's reaction: going into a coma and suffering the pains of a damned soul in hell, were his own choice; if not consciously then flowing from the nature of his spirit/character. Now I don't know the truth of this statement but basically I presume that Alma suffered a taste of the pains of the Atonement FOR 72 HOURS, voluntarily. (The Lord in the DC says that Joseph smith suffered a taste of the pains of the atonement after losing the 116 pages, and I suppose any true repentance of serious sin will give you a taste of the same) In that kind of torment 72 hours is like 72 days. He then called on the Lord. After this time he spent his whole life making restitution. His repentance, and the rewards thereof, continued on, even though the Lord granted him some relief from the getgo.