Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

his past course suffered so much which in his opinion might have been avoided, ledhim to indulge a murmuring spirit against his brethren and against the Lord. In this wayhe lived over the past and revived trials which should have passed into oblivion insteadof embittering his life with unprofitable remembrances. He has not always realized thepity and love that should be exercised toward those who have been so unfortunate asto fall under the temptations of Satan. They were the real sufferers, the losers, not he,as long as he was steadfast, possessing the spirit of Christ. When these souls beganto see their errors, they had a hard battle to work their way to the light by humbleconfessions. They had Satan to contend with, and their own proud spirit to overcome,and they needed help from those who were in the light to bring them from their blind,discouraging condition, where they could begin to hope and obtain strength to bruiseSatan under their feet.I saw that my husband had been too exacting toward those who were wrong andhad injured him. He indulged dissatisfied feelings, which could be of no benefit tothe erring and could but make his own heart very unhappy, unfitting it for the peaceof God to dwell there, which would lead him in everything to give thanks. The Lordpermitted his mind to be desponding in regard to his own errors and mistakes, and tonearly despair of forgiveness, not because his sins were of such magnitude, but that hemight know by experience how painful and agonizing it would be to be without theforgiveness of God, and that he might understand the scripture: “If ye forgive not mentheir trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” I saw that if Godshould be as exacting as we are, and should deal with us as we deal with one another,we might all be thrown into a state of hopeless despair.I was shown that God had suffered this affliction to come upon us to teach us muchthat we could not otherwise have614