Unbroken

I just finished this book, and it. was. AMAZING.  Highly recommend it!  I think there were about 10 different times throughout the book where I was just like....she has to be making this up, this can't be a true story-but it is.  It's about this WWII bomber that goes down in the pacific and his amazing journey surviving everything from shark attacks (tons of them), being shot at by a japanese bomber, and multiple POW camps.  Basically 3 solid years of suffering which sounds like it would be depressing but it was actually really inspiring-to see how unconquerable the human spirit can be AND all of the miracles that kept him alive along the way.  This story is proof that God can help us overcome anything and I mean ANYTHING.  Go out and get it and you're welcome :)

Our relief society lesson yesterday reminded me of this book.  The lesson was on the importance of forgiveness and not holding grudges/taking offense etc.  Someone shared an interesting thought from Elder Dallin H. Oaks about forgiveness-how we often think that forgiveness is for the other person, to help them feel better etc, but it's not- it's for us, to help free us from the stunting effects of hatred etc.  I thought of this soldier and many soldiers for that fact, after the war and how they still weren't free from the war until they managed to forgive and let go of all that hate they felt towards their captors etc.  It's true in our own lives.  You can't be free and progressing if you're holding a grudge-it retards spiritual growth.  

I saw it time and time again in the church in russia.  We'd meet with less-active members who all, it seemed, had been offended at one point or another and had stopped coming to church.  The sad part is, it doesn't teach a lesson to the people who offended you, in fact the only thing it does is hurt you further and not only you, but all of your predecessors.  On our mission we always talked about the principle of acting vs. being acted upon.  The choice is up to you.  You can do what you're going to do/feel what you're going to feel despite whatever or whoever is around you, or you can let yourself be affected by everything.  It was an important principle to learn when you were out knocking doors all day getting yelled at all day, but if you learned how to NOT be acted upon etc, then you were able to go home at the end of the day with a smile on your face cause you knew that you'd tried etc.

That's the beauty of the atonement.  It doesn't matter how broken or hurt we are, in the end we can be made brand new in Christ. Whole.  Unbroken.