Elder Oaks referenced this story in the April 2013 General Conference talk, Followers of Christ, when he stated: "Chris Williams drew upon his faith in Jesus Christ to forgive the drunken driver who caused the death of his wife and two of their children. Only two days after the tragedy and still deeply distraught, this forgiving man, then serving as one of our bishops, said, "As a disciple of Christ, I had no other choice."'
What an amazing example of service. Forgiveness is among one of the hardest gifts we are able to give. By acting in such a loving manner, Chris Williams gave the young, drunken driver a chance at life-- he gave him his future back.
The ripple effect of this service was unimaginable to Williams. As news reports shared the remarkable story, the community and world received an example of service that impacted their lives. Williams gave many talks to help others understand forgiveness. A Mormon Message was created to spread this example. Chris Williams also wrote a book, "Let It Go," to share the message of the importance of forgiveness.
Service comes in unexpected ways.
I love this story. It is truly inspiring. I think something that is also important to think about is learning to forgive yourself. Just as holding a grudge can be detrimental towards a relationship or friendship, holding grudges against ourselves can destroy our self image. Forgiveness can mend broken relationships; it also can produce confidence to move forward in life and not look back. I have realized that I am more willing to forgive others than forgive myself. Also, when I don't forgive myself I find that I am prone to continue making the same mistakes over and over again. Being critical of oneself is good--but to a certain point. We are supposed to become better, but if we are constantly putting ourselves down we will never be able to overcome our problems and progress in life. Thanks for your posts! They are very insightful.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this video clip. I remember watching this in seminary a couple of years ago, but I had all but forgotten about it. I thought it was so interesting how Chris had said that he was grateful for trials because they teach us how to love. I also found it interesting that you referred to forgiveness as a gift. I have never thought about it that way before. However, I completely agree with you. I find it amazing that Chris forgave the drunk driver so completely. I feel like he had a good perspective of the fact that everyone is a child of God, including the young man who killed his family. Thanks for this post. Keep up the good work!
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