The Lord has commanded his children to repent of sin and to forgive one another, but for many that is one of the hardest commandments to keep.
Mormon author S. Michael Wilcox discussed different principles of forgiveness and the blessings that come to those who give and receive it. He said forgiveness is taught in the scriptures by feeling the emotion in the stories, not by doctrinal insight.
Those who read the Book of Mormon can feel empathy for Alma the Younger, whose soul was racked with torment, and the joy that comes to his father as Alma’s heart is changed. The New Testament account of the Prodigal Son provides deep emotion when the father falls on his son’s neck and kisses him when he returns. Both teach the joy of being forgiven and doing the forgiving.