Have you ever been to a restaurant where the sauce is divine?  A place where the sauce is so good, you feel as if your tastebuds have died and gone to paradise.  You try and try to figure out what is in it, but you can't *quite* put your finger on it...

Forgiveness is like a 'secret sauce' to our human interactions.  What do I mean by that?  Well, I mean that if you were to list all the bits and pieces that go into making strong marital relationships, you would come up with a list something like this:

1.  Be true in the relationship.

2. Respect boundaries.

3. Date Night-- make it a thing you do.

4. Be respectful.

5. Be good friends.

Somewhere in there might be forgiveness.  If you are smart about your relationships, it will be.  No human is perfect, and we are all bound to make a million and two mistakes a day.  However, if we learn to resolve our conflicts in ways that help us grow, we can strengthen our hearts at the same time as we are working on our relationships.  It is important to start discussions gently-- no need for the Monster Trucks.  It is also vital that we don't disparage our spouse while discussion-- use a bit of humor, joke around a bit, and watch how fast conflicts can get resolved!  ** Note: it is easier to stay focused on gentle ways when you are not tired, hungry, or otherwise at a sub-par level.... so take care to be in a place where you can be positive when dealing with the negative!

Forgiveness is the secret sauce to that perfect layered cake.  We learn to 'Let go, and Let God'.  It is giving our hearts peace when we forgive.  President Faust once shared a story about how a family learned the importance of forgiveness.  They learned that they could either be torn apart by a tragic loss of a family member, or they could forgive-- and heal.  

They chose to heal.

How is healing possible?  It is like removing the poison from the heart-- you let it out, and let it go.