We must forgive others if we are to receive forgiveness from the Lord.

‘As part of loving one another, Jesus taught that when we are wronged by persons, we should forgive them (see Matthew 18:21–35 Mark 11:25–26 Luke 6:37). While many struggle with this difficult commandment, we all know of inspiring examples of Latter-day Saints who have given loving forgiveness, even for the most serious wrongs. For example, 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.” [Chris Williams, in Jessica Henrie, “Father Relies on Faith to Forgive Intoxicated Teen Driver,” Deseret News, Aug. 1, 2012, deseretnews.com/article/865559847/Let-It-Go-Chris-Williams-shares-his-story-of-tragedy-and-forgiveness.html; see also Chris Williams, Let It Go: A True Story of Tragedy and Forgiveness (2012).]’ (Dallin H Oaks, General Conference, April 2013)

‘Following Peter’s question about how often he should forgive others, the Savior taught His disciples further about the need to forgive by giving the parable of the unmerciful servant. In this parable, the king represents the Lord; the first servant represents each of us, who stand in debt to the Lord; and the second servant represents anyone who may have offended us.

The parable refers to “ten thousand talents” (verse 24) and “an hundred pence” (verse 28). “During the first century A.D., it is estimated that 10,000 talents equaled 100,000,000 denarii. One denarius was a typical day’s wage for a common laborer. If that laborer worked three hundred days a year, it would take about 33 years for him to be able to purchase one talent. And it would take over 300,000 years to earn 10,000 talents, the sum of the servant’s debt” (Jay A. Parry and Donald W. Parry, Understanding the Parables of Jesus Christ [2006], 95). By comparison, the 100 pence owed by the fellow servant is about one million times less than the debt owed by the first servant.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recalled a time when as a student in an institute class he learned the value of the money mentioned in the parable of the unmerciful servant and came to understand some of the eternal truths taught in the parable:

“[The teacher] noted that the 100-pence forgiveness, which we were all expected to give one another and acknowledged as a pretty fair amount of money, was now preciously little to ask in light of the 10,000-talent forgiveness Christ had extended to us.

“That latter debt, our debt, was an astronomical number, [the teacher] reminded us, almost incapable of comprehension. But that, he said, was exactly the Savior’s point in this teaching, an essential part of the parable. Jesus had intended that his hearers sense just a little of the eternal scope and profound gift of his mercy, his forgiveness, his Atonement. … For the first time in my life I remember feeling something of the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice for me; a gift bordering to this day on incomprehensibility, but a gift that made me for the first time seriously consider my need to forgive other people and to be unfailingly generous regarding their feelings and their needs and their circumstances” (“Students Need Teachers to Guide Them” [Church Educational System satellite broadcast, June 20, 1992], 3).’ (New Testament Institute manual)

To obtain eternal life, we must love God and our neighbors.

The picture below is of the ancient road from Jerusalem to Jericho. It is very easy to imagine how desolate and dangerous it would be.

James E Talmage comments:

 “The road between Jerusalem and Jericho was known to be infested by highway robbers; indeed a section of the thoroughfare was called the Red Path or Bloody Way because of the frequent atrocities committed thereon.”

Elder M Russell Ballard in the October 2001 General Conference said:

Every time I read this parable I am impressed with its power and its simplicity. But have you ever wondered why the Savior chose to make the hero of this story a Samaritan? There was considerable antipathy between the Jews and the Samaritans at the time of Christ. Under normal circumstances, these two groups avoided association with each other. It would still be a good, instructive parable if the man who fell among thieves had been rescued by a brother Jew.

His deliberate use of Jews and Samaritans clearly teaches that we are all neighbors and that we should love, esteem, respect, and serve one another despite our deepest differences—including religious, political, and cultural differences.

This is a very pertinent message for us today when it seems that in many parts of the world and many parts of our society there is increasing conflict and tension between those of different faiths, ideologies and cultures.

One of the joys of this parable is that it can be understood in so many different ways. Merlin R Lybbert offered this interpretation:

“I presume that most of us have visualized this parable as requiring our aid to an injured person, even a stranger, who is in need because of an injury or sickness. The beauty of the parables of the Lord is that they have many applications, and thus their teaching value is unending. I would like to suggest an application of the principles taught in this parable to a current setting.

“There are many of God’s children who are wounded or sick in spirit. Many once enjoyed fellowship with the body of the Saints, but for one reason or another are now on the roadside. They are the less active among us. Generally, we know who they are and have association with them in various settings, but because they are not physically sick or injured, we too often play the part of the priest or the Levite and walk by ‘on the other side.’

“In this dramatic parable, Jesus contrasted the response of the two respected religionists with that of a despised citizen of Samaria. There is at least a scintilla of similarity here to an elders president, a high priests group leader, a member of the bishopric, or a home teacher, and to the less-active brother or sister who has fallen inactive by the wayside. Perhaps we do not despise them, but we sometimes ignore them or otherwise disregard them. Each of us can be a good Samaritan by dealing compassionately with these neglected brothers and sisters.

“We can bind up their spiritual wounds by rendering needed service, pouring in the soothing oil of friendship and supplying the soul-healing balm of genuine brotherly and sisterly love. We can set them in our own automobiles and accompany them to our homes and places of worship, devote the necessary time and attention to warmly fellowship them. The good Samaritan spent the night with his wounded friend and stayed with him until satisfied that he was on his way to recovery. Similarly, we ought to become close enough to these less-active brothers and sisters to truly become their friends and support and sustain them while they spiritually heal.

“…Most of us are acquainted with someone who is spiritually ill or wounded, lying on the roadside half dead, and who desperately needs the assistance of a good LDS brother or sister-that is, a Latter-day Samaritan. Our prophet has repeatedly reminded us that rescuing the less active is one of our greatest challenges of service.” (“A Latter-day Samaritan,” Ensign, May 1990, 82)

Perhaps the key message from this parable of selfless service is the Saviour’s injunction: ‘Go, and do thou likewise’. Jesus is telling us to follow the Samaritan’s example by serving those we come into contact with, whether they be friend or stranger or enemy. We are to love them whatever their race, religion or political persuasion. We should give generously and freely of our time, talents and resources to those in need, without expectation of return. President Thomas S Monson wrote:

‘When we walk in the steps of that good Samaritan, we walk the pathway that leads to perfection.’

We choose “that good part” by making daily choices that lead to eternal life.

‘The scriptures contain great illustrations of spirituality as it relates to everyday living. One of these, recorded in the tenth chapter of Luke, tells how the Savior came to a particular village:

“And a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

“And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

“But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38–42

This scripture reminds every Martha, male and female, that we should not be so occupied with what is routine and temporal that we fail to cherish those opportunities that are unique and spiritual.’ (Dallin H Oaks, General Conference, October 1985)

“Just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives.

“Jesus taught this principle in the home of Martha. … It was praiseworthy for Martha to be ‘careful and troubled about many things’ (v. 41), but learning the gospel from the Master Teacher was more ‘needful.’ The scriptures contain other teachings that some things are more blessed than others (see Acts 20:35; Alma 32:14–15). …

“Consider how we use our time in the choices we make in viewing television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, or reading books or magazines. Of course it is good to view wholesome entertainment or to obtain interesting information. But not everything of that sort is worth the portion of our life we give to obtain it. Some things are better, and others are best. …

“Some uses of individual and family time are better, and others are best. We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families” (“Good, Better, Best,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 104–5, 107).