Friends in Times of Trouble

The Foundation of Friendship

Friendship, a cornerstone of a fulfilling life, offers companionship, understanding, and shared experiences that enrich our journey. However, even the strongest bonds face challenges.

Disagreements and misunderstandings are inevitable. The ability to cultivate forgiveness and a peace-loving spirit becomes paramount in navigating these complexities and ensuring the longevity and depth of our friendships. This article will explore how these two gospel principles, deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and reiterated by modern prophets, are essential for building and maintaining healthy, enduring friendships.

The Gospel Perspective on Forgiveness: A Limitless Capacity

The New Testament profoundly emphasizes forgiveness, particularly through the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter inquires about the limits of forgiveness, prompting Jesus's resounding response:
"I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."
This powerful statement transcends mere tolerance; it underscores a limitless capacity for forgiveness. In the context of friendships, this means acknowledging that mistakes and misunderstandings are inherent, and choosing to prioritize the relationship over personal grievances. Forgiveness isn't condoning harmful actions, but rather releasing the bitterness and resentment that can poison a friendship. It's about choosing love and understanding over anger and judgment.

Living Peaceably: A Foundation of Harmony

This seems an awkward topic for me actually since I recently have a friend who faces a lot of challenges that threatens his family reputation that might ended up in some serious trouble. But I'm doing my very best to help him out stays on tract while listening to some of the heartaches he felt. It's not that I'm siding just the part where a good ripe cherry that I could simply pick up and taste. But of course, I felt the need of empathy and encouragements.

In the Book of Mormon it further illuminates the importance of peacemaking, emphasizing love and service as cornerstones of a harmonious society. Mosiah 4:13-15 instructs us to
"live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due."
Applying this to friendships, it means actively seeking to understand our friends' perspectives, even when we disagree. It means prioritizing kindness and generosity of spirit, even when faced with challenges. It's about focusing on the positive aspects of the relationship, celebrating shared joys, and offering support during difficult times.

A peace-loving approach fosters an environment of mutual respect and trust, allowing the friendship to flourish even amidst disagreements.

Modern Prophetic Counsel: Echoes of Ancient Wisdom

Recently on my Facebook page I posted a conference Message from President Russell M. Nelson hoping this may be a guide to everyone in developing a Christlike attributes of Charity and Love that leads us to be peacemakers as the scriptures had said.


Modern prophets and apostles consistently echo the importance of forgiveness and peacemaking. President Russell M. Nelson frequently emphasizes the liberating power of forgiveness, urging us to release grudges and resentment. He highlights the burden that anger and unforgiveness place on our hearts and spirits, hindering our spiritual growth and damaging our relationships. 

Similarly, other Church leaders, such as Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, have eloquently spoken about the transformative power of forgiveness, emphasizing its role in healing and reconciliation. These teachings underscore the importance of actively choosing forgiveness, not just as a passive act, but as a conscious and consistent effort to foster peace and harmony in our relationships.

More details of their conference talks or messages will be linked below under the notes.

Practical Applications: Real-Life Examples

During my Mission somewhere in Bagac under Philippines Olongapo Mission, where I was assigned as a Branch Clerk and at the same time, a missionary of the Lord's Church. On one occasion during our Sunday School Class where we discussed about forgiveness and how do we able to forget the sad experience in life. While participating, one of the members which was actually our Nanay (House Help who do our Laundry), shares her thoughts about forgiveness. She shares during the time where her husband who was a Barangay Kagawad tries to settles a trouble where his friend who (was also a member of the church) were involved in the trouble. He tries to talk and calming them, but at the later end his friend in disagreement didn't want to settle down the issue and instead he stab her husband (the Barangay Kagawad) with a knife leading to his instant death. Moving on as to shorten my writing. While telling this story, our Nanay felt so devastated while crying in her anger as she explains how hard it was to forgive a person who ends up the life of her beloved husband. After few moments while she goes on in her feelings of hurt and anger, she turns herself to the Lord and said "Even though he did it to my husband I still forgive him". This is such a powerful statement came out from a mouth of a brokenhearted mother that understood the importance of being a forgiving saints. I never expected to hear such word from a person who still build her knowledge of the Savior to such statement where everyone couldn't even simply do.

Me with My Companion Elder Mel Balinbin during our Mission with Bagac Saints.

Moving on, the principles of forgiveness and peacemaking are not abstract ideals; they are practical tools for building stronger friendships. Consider when a friend unintentionally hurts you. The initial reaction might be anger or hurt, perhaps even a desire to sever the friendship.

However, by applying the principles of forgiveness, you can choose to address the situation directly, expressing your feelings honestly and respectfully, allowing your friend to offer an explanation and showing a willingness to reconcile. This act of forgiveness not only heals the rift but often deepens the bond, strengthening the foundation of trust and understanding. Similarly, a peace-loving approach involves actively listening to your friend's perspective, seeking common ground, and finding creative solutions to conflicts.

Building a Peaceful Environment: Small Acts, Big Impact
Fostering a peaceful environment in friendships requires consistent effort and intentionality. Practicing empathy – attempting to understand your friend's perspective, even if you don't agree with it – is crucial in preventing misunderstandings and resolving conflicts.

Small acts of service, such as offering help during a difficult time or simply expressing gratitude, can significantly strengthen the bond and create a more harmonious atmosphere.


These seemingly insignificant gestures demonstrate care and concern, reaffirming the importance of the friendship and fostering a sense of mutual support. The consistent practice of these small acts cultivates a peaceful environment where both individuals feel valued, respected, and loved.

I don't want to brag something out of my own experience, so I'll just keep it to myself as for a moment. I'll be posting it in some other article sometimes about this subject.

A Path to Deeper Connection

This might be the part where I need to end up my commentary 🤣🤣🤣. Seems like it got longer as expected. Anyway, I also want you to consider some biblical example from the life of David and Jonathan where they share mutual friendship and love that didn't broke the bond of their friendship. Consider this lines of scriptures which might take you back to their time and how this Two great people values the true friendship.

The friendship between David and Jonathan is a wonderful example of loyalty, love, and support in the scriptures. Here are some key lessons and biblical examples from their friendship:

Unconditional Love and Loyalty:
After David defeated Goliath, Jonathan loved David as his own soul (see 1 Samuel 18:1-3). Their friendship wasn't based on what they could gain from each other but on genuine care and respect.

Covenants of Friendship:
Jonathan made a covenant with David because of his love for him (1 Samuel 18:3-4). This act shows the intention to remain faithful and protective over their friend, regardless of future circumstances.

Support During Trials:
When Saul sought to kill David, Jonathan warned David and helped protect him (1 Samuel 19:1-2). This shows the importance of standing by friends in difficult times.

Sacrifice and Selflessness:
Jonathan willingly gave his robe, armor, sword, bow, and belt to David (1 Samuel 18:4), indicating his willingness to support David, even when it may not have been in his personal best interest since David was rising in prominence over Jonathan in Saul's kingdom.

Open Communication:
David and Jonathan had honest conversations about their circumstances and feelings, as seen in 1 Samuel 20. This transparency helped them strengthen their bond and address challenges together.

Emotional Support and Encouragement:
Despite the danger, Jonathan met with David and encouraged him to trust in God's plan, as recorded in 1 Samuel 23:16-17. Encouraging friends to stay faithful and strong is a vital part of a supportive friendship.

These examples teach us that true friendship involves love, loyalty, sacrifice, honesty, and support, even in adversity. David and Jonathan's friendship can inspire us to cultivate such meaningful relationships in our own lives.

Lastly and hopefully this will be the last 🤣. I would like to include some important issue that might help us understand how this thing might destroy the bond of Friendship. What I want to open up was the danger of gossiping. Gossip could simply harm someone's reputation which will ends up in one of the Seven Deadly Sins which might be Wrath or Envy.

Do not allow yourself to be a messenger of false message, or perhaps a victim of deceptions, just don't include yourself in a bandwagon of talebearer, that doesn't count as one of your success in life. In such thing that might come across to you, remember to hear not just one side and conclude without understanding the whole context of the story. Learn self-control, unprejudiced or broad-minded. The only thing could simply stop it, is to simply stop it where it last stops. You can teach someone by simply disregarding the issue instead of feasting on it.


Here in Philippines, we sometimes use the word Marites which we simply meant "Mare, Anong Latest?" and of course they're talking about what's the issue that need to be opened up in the public. Will, I found the word unworthy to use since it was also a direct name of a person which could also harm the reputation of their name. As I have said it sometime that "Not all Marites were Marites" in defending someone who used to have these name, but it's kinda funny, 😂😂😂.  Anyway, my point is, it is popular and everyone were already used to it, but didn't even mind the danger of it in a long run. There are people whom I know even this day that I couldn't even trust because of gossip. They are good people, maybe in their circle but not in community as a whole. See the difference? I could name some of them if I wanted to but that might end up in a gossip 🤣. So, I'll kept it instead.

In the scripture it says this in Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Some scriptural reference said this -
Proverbs 11:13
A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
And in James chapter 3 it says
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell
It's simple and self-explanatory, you could simple see how this danger will easily consume you and in someone's reputation by simply spreading a fallacy of falls assumption. So, it's not worth dying in shame, Anger or Envy, this simply ruins every relationship and trust.

In closing, the principle of forgiveness and being peace-loving are not merely desirable traits; they are essential components of healthy and enduring friendships. The scriptures, coupled with the teachings of modern prophets, provide a clear framework for incorporating these principles into our daily interactions.

By choosing to forgive freely and striving to live peaceably, we overcome challenges and enjoy deeper, more meaningful relationships. Avoid the danger of Gossip, and be mindful in every words you heard and said. This journey of forgiveness and peacemaking not only strengthens our friendships but also reflects the love and teachings of Jesus Christ, contributing to a more harmonious and loving world. It is a path that leads to greater understanding, stronger bonds, and a richer, more fulfilling life.

Check out this short Notes that might help you in your reading study. Thank you and have a nice day.
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