Mormon Notes: Choose Not to Be Offended

I really think that 'taking offense' is an interesting thing. I've done it. In fact, sometimes I still get offended. And, while you could rarely tell me this in the moment, I recognize that this is my choice. I will take responsibility for the emotions that I choose to feel. Because I realize that taking responsibility for ones actions is a hard thing to do, I have a lot of respect for people who do it themselves.

As you may be aware, the topic of this post comes from the November 2006 Ensign article by Apostle Elder David A. Bednar. I mentioned his article in my last post and just wanted to expound upon it today. He said,

When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else.

Making choices is really an important part of God's plan. As a youth, I learned the importance of choosing happiness over sadness. In life, there are constantly things that can influence our choices, however, we are ultimately left with the consequences of those decisions. Just something to think about.