Joseph remarked that all was well between him and the heavens: that he had no enmity against any one; and as the prayer of Jesus, or his pattern, so prayed Joseph—"Father, forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me," for I freely forgive all men. If we would secure and cultivate the love of others, we must love others, even our enemies as well as friends.
History of the Church, 5:498.
George Q. Cannon, Apostle, 1860–1901
With his staunch advocacy of truth, and his unyielding adherence to the commandments of God, Joseph was ever merciful to the weak and the erring. During the summer of 1835, he was laboring in councils and meetings in Kirtland and vicinity, and was chosen to take part in the proceedings against several members who were to be tried for utterances made against the presidency of the Church. Whether it fell to his lot to plead the cause of the accused or to prosecute, though he himself might have been the one who was wronged, he acted with so much tenderness and justice that he won the love of all.
Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet (1958), 200–201.
