Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Derrick Porter every Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir broadcast from Temple Square. Scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday, May 31, 2026. This week is the 5,046th broadcast. Please note that starting Sunday, May 17th, reservations are required to attend “Music and the Spoken Word” at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Click here for more information on how to make a reservation.
The two friends considered their work the most important and worked together for many years. However, as the pressure increased and the situation became difficult, one side turned against the other and betrayed their friends.
For two years they lived apart. But one day, a letter arrived. In it, former friends asked for forgiveness and reconciliation.
A reply was sent that simply said, “Well, dear brother, the war is over, and friends at first become friends again in the end.” (See Church History, Volume 4, pages 163-164.)
As we know, life can be messy sometimes. We make mistakes and say things that we later regret. And days once filled with trust and camaraderie may be replaced, at least temporarily, by hurt and disappointment. However, it is important to remember that what is today does not have to be forever. At first we are friends, but in the end we become friends again.
Each of us has within us the power to reconcile differences with others. It is a potential power that we must cultivate and build upon. It is often said that the path to peace is to “forgive and forget.” But in some cases, the only way to truly forgive is to first try to forget.
Reconciliation does not mean ignoring what happened. It does not mean tolerating harm or giving unlimited opportunities when it is unwise. But that means choosing not to keep a tight grip on the attack, but instead loosening your grip on it. “Forgetting” in this sense means focusing on what can be done in the future rather than what has been done. Trying to forget opens the way to forgiveness.
It takes courage to be the person who tries to repair a relationship. And it’s not always well received. But the very act of making an honest effort begins the work of eliminating and reconciling the “what ifs” that might linger if we don’t make the effort.
People are very important. Relationships have great value. No matter what strain there is on the friendships we cherish, it’s worth fixing them. And it’s never too late to try it. One of the great experiences in life is reconciliation.
The apostle Paul gave the following counsel: “If it be possible, live peaceably with all men, while it be among you” (Romans 12:18).
May we have the foresight and courage to know in our most important relationships that “friends at first become friends again in the end.”
Tuning…
“Music & the Spoken Word” broadcasts are available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143), tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir, and Amazon Alexa (skills must be enabled). The program will be broadcast live on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on these stations. Find airing information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedule.
