What is a reasonable amount of time to forgive a spouse for being unfaithful?

Dear Gramps,

questions:

1) In Leviticus, chapter 12, it refers to the time a woman was considered unclean after giving birth. Why was that length of time twice as long for the birth of a baby girl than for a baby boy?

2) Have you any idea what would be considered a reasonable amount of time for a person to be able to forgive and heal emotionally when their spouse has been unfaithful to temple marriage covenants and/or been abuse to the family?

Michelle, from Utah

Dear Michelle,

As to question No. 1, I have no idea.

As to question No. 2, the amount of time for such healing and forgiving would depend strictly on the individual, on how closely they live to the Lord in order to understand the great principle of forgiveness that he exemplified in his life and through the effects of his great atoning sacrifice. He said on one occasion, while hanging on the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). And on another, “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men” (D&C 64:10).

Gramps