As a Jewish boy, King David was one of my heroes. I proudly wore the Star of David that was associated with him and would sing “David Melech Israel, Chai Chai Vechayam” (“David King of Israel lives and endures”) in synagogue and school.

As I grew older, I fell in love with the Psalms and was particularly drawn to David’s powerful Psalm of forgiveness in Psalm 51.

So one of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that never sat right with me was the idea that David was not fully forgiven for his sins and would not have eternal life with God. But it was unmistakably taught in D&C 132:39 that David “hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his portion” and so I reluctantly accepted this as true even though I felt like it contradicted other parts of scripture and revealed limits on God’s willingness and ability to forgive our sins.

Of all of the false doctrines that Joseph Smith taught and I used to believe, the idea that David was not forgiven of his sins may be the one that I am most grateful to be able to reject. The idea that David could not be forgiven is a lie that directly contradicts the Bible and taints  the Bible’s powerful message of forgiveness.

David was forgiven, this couldn’t be clearer. God’s revealed this to David through the Prophet Nathan that “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” 2 Sam 12:13. The LDS interpretation would be that David was forgiven in that he was not destined for outer darkness, but that he nevertheless fell from his exaltation. But the Bible does not introduce such a distinction.

Indeed, Psalm 51 makes it clear what David sought and tearfully received was total forgiveness for his sins. He begs

“Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

The idea that God answered this heartfelt plea with a NO turns God into an unforgiving God who is not willing to take away our sins. If David was not exaltated, then his iniquities were not bloted out. If David did not receive eternal life, then God did in fact cast him from him presence. And David did not receive the joy of salvation ever again. How can we ever read invitations to come unto Christ and be forgiven the same way? How can we be confident that God will not one day also answer our prayers with a NO?

Fortunately the Bible shows that David was fully forgiven. This is illustrated by God’s consistent praise of David throughout the Book of Kings AFTER David’s sin as one “who kept my commandments, and followed me with all his heart, doing that which was well pleasing in my sight. (1 Kgs. 14:8)” Could God truly say that someone who fell so grievously had “kept my commandments, and followed me with all his heart?” The Apostle Paul likewise quotes the words of God describing David as “a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” in his sermon in Antioch (Acts 13:22). It seems highly unlikely that God would hold someone who fell short of exaltation up as the model and exemplar for future leaders and indeed as the model for Jesus Christ who would come as the ultimate Davidic king.

The Apostle Paul understood that David was forgiven thanks to the perfect righteousness of Christ. In Romans 4, Paul hearkens to the words of David to describe the blessed man “to whom God credits righteousness apart from works” and “whose sins are covered” and “whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” Romans 4:6-8. The idea that our “sins are covered” and will “never count against” us is fatally undermined if David was unforgiven.

I praise God that if a sinner like David could be fully forgiven, then so can I. While few of us are in the positions of power to do what David did, we have all lusted in our hearts or imagined causing harm to people in order to get what we want. We are all filled with selfish and coveting desires. And we are all in need of the same covering of sin. We all need the Lord to not count our sins against us and to credit us his “righteousness apart from works.” Knowing that David was forgiven gives me assurance that God will not count my sins against me but will show his infinite loving-kindness toward me.

The idea that David was not FULLY forgiven is false plain and simple. I look forward to seeing King David in heaven along with all of those who have trusted in God’s perfect all-encompassing forgiveness.