I'm often worried that my students underestimate God's mercy or somehow feel that they don't deserve it. Mercy, by definition, is something you don't deserve. The moment you earn mercy, it is no longer mercy, it is justice. One of the great freeing moments in life is when you allow God to give you blessings and forgiveness you don't deserve. As Jeffrey R. Holland once said, "Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful."