NOTE - there definately several terms that are translated forgive. There is the term that means not holding something against another. We humans do that all the time. But not God. In 1 John 1:9, the term translated forgive is not speaking of the offended, but the offender. It is causing the offender's sin to remit, go into remission, to send it away. And following Hebrew parallelism, the second have the verse re-emphasizes that fact. It is not a legal process as God does not hold anything legally against us. In that respect, he is forgiveness personified. But that does not save us. It is the healing process that saves us. Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for you are my praise.

So Good News - you are legally off the hook!!! Great, now move on to the important things.

The Lord is our Creator, and we are his children, subject to his rule. God’s method of government is an example of how parents are to train their children. There is no oppression in the Lord’s service, and there is to be no oppression in the home. Parents and guardians are to treat those under their care even as God treats his earthly children, with kindness and love. {RH April 21, 1904, par. 20}

The law of God existed before man was created. The angels were governed by it. Satan fell because he transgressed the principles of God’s government. After Adam and Eve were created, God made known to them his law. It was not then written, but was rehearsed to them by Jehovah. {ST June 10, 1880, par. 7}
The Sabbath of the fourth commandment was instituted in Eden. The principles embodied in the decalogue existed before the fall, and were suited to the condition of holy beings. After the fall, these principles were not changed, nothing was taken from the law of God, but additional precepts were given to meet man in his fallen state. {ST June 10, 1880, par. 8}
A system of sacrifices was then established, to keep before the fallen race that which the serpent made Eve disbelieve, that the penalty of disobedience is death. The transgression of God’s law made it necessary for Christ to die as a sacrifice; for only thus could he redeem man from the penalty of the broken law, and yet maintain the honor of the divine government. The sacrificial system was designed to teach man humility, in view of his fallen condition, and to lead him to repentance toward God and faith in the promised Redeemer for pardon of past transgressions. Had the law of God never been transgressed, there would have been no death, and hence no need of additional precepts to suit man’s fallen condition. {ST June 10, 1880, par. 9}

All that God and Christ could do has been done to save sinners. Transgression placed the whole world in jeopardy, under the death sentence. But in heaven there was heard a voice saying, I have found a ransom. Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, was made sin for fallen man. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ gave Himself as a ransom. He laid off His royal robe. He laid aside His kingly crown, and stepped down from His high command over all heaven, clothing His divinity with humanity that He might carry all the infirmities and bear all the temptations of humanity.—Letter 22, 1900.

Of Christ’s relation to His people, there is a beautiful illustration in the laws given to Israel. When through poverty a Hebrew had been forced to part with his patrimony, and to sell himself as a bond servant, the duty of redeeming him and his inheritance fell to the one who was nearest of kin. See Leviticus 25:25, 47-49; Ruth 2:20. So the work of redeeming us and our inheritance, lost through sin, fell upon Him who is “near of kin” unto us. It was to redeem us that He became our kinsman. Closer than father, mother, brother, friend, or lover is the Lord our Saviour. “Fear not,” He says, “for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.” “Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.” Isaiah 43:1, 4. Desire of Ages p. 327

Through type and promise God “preached before the gospel unto Abraham.” Galatians 3:8. And the patriarch’s faith was fixed upon the Redeemer to come. Said Christ to the Jews. “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see My day; and he saw it, and was glad.” John 8:56, R.V., margin. The ram offered in the place of Isaac represented the Son of God, who was to be sacrificed in our stead. When man was doomed to death by transgression of the law of God, the Father, looking upon his Son, said to the sinner, “Live: I have found a ransom.” Patriarchs and Prophets p. 154

Let me give a little lesson in "comprehension"

APL wrote:

Gary answered that post: (his words are in color)
That conclusion is pretty much disputable.
What conclusion is Gary referring to? The comprehensive reader goes back to APL's conclusion of the meaning of the word "Aphiemi"!

When a person is pardoned for a crime everything you just stated is true for them. They have their legal rights restored. They are once again in the good graces of the lawful government. They are once again at peace with the lawful government. All of their legal issues are sent into remission. There is a healing of the relationship between them and the lawful government.

In other words, the meaning of the word applies just as much to legal issues as it does to relationship issues.

What word is Gary referring to?
The comprehensive reader comprehends that "the word" under discussion is the word "Aphiemi".

Human minds vary. The minds of different education and thought receive different impressions of the same words, and it is difficult for one mind to give to one of a different temperament, education, and habits of thought by language exactly the same idea as that which is clear and distinct in his own mind. Yet to honest men, right-minded men, he can be so simple and plain as to convey his meaning for all practical purposes. If the man he communicates with is not honest and will not want to see and understand the truth, he will turn his words and language in everything to suit his own purposes. He will misconstrue his words, play upon his imagination, wrest them from their true meaning, and then entrench himself in unbelief, claiming that the sentiments are all wrong. {1SM 19.1}

This is the way my writings are treated by those who wish to misunderstand and pervert them. They turn the truth of God into a lie. In the very same way that they treat the writings in my published articles and in my books, so do skeptics and infidels treat the Bible. They read it according to their desire to pervert, to misapply, to willfully wrest the utterances from their true meaning. They declare that the Bible can prove anything and everything, that every sect proves their doctrines right, and that the most diverse doctrines are proved from the Bible. {1SM 19.2}

The writers of the Bible had to express their ideas in human language. It was written by human men. These men were inspired of the Holy Spirit. Because of the imperfections of human understanding of language, or the perversity of the human mind, ingenious in evading truth, many read and understand the Bible to please themselves. It is not that the difficulty is in the Bible. Opposing politicians argue points of law in the statute book, and take opposite views in their application and in these laws. {1SM 19.3}

The Scriptures were given to men, not in a continuous chain of unbroken utterances, but piece by piece through successive generations, as God in His providence saw a fitting opportunity to impress man at sundry times and divers places. Men wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost. There is "first the bud, then the blossom, and next the fruit," "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." This is exactly what the Bible utterances are to us. {1SM 19.4}

There is not always perfect order or apparent unity in the Scriptures. The miracles of Christ are not given in exact order, but are given just as the circumstances occurred, which called for this divine revealing of the power of Christ. The truths of the Bible are as pearls hidden. They must be searched, dug out by painstaking effort. Those who take only a surface view of the Scriptures will, with their superficial knowledge, which they think is very deep, talk of the contradictions of the Bible, and question the authority of the Scriptures. But those whose hearts are in harmony with truth and duty will search the Scriptures with a heart prepared to receive divine impressions. The illuminated soul sees a spiritual unity, one grand golden thread running through the whole, but it requires patience, thought, and prayer to trace out the precious golden thread. Sharp contentions over the Bible have led to investigation and revealed the precious jewels of truth. Many tears have been shed, many prayers offered, that the Lord would open the understanding to His Word. {1SM 20.1}

The Bible is not given to us in grand superhuman language. Jesus, in order to reach man where he is, took humanity. The Bible must be given in the language of men. Everything that is human is imperfect. Different meanings are expressed by the same word; there is not one word for each distinct idea. The Bible was given for practical purposes. {1SM 20.2}

The stamps of minds are different. All do not understand expressions and statements alike. Some understand the statements of the Scriptures to suit their own particular minds and cases. Prepossessions, prejudices, and passions have a strong influence to darken the understanding and confuse the mind even in reading the words of Holy Writ. {1SM 20.3}

And when you look at the trust of the work, sending away, remitting, removing, leaving, putting away, etc. And 1 John 1:9 in that context is not legal, but healing. But again, GOOD NEWS - God does not hold anything against anyone. But that is not going to save you.

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)
Pardon Par"don (p[aum]r"d'n), n. [F., fr. pardonner to pardon.
See Pardon, v. t.]
1. The act of pardoning; forgiveness, as of an offender, or
of an offense; release from penalty; remission of
punishment; absolution.
[1913 Webster]

Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

But infinite in pardon was my judge. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]

Usage: Used in expressing courteous denial or contradiction;
as, I beg your pardon; or in indicating that one has
not understood another; as, I beg pardon; or pardon
me?.
[1913 Webster +PJC]

2. An official warrant of remission of penalty.
[1913 Webster]

Sign me a present pardon for my brother. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

3. The state of being forgiven. --South.
[1913 Webster]

4. (Law) A release, by a sovereign, or officer having
jurisdiction, from the penalties of an offense, being
distinguished from amnesty, which is a general
obliteration and canceling of a particular line of past
offenses.
[1913 Webster]

Syn: Forgiveness; remission. See Forgiveness.
[1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)
Pardon Par"don, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pardoned (p[aum]r"d'nd);
p. pr. & vb. n. Pardoning.] [Either fr. pardon, n., or from
F. pardonner, LL. perdonare; L. per through, thoroughly,
perfectly + donare to give, to present. See Par-, and
Donation.]
1. To absolve from the consequences of a fault or the
punishment of crime; to free from penalty; -- applied to
the offender.
[1913 Webster]

In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant. --2 Kings
v. 18.
[1913 Webster]

I pray you, pardon me; pray heartily, pardon me.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]

2. To remit the penalty of; to suffer to pass without
punishment; to forgive; -- applied to offenses.
[1913 Webster]

I pray thee, pardon my sin. --1 Sam. xv.
25.
[1913 Webster]

Apollo, pardon
My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle! --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

3. To refrain from exacting as a penalty.
[1913 Webster]

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

4. To give leave (of departure) to. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]

Even now about it! I will pardon you. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

Pardon me, forgive me; excuse me; -- a phrase used also to
express courteous denial or contradiction, or to request
forgiveness for a mild transgression, such as bumping a
person while passing.
[1913 Webster +PJC]

Syn: To forgive; absolve; excuse; overlook; remit; acquit.
See Excuse.
[1913 Webster]


WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) (wn)
pardon
n 1: the act of excusing a mistake or offense [syn:
forgiveness, pardon]
2: a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense
[syn: pardon, amnesty]
3: the formal act of liberating someone [syn: amnesty,
pardon, free pardon]
v 1: accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands" [syn:
excuse, pardon]
2: grant a pardon to; "Ford pardoned Nixon"; "The Thanksgiving
turkey was pardoned by the President"


Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 (moby-thesaurus)
110 Moby Thesaurus words for "pardon":
absolution, absolve, accept, acquit, acquittal, acquittance, allow,
allowance, amnesty, benevolence, clear, clearance, clearing,
clemency, commiseration, compassion, compurgation, condolence,
condonation, condone, decontaminate, destigmatization,
destigmatize, destigmatizing, discharge, disculpation, dismiss,
dismissal, dispense from, exculpate, exculpation, excusal, excuse,
exempt, exempt from, exemption, exonerate, exoneration, favor,
feeling, forbear, forbearance, forgive, forgiveness, forgiving,
free, give absolution, give quarter, grace, grant amnesty to,
grant forgiveness, grant immunity, grant remission,
have mercy upon, have pity, humanity, immunity, indemnification,
indemnity, indulge, indulgence, justification, justify, kindness,
leniency, let go, let off, let up on, liberate, melt, mercy,
mitigation, nonpros, overlook, overlooking, pathos, pity,
purgation, purge, purging, quarter, quash the charge, quietus,
quittance, redemption, relax, release, relent, relief, remission,
remission of sin, remit, reprieve, ruth, self-pity, set free,
shrift, shrive, small-town, spare, sparing, sympathy, take pity on,
thaw, tolerate, verdict of acquittal, vindicate, vindication,
whitewash, withdraw the charge




Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Pardon
the forgiveness of sins granted freely (Isa. 43:25), readily
(Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:5), abundantly (Isa. 55:7; Rom. 5:20). Pardon
is an act of a sovereign, in pure sovereignty, granting simply a
remission of the penalty due to sin, but securing neither honour
nor reward to the pardoned. Justification (q.v.), on the other
hand, is the act of a judge, and not of a sovereign, and
includes pardon and, at the same time, a title to all the
rewards and blessings promised in the covenant of life.



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) (bouvier)
PARDON, crim. law, pleading. A pardon is an act of grace, proceeding from
the power entrusted with the execution of the laws, which exempts the
individual on whom it is bestowed, from the punishment the law inflicts for
a crime he has committed. 7 Pet. S. C. Rep. 160.
2. Every pardon granted to the guilty is in derogation of the law; if
the pardon be equitable, the law is, bad; for where legislation and the
administration of the law are perfect, pardons must be a violation of the
law, But as human actions are necessarily imperfect, the pardoning power
must be vested somewhere in order to prevent injustice, when it is
ascertained that an error has been committed.
3. The subject will be considered with regard, 1. To the kinds of
pardons. 2. By whom they are to be granted. 3. For what offences. 4. How to
be taken advantage of 5. Their effect.
4.-Sec. 1, Pardons are general or special. 1. The former are express,
when an act of the legislature is passed expressly directing that offences
of a certain class; shall be pardoned, as in the case of an act of amnesty.
See Amnesty. A general pardon is implied by the repeal of a penal statute,
because, unless otherwise provided by law, an offence against such statute
while it was in force cannot be punished, and the offender goes free. 2
Overt. 423. 2. Special pardons are those which are granted by the pardoning
power for particular cases.
5. Pardons are also divided into absolute and conditional. The former
are those which free the criminal without any condition whatever; the.
fatter are those to which a condition is annexed, which must be performed
before the pardon can have any effect. Bac. Ab. Pardon, E; 2 Caines, R. 57;
1 Bailey, 283; 2 Bailey 516. But see 4 Call, R. 85.
6.-Sec. 2. The constitution of the United States gives to the,
president in general terms, "the power to grant reprieves and pardons for
offences against the United States." The same power is given generally to
the governors of the several states to grant pardons for crimes committed
against their respective states, but in some of them the consent of the
legislature or one of its branches is required.
7.-Sec. 3. Except in the case of impeachment, for which a pardon
cannot be granted, the pardoning power may grant a pardon of all offences
against the government, and for any sentence or judgment. But such a pardon
does not operate to discharge the interest which third persons may have
acquired in the judgment; as, where a penalty was incurred in violation of
the embargo laws, and the custom house officers became entitled to one-half
of the penalty, the pardon did not discharge that. 4 Wash. C.C.R. 64. See 2
Bay, 565; 2 Whart. 440; 7 J. J. Marsh. 131.
8.-Sec. 4. When the pardon is general, either by an act of amnesty,
or by the repeal of a penal law, it is not necessary to plead it, because
the court is bound, ex officio, to take notice of it. And the criminal
cannot even waive such pardon, because by his admittance, no one can give
the court power to punish him, when it judicially appears there is no law to
do it. But when the pardon is special, to avail the criminal it must
judicially appear that it has been accepted, and for this reason it must be
specially pleaded. 7 Pet. R. 150, 162.
9.-Sec. 5. The effect of a pardon is to protect from punishment the
criminal for the offence pardoned, but for no other. 1 Porter, 475. It seems
that the pardon of an assault and battery, which afterwards becomes murder
by the death of the person beaten, would not operate as a pardon of the
murder. 12 Pick. 496. In general, the effect of a full pardon is to restore
the convict to all his rights. But to this there are some exceptions: 1st.
When the criminal has been guilty of perjury, a pardon will not qualify him
to be a witness at any time afterwards. 2d. When one was convicted of an
offence by which he became civilly dead, a pardon did not affect or annul
the second marriage of his wife, nor the sale of his property by persons
appointed to administer on his estate, nor divest his heirs of the interest
acquired in his estate in consequence of his civil death. 10 Johns. R. 232,
483.
10.-Sec. 6. All contracts, made for the buying or procuring a pardon
for a convict, are void. And such contracts will be declared null by a court
of equity, on the ground that they are opposed to public policy. 4 Bouv.
Inst. n. 3857. Vide, generally, Bac. Ab. h.t.; Com. Dig. h.t.; Nels. Ab.
h.t.; Vin. Ab. h.t.; 13 Petersd. Ab. h.t.; Dane's Ab. h.t.; 3 lust. 233
to 240; Hawk. b. 2, c. 37; 1 Chit. Cr. L. 762 to 778; 2 Russ. on Cr. 595
Arch. Cr. Pl. 92; Stark. Cr. Pl. 368, 380.

As Saul yielded himself fully to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, he saw the mistakes of his life and recognized the far-reaching claims of the law of God. He who had been a proud Pharisee, confident that he was justified by his good works, now bowed before God with the humility and simplicity of a little child, confessing his own unworthiness and pleading the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Saul longed to come into full harmony and communion with the Father and the Son; and in the intensity of his desire for pardon and acceptance he offered up fervent supplications to the throne of grace. {AA 119.2}

David was pardoned of his transgression because he humbled his heart before God in repentance and contrition of soul, and believed that God’s promise to forgive would be fulfilled. He confessed his sin, repented, and was reconverted. In the rapture of the assurance of forgiveness, he exclaimed, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” The blessing comes because of pardon; pardon comes through faith that the sin, confessed and repented of, is borne by the great Sin-bearer. Thus from Christ cometh all our blessings. His death is an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He is the great Medium through whom we receive the mercy and favor of God. He, then, is indeed the Originator, the Author, as well as the Finisher, of our faith (Manuscript 21, 1891).

I believe the writings of Ellen White

Consider prison sentences. Some would speak of the "corrections facility," an allusion to the fact that the time spent there was to help the inmate change his or her ways