Love One Another

I realized some times I like to blog to just get out my thoughts for the weeks. Funny thing is how 90% of those thoughts stem from Sunday;s church lessons being called upon in that weeks events. I guess that’s why scripture study, church lessons and meditation are so important.




My thoughts started in Sunday school where the lesson was on the Gathering of Zion. One ward member shared a thought that today’s gathering is based upon a gathering not to one location but to gather as Saints to the principles of our Gospel.



I have always struggled when individuals get so caught up in the LDS church being a letter of the Law religion and way of life that there is no grey area. However, I have personally come to believe that religion, and my LDS religion, is about who we are becoming…we are becoming like Christ. All our teachings are designed to become better Christians to become more like our big brother Jesus Christ. He taught the ways of God and Gods laws but he also taught us about how to be as a person. He taught us to love one another even as he loved us.



Our religion is one of defined rights and wrongs, defined principals and ordinances. We are taught from a young age what actions are acceptable before God based on principals taught and laid out from the time of Adam and up through current modern day revelation. We are taught moral, religious and life values.



Over the years of coming to know and become friends and family of individuals who are LDS or not LDS. Or those who are LDS and chosen to follow a different path of life I have been given the greatest blessing in life to be able to accept and individual for who they are. Through my wonderful parents I have learned the truth in the teachings…”To love the sinner but despise the sin.” Through what I learned it hurts me deeply when I see society, families, neighborhoods, individuals, friends etc who come to despise, hate, ostracize individuals because of where they stand. It seems to often to me that as a society when and issue divides people the respect for one another’s believes goes out the door and it quickly becomes an issue of right or wrong and not longer and issue of respecting the individual. It seems that to often we begin to believe, and act upon the idea that if you believe differently then me then you are against me as a person. And this hurts my heart. I feel when this happens we lose the ability to see past the issue and see the person.



My wish in life is that when issues come up that divide a society or a family we can learn to see past the issue and see to the heart of the person. I have always felt that when we allow the issue to divide and separate our selves from the individual we lose sight of the second great commandment- to love one another. I have always felt that if we allow differences and issues to cause us to ostracize an individual from our lives or a group from society and place them in a category of bad or evil we have lost sight of what our religion is truly about.



I recently read this article…Church Responds to HRC Petition: Statement on Same-Sex Attraction http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-mormon-responds-to-human-rights-campaign-petition-same-sex-attraction



I strongly believe his words where inspired by our Heavenly Father in a time where words needed to be choosen carefully. I want to share some of what Michael Otterson stated “We join our voice with others in unreserved condemnation of acts of cruelty or attempts to belittle or mock any group or individual that is different – whether those differences arise from race, religion, mental challenges, social status, sexual orientation or for any other reason. Such actions simply have no place in our society. This Church has felt the bitter sting of persecution and marginalization early in our history, when we were too few in numbers to adequately protect ourselves and when society’s leaders often seemed disinclined to help. Our parents, young adults, teens and children should therefore, of all people, be especially sensitive to the vulnerable in society and be willing to speak out against bullying or intimidation whenever it occurs, including unkindness toward those who are attracted to others of the same sex. This is particularly so in our own Latter-day Saint congregations. Each Latter-day Saint family and individual should carefully consider whether their attitudes and actions toward others properly reflect Jesus Christ’s second great commandment - to love one another.

As a church, our doctrinal position is clear: any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong, and we define marriage as between a man and a woman. However, that should never, ever be used as justification for unkindness. Jesus Christ, whom we follow, was clear in His condemnation of sexual immorality, but never cruel. His interest was always to lift the individual, never to tear down.”



Today I am making a personal stance and hope all can follow. We need to do as was taught in Luke 16:13 “NO servant can seve two masters: for either he will htate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” We need to choose where we stand on all issues and stand by what we believe is true, wether religions or not. We must chose or stance. But no matter or choice or where we stand we must choose that there is no room in our society, families, worksites, schools or communities for bullying, belittling or ostracizing. In the end this is what will bring down our communities and families.

Again I quote “His interest was always to lift the individual, never to tear down”

Please pledge this day that you will never forget the individual no matter the issue. Please pledge this day that all our actions can be based out of love and always always to build up.

I have always felt as and Latter Day Saint if I forget the commandment to “Love one Another” my believes and stances in all other areas will be for nothing.