Surrendering Our Values?
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…and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains they shall be! (1Nephi 13:37)
Prophesy claims that in the last days all things, even the whole earth, shall be in commotion (D&C 45:26, 88:91). That certainly seems to be the current condition of the surface of our planet. I’m kinda sick of it, myself. Yet our prophets and leaders exclaim that these are the best times to be on Earth! How can this be?
President Russell M. Nelson noted in April, 2020 that “We live in the day that ‘our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation.’ We have front-row seats to witness live what the prophet Nephi saw only in vision, that ‘the power of the Lamb of God’ would descend ‘upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
“You, my brothers and sisters, are among those men, women, and children whom Nephi saw. Think of that!”
While pondering this mind-blowing thought, I wonder about how we treat one another. Surly with this knowledge humans worldwide must be choosing to deal with their fellow humans just as Christ dealt with us humans! Uhhh, perhaps not. Well, what about how members of the Church treat their fellow humans, in and out of the Church? Surly we members are close to perfect in this department, right?
It occurred to me years ago that General Conference talks are not directed to non-believers. They are shot out directly to members. Talk given about gambling? That’s because members gamble. Talk given about tithing? That’s because members stink at tithing. Talk given about loving our neighbor? Our enemy? You get the point. But about that…
“But who are our enemies? The full meaning of enemies in the sources from which King James’s translators chose the word enemies includes military foes but even extends to any who actively oppose one another. Today we might say that we are commanded to love our adversaries. All mortals are beloved children of God.” This from President Oaks during April 2026 General Conference.
But what about people whose lifestyle is obviously different from ours? People who we “know” will be condemned. They are our adversaries, right? Uhhh, perhaps not. “Each of us can strive to follow our Savior in His teachings about how to relate to one another. This does not mean surrendering our values. The covenants we have made inevitably position us as devoted participants in the eternal contest between truth and error. We balance our various responsibilities.” This also from President Oaks during his April 2026 General Conference talk, talking to you and I.
He continued, “This balancing is not easy. When we seek to keep all the commandments in our personal lives, we are sometimes accused of having no love for those who don’t. When we show personal love and support loving causes, we are sometimes misunderstood as implying support for results that contradict our other religious duties. But as followers of Christ, we should seek to live peaceably and lovingly with other children of God who do not share our values and do not have the covenant obligations we have assumed.”
My take away on this is, whenever I interact with any other human, I will “Remember To Look Up!” Because that is where I’ll find those who’s example I follow, who teach us that “All mortals are beloved children of God.” And all means all…
Thank you for reading…
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