This nation is made up of good people and we need to stand up and share our goodness. Be true to the truth inside you. I've been afraid to share the good news I have inside me for fear that people would discount me as a religious fanatic or "one of those people" but that kind of fear is the cause of our nation tearing itself apart. Until we share the good inside of us, the good that can change lives and hearts, we are doomed to watch our nation fail and ourselves fall along with it. Where did this idea of the need to hide our religion come from? I know that at the heart of our nation we believe in separation of church and state, but that is so the government cannot penalize you for believing a certain way nor can it make a state sanctioned religion, but that doesn't mean that we close our mouths and do nothing as men are slaughtered in the streets and babies are killed in clean clinics. I honestly don't know how I can stop a blind, loud minority from making those decisions, but I know that I can say, Heavenly Father values EVERY life, he loves his children and he wants them to experience this life. We are all people of a book, we all value life and the right to live that life. Stop making differences mean more than similarities. The next time someone has something negative to say, ponder on something positive you can say to counter, because for all the negative out of control chaotic things happening, that no seems to see as warning signs, there are great things, people are reaching out to help their neighbour and to share the love of God with someone.
A few weeks ago I shared how this nation is promised land and we must guard and protect it as a land for God's word, how do I know this? Because the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon and the Spirit speaking to me tells me how important this land is. Elder Ezra Taft Benson said that this land was set apart to be the cradle of liberty. Where has that liberty gone? We have allowed division and hatreds to set brother against brother. We must forget our differences and look instead to the love God has for all of His children and for each of us! Whether we are Muslim, Baptist, Jew, Methodist, LDS, Catholic or Hindu, we each leave our worship with the same goal, leave here and treat everyone a little better. We must remember the Spirit of our religion, remember God is love and lashing out at others in righteous indignation hurts, hurts those we lash out at and at ourselves. If God is love, and He is, we must bear that same message of love that has changed our hearts and brought us salvation. As Jesus Christ said those who love only those who are kind to them have their own reward, we must love all that walk on this earth, for we are in this life together for a reason.
God has a specific, individual plan for each of us. We have the opportunity and ability to help others in this hard life called mortality. Before reaching for hate or fear reach for love, then do we have the ability to change the world. When you face hardship don't be angry wondering why this had to happen to you, instead ask how you might use this life experience to help and lift others.
I know that God lives and loves us, that He wants so badly for His children to feel love, I hope this week we will leave this Sabbath day more dedicated to treating others a little kinder and committed to seeing the good. I know I too easily become overwhelmed by the news reports of protesters and people attacked in the street, let that kind of anger stop with us. Be a strong disciple of Christ and remember his message was always LOVE!
Sometimes good things really happen.
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