Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
By Jim Greer
LW Contributor
“Our faith teaches that we are all children of our Father in Heaven, and we worship him and his son, Jesus Christ, who is our savior,” declared Elder Quentin L. Cook in the October General Conference. “Our desire is that our hearts and minds will be knit in righteousness and unity and that we will be one with them.”
Elder Cook further explained that righteousness is a comprehensive term that includes living God’s commandments. Personal righteousness does not depend on our experiencing every blessing in our lives. And despite those missing blessings, the heavenly father promises that the faithful righteous “may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.”
Unity is also a broad term that exemplifies the first and second great commandments to love God and our fellow men. As we live in love for God and each other, we become a Zion people with hearts and minds “knit together in unity.”
Ours is a time of strong divisions. But despite the society in which we live, millions who have accepted the gospel are determined to dwell in righteousness and unity. As followers of the savior, we have covenanted to do better and overcome the challenge of our day, that we may be a force that lifts and blesses society.
Elder Cook challenges us to “commit ourselves as members of the Lord’s Church to live righteously and be united as never before.” He reminds us that President Russell M. Nelson has asked that we “demonstrate greater civility, racial and ethnic harmony, and mutual respect.”
By loving each other and God, we accept everyone as brothers and sisters and become a Zion people.
Our all-inclusive doctrine makes the Church an oasis of unity and celebration of diversity. Fostering an atmosphere of inclusion and respect for diversity engenders even greater unity. Embedded in the savior’s ministry is the message that all races and colors are children of God, making us all brothers and sisters.
In the Intercessory Prayer, Christ acknowledged that the father had sent him and that he had finished the work he was sent to perform. The savior also prayed for those who believe in him: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.”
The early church was composed of Gentiles and Jews who had a Judaic culture. Paul identified aspects of Judaic and Gentile cultures that conflicted with the true gospel of Jesus Christ. He admonished each to leave behind those cultural roadblocks that were not consistent with the gospel of Christ. Paul challenged Jews and the Gentiles to keep the commandments and love one another, emphasizing that righteousness would lead to salvation. As the early saints did, we should abandon aspects of cultures that conflict with the gospel of Christ. To follow President Nelson’s admonition to gather scattered Israel, we must admit that we are as different today as the Jews and Gentiles were in Paul’s time. And like the early Saints, we must be united in love and live righteously in our faith in Jesus Christ.
