There is so much hate in the world. Not long ago it seemed distant but now you can hardly check your facebook feed or the top news headlines without seeing even a hint of negative press on current events in the country. It's as if there is an agenda at play trying to pit one man against his brother. Why is that? The riots from people frustrated by the incident involving George Floyd have created a rage that has carried from city to city across the country.
Fortunately while we see this war of words and opinions, we have also had a message given by President Russell M. Nelson, prophet of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. Without direction from Heavenly Father, we would be left to reason one side against another based solely on the arguments projected in the mainstream media and social media posts. We must pick a side. The Lord does not tolerate hate of His children.
President Nelson released this statement:
"We join with many throughout this nation and around the world who are deeply saddened at recent evidences of racism and a blatant disregard for human life. We abhor the reality that some would deny others respect and the most basic of freedoms because of the color of his or her skin.
We are also saddened when these assaults on human dignity lead to escalating violence and unrest.
The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!
During the Savior’s earthly mission, He constantly ministered to those who were excluded, marginalized, judged, overlooked, abused, and discounted. As His followers, can we do anything less? The answer is no! We believe in freedom, kindness, and fairness for all of God’s children!
Let us be clear. We are brothers and sisters, each of us the child of a loving Father in Heaven. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, invites all to come unto Him—“black and white, bond and free, male and female,” (2 Nephi 26:33). It behooves each of us to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves.
Any nation can only be as great as its people. That requires citizens to cultivate a moral compass that helps them distinguish between right and wrong.
Illegal acts such as looting, defacing, or destroying public or private property cannot be tolerated. Never has one wrong been corrected by a second wrong. Evil has never been resolved by more evil.
We need to foster our faith in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
We need to foster a fundamental respect for the human dignity of every human soul, regardless of their color, creed, or cause.
And we need to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding rather than creating walls of segregation.
I plead with us to work together for peace, for mutual respect, and for an outpouring of love for all of God’s children."
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-shares-social-post-encouraging-understanding-and-civility
What part do we have in this? Should we just sit back in quarantine during this pandemic while others are out for good or bad rioting and protesting passionately?
President Nelson has given us God's command to repent of any prejudice we have toward another race. What is within our spheres of influence to preserve dignity and respect for all? Has our moral compass been cultivated to determine what is right and what is wrong?
D&C 121:17 says that "those who cry transgression towards others do it because they are the servants of sin, and are the children of disobedience themselves."
Seems interesting since President Donald Trump has been constantly attacked since being elected in 2016. He can't be influenced by those with money and an agenda against the good of the country. In Alma 14, Amulek and Alma contended with lawyers, judges, priests, and teachers, who were of the profession of Nehor. (Check Alma Chapter 1 for more information on Nehor) There are those who were in the church and in the system of government of the Nephites in the city of Ammonihah who were trained and somehow with formal qualification to ridicule and persecute these two men. They seem to profit monetarily and grow in power by stirring up the people unto contention. That is the way of the adversary. Alma even warns us in chapter 12, verse 6, that this pattern of stirring up the people to contention is "a snare", a trap, which satan has laid to catch you, "that he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity."
President Nelson early last year warned of a coming deception. Are we approaching this? If so, I hope we have our wits about us to interpret our moral compass in these times of crises.
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