A Note from Meetinghouse Mosaic on the Following Document: We recognize that this is not a perfect document and people may have a variety of feelings toward what information is included (or left out). We acknowledge the hard parts and hold space for those feelings. We also want to celebrate the bold and direct statements that were made. We see this document as a great step forward and wait with anticipation for more reconciliation, repair, and improvement in regards to race and the church. “Race is a concept that categorizes people based on the color of their skin or other physical features. Unfortunately, race is often used to justify mistreatment or to suggest that one group is better than another. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that…
“OUR LOVE FOR GOD AND HIS CHILDREN IS A POWERFUL TESTIMONY TO THE WORLD THAT THIS IS TRULY THE SAVIOR’S CHURCH Many years ago Sister Uchtdorf and I were traveling through southern Germany. It was just before Easter, and we invited a good friend, who was not a member of the Church, to join us in our Sunday worship service. …Afterward, as we drove home, I turned to talk to our friend. I wanted to explain that this was just one small branch and it didn’t really represent the Church as a whole. But before I could say a word, she spoke up.“That was beautiful,” she said. I was speechless. She continued, “I’m so impressed with how people treat each other in your church. They all seem to come from…
“In April 1834 in Kirtland, Ohio, the Prophet Joseph Smith gathered all who held the priesthood into a little schoolhouse about 14 feet (4.3 m) square. We could fit dozens of those schoolhouses in this Conference Center, with room to spare. Joseph Smith said, “It is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America—it will fill the world.” That prophecy is being fulfilled “right before our eyes.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is growing in members and families, missions and missionaries, meetinghouses and temples, and in enrollment in our seminaries, institutes, and universities all around the world. We are grateful to be on earth when the Church is increasing in numbers and influence, but more importantly…
“All individuals are children of God and part of His divine family. As His children, we all have divine potential and are precious in His eyes. The scriptures teach that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men,” and “all are alike” unto Him. He does not love one race or culture more than any other. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for all of God’s children. The Book of Mormon teaches that the Lord invites “all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female.” Our standing with God depends on our devotion to Him and His commandments, not on the color of our skin, our ethnicity, or other attributes. Because we are children of God, we are all brothers and sisters. God has commanded us to…
Apply the following quote to the covenant we make to become anti-racist or to love our neighbors around the world: “The Lord’s method of teaching is “line upon line, precept upon precept.” We may be required to “wait upon the Lord” in the space between our current line of understanding and the next yet to be delivered. This sacred space can be a place where our greatest spiritual conditioning can occur—the site where we can “bear with patience” our earnest seeking and renew our strength to continue to keep the sacred promises we have made to God through covenant. Our covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ signals our prevailing citizenship in God’s kingdom. And our residency therein requires aligning our life to divine principles and putting in the effort to grow…
The following quote can be applied to mistakes made in our anti-racism journey: “Our Heavenly Father understands our mortal journey and the inevitability of sin in our lives. I am deeply thankful that He has provided a Savior to atone for our transgressions. Through the Savior’s redemptive sacrifice, each of us can repent and seek forgiveness and become clean. Repentance, a foundational principle of the gospel, is essential for our spiritual development and resilience as we navigate life’s challenges. During the April 2022 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson invited every member of the Church to experience the joy of daily repentance. He said: “Please do not fear or delay repenting. Satan delights in your misery. Cut it short. Cast his influence out of your life! Start today to experience the…
“I have come to know that there is a clear, simple, and divine example we can look to for unity, love, and belonging. That example is Jesus Christ. I testify that He is the great unifier. …He drew upon the gifts and individual attributes of a diverse group of followers to call His Apostles. …Their belief in the Savior and desire to draw unto Him united them. …In May of 2020, just as the world was grappling with the spread of a global pandemic, members of the New York City Commission of Religious Leaders met virtually in an abruptly called meeting. There was no agenda. No special guests. Just a request to come together and discuss the challenges we were all facing as faith leaders. …Our small group—which included a…
“Whether your baptism was yesterday or years ago, whether you meet in a large multiward Church building or under a thatched canopy, whether you receive the sacrament in remembrance of the Saviour in Thai or Swahili, I would like to say to you, welcome to the church of joy! Welcome to the church of joy!”
“We can’t be salt on our own; if we are to be salt of the earth, we must be bonded to the Lord, and that is what I see as I mingle with members of the Church around the world—I see faithful members of the Church bonded to the Lord, committed in their efforts to serve others and be the salt of the earth. …I love the Lord Jesus Christ and feel blessed by the opportunity to serve alongside you in the Lord’s Church. Our unity and strength, grounded in our shared faith, reassure us that we are never alone in this journey. Together, we can continue to build the kingdom of God, rooted in service, love, and unwavering faith.”
The first step in following Christ is to obey what He defined as “the great commandment in the law”: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. “This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The commandments of God provide the guiding and steadying force in our lives.”
