“My grandfather’s primary counsel to me was to avoid any sense of entitlement or privilege because of these faithful ancestors. He told me my focus should be on the Savior and the Savior’s Atonement. He said we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. Regardless of who our earthly ancestors are, each of us will report to the Savior on how well we kept His commandments. …Oneness is what Christ prayed for prior to His betrayal and Crucifixion. Oneness with Christ and our Heavenly Father can be obtained through the Savior’s Atonement. The Lord’s saving mercy is not dependent on lineage, education, economic status, or race. It is based on being one with Christ and His commandments. …It is significant that all the qualifications for baptism are spiritual. No economic…
“Jesus then said, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”This is the second tower of the bridge. Here Jesus bridges our heavenly upward gaze, to love the Lord, with our earthly outward gaze, to love our fellow men and women. One is interdependent on the other. Love of the Lord is not complete if we neglect our neighbors. This outward love includes all of God’s children without regard to gender, social class, race, sexuality, income, age, or ethnicity. We seek out those who are hurt and broken, the marginalized, for “all are alike unto God.” We “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” …The increasing contention in the world suggests, however, that we at times fail…
African Man Who Bore Christ's Cross Though there is no concrete evidence either way to prove the color of Simon's skin, we know he was from Africa and that he bore the cross of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Luke 23:26 26.And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. Elder James E. Talmage "Simon the Cyrenian.—Simon, upon whom the cross of Jesus was laid, was a member of the Jewish colony in northern Africa, which had been established nearly three centuries before the birth of Christ by Ptolemeus Lagi, who transported thither great numbers of Jews from Palestine (Josephus, Antiquities, xii, chap. 1). Cyrene, the home of Simon, was in the…
“We remind Latter-day Saints throughout the world that one of the fundamental principles of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is to “impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath,...administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” (Mosiah 4:26) ...The general presidencies... invite...all ages to join together to help refugees in their local communities.... May the Lord bless you as you render service to those in need.”
“Citizenship in the kingdom of Almighty God is open to all. It makes all of us better citizens in our own nation. It makes us better neighbors and friends, locally and globally. It fosters peace, understanding, cooperation and prosperity,” …“It is my prayer today, that this Fourth of July, our Independence Day, we will declare our independence from the division and bitterness of our day, that we trust in God and embrace the independent light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” …Elder Uchtdorf told the crowd he was deeply honored to speak to them. He was born in what is now the Czech Republic in the middle of World War II. As a child, he played in the bomb craters and destroyed buildings of Zwickau, Germany. His family fled violence…
“Our Heavenly Father allows us to use earthly resources according to our own free will. Yet our agency should not be interpreted as license to use or consume the riches of this world without wisdom or restraint. The Lord gave this admonition: “And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.” Our stewardship over God’s creations also includes, at its pinnacle, a sacred duty to love, respect, and care for all human beings with whom we share the earth. They are sons and daughters of God, our sisters and our brothers, and their eternal happiness is the very purpose of the work of creation. The author Antoine de…
“Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”
“... Jesus Christ invites us to become, like Him, a good Samaritan, to make His Inn (His Church) a refuge for all from life’s bruises and storms. We prepare for His promised Second Coming as each day we do unto “the least of these” as we would unto Him. “The least of these” is each of us. ...we come to the Inn as we are, with the foibles and imperfections we each have. Yet we all have something needed to contribute. Our journey to God is often found together. We belong as united community—whether confronting pandemics, storms, wildfires, droughts or quietly meeting daily needs. We receive inspiration as we counsel together, listening to each person, including each sister, and the Spirit. As our hearts change and we receive His image…
“We have a divine pedigree; every person is a spiritual child of God. In this gospel view there is no room for a contracted, narrow, or prejudicial view. The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.” (History of the Church, 4:227.) ...In the gospel view, no man is alien. No one is to be denied. There is no underlying excuse for smugness, arrogance, or pride.”
“We are willing to help each other because we love each other, and my brother’s needs become my needs, and mine become his. No matter what language my brother speaks or what country he comes from, we love each other because we are brothers, children of the same Father. …It is not enough to avoid being a stumbling block for others; it is not enough to notice the needy on the road and pass by. Let us take advantage of every opportunity to help our neighbor, even if it is the first and only time we meet him or her in this life. Why is love for God the first great commandment? I think it’s because of what He means to us. We are His children, He oversees our welfare,…
