“How can we as Church members help to create a global community of Saints in which everyone feels welcome and strives to live in peace and harmony with each other regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, age, gender, education, socioeconomic status, ability level, or any other difference?
… The answer is, of course, through our Savior Jesus Christ. …Jesus Christ can change our hearts (see Mosiah 5:2). He has “power to heal” (Mark 3:15).
…We Can Lead Out in Reaching Out. If we find in ourselves anything that reflects attitudes or behaviors based on prejudice, we need to abandon it in our efforts to become one.
… As members of “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), we need each other, “that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it” (1 Corinthians 12:25–26).
Prayer, study, and humble reflection can help us see how we can better love God and all of His children. Establishing goodwill may mean overcoming our own biases, assumptions, or stereotypes as we interact with each other. Making an effort to understand the experiences of those who aren’t like us can open our eyes to different but important perspectives.
President Oaks also said that “suspicion or even hostility give way to friendship or even love when personal contacts produce understanding and mutual respect.”