I had never met her before that day, but we went out and were taking her Senor Photos for her upcoming graduation.
Because of the location she wanted to take pictures, we had quite a bit of time in the car. This time was spent getting to know each other a little.
Because of the small town that I am from (where she currently lives as well), the subject of religion, unsurprisingly, came up.
She voiced her feelings about the Mormon religion.
In a town that is predominantly Mormon, upon first moving into town, she cast an interest upon the religion. She was fellow shipped by neighbors and girls her age and she began going to church activities with them. Very quickly, she said she felt that was expected to join the church. She felt pressured, and because she was only thirteen, and didn't feel that she was ready to make such a decision so soon... she decided against joining.
After that, the friends she believed she had slowly started turning away.
She felt unwanted, unliked, and excluded.
She felt that she was belittled, because she wasn't Mormon she was now part of the "minority" and that somehow now she was worth less.
She found a new group of friends, and was left with a bad taste in her mouth about the Latter Day Saint Religion.
Unfortunately.... this is not the first time that I have had a conversation like this.
I have had many, many conversations like this one.
I was faced, yet again, with the pressing responsibility that I felt to try and dissuade her from her negative experience and her feelings toward the church that I belong to... however. Time and time again, I find that my task is daunting, and because of the tender feelings that had already been shattered, the trust broken, and the opinion already adopted about the church and reinforced by the behavior of some of it's members time and time again...
my task was insurmountable.
Although I did my best to assure her not to base her opinion of a religion solely based on it's imperfect members, which include ALL of it's members, including myself,my efforts were for naught- and the subject was quickly changed.
I feel that I am faced with this same type of conversation, just with different people, on repeat.
And time after time, I am heartbroken that I can't fix it.
So here I am, on my blog. Speaking boldly. Which is something I try very much to avoid when speaking of controversial topics such as this. But I know that it needs to be said, and rather than trying to fix what has already been done - I hope that I can help situations like this never arise in the first place.
When Jesus Christ was on the earth, he had few followers.
The "righteous people" of that day, were convinced that Christ was NOT the promised Messiah because he spent all of his time with the unclean, unrighteous, filthy, sick and poor. They believed that surely the TRUE Messiah would not spend all of his time with such spectacles.
He would not affiliate himself with such inferiors.
So here is my question that I ask you.
"If Jesus Christ were on the earth today,
where would you go to find him?"
Let me give you MY answer:
If Christ were on the earth today, I would go to the streets to find him- among the down-trodden and homeless that live at the park where I take my kids to play. I would go to prisons and penitentiaries to find him. I would go to Nursing Homes and Hospitals to find him. I would go to the broken homes of shattered families to find him. I wouldn't find him at my chapel, I wouldn't find him in the temples.
The Savior is a friend to those who feel they have none. The Savior is a companion to those who need him the most. The Savior loves all of his children, and wants everyone to have joy and live with Him and His Father again.
He is NOT with the ninety and nine. He leaves the ninety and nine to search and care for the ONE. [Luke 15]
You should not tolerate or be kind to those who are different from you. You should UNCONDITIONALLY LOVE THEM.
Not like.
Not accept.
Not fellowship.
LOVE.
L. O. V. E.
Care for them. Serve them. Include them. Befriend them. LOVE. THEM.
I remember when I was about 9 years old, we were in the Philippines and had just gotten back from a Catholic Service. I remember making a comment to my mother that said something to the effect of "Catholics were weird and that their religion was wrong." I remember thinking in my head that my mother would be proud of me for denouncing a religion that we did not follow, because I knew that she was Catholic before she became a Mormon. I was expecting praise.
I went to bed with a sore behind.
I will never forget what she said to me.
She told me that I was to never say or believe such a thing. She told me that it didn't matter what religion it was, what people believed or what they chose to do with their lives- we were to love EVERYONE. Espcially. ESPECIALLY those who are different from us.
I remember when I was about 9 years old, we were in the Philippines and had just gotten back from a Catholic Service. I remember making a comment to my mother that said something to the effect of "Catholics were weird and that their religion was wrong." I remember thinking in my head that my mother would be proud of me for denouncing a religion that we did not follow, because I knew that she was Catholic before she became a Mormon. I was expecting praise.
I went to bed with a sore behind.
I will never forget what she said to me.
She told me that I was to never say or believe such a thing. She told me that it didn't matter what religion it was, what people believed or what they chose to do with their lives- we were to love EVERYONE. Espcially. ESPECIALLY those who are different from us.