“On another occasion we were eating in Brazil with some friends, and they served us avocado. Just as we were about to sprinkle salt on it, our friends said to us, “What are you doing? We already put sugar on the avocado!” Avocado with sugar! That seemed so odd to us. But then we learned that the odd ones were my wife and I, who did not eat avocado with sugar. In Brazil, avocado sprinkled with sugar is normal. What is normal for some may be odd for others, depending on their customs and traditions. …No country contains the totality of what is good or admirable. Therefore, as Paul and the Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after…
“The second relevant principle is the Golden Rule, taught by the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” This principle indicates an attitude of mutuality, reciprocity, unity, and interdependence and is based on the second great commandment: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” It merges with other Christian attributes such as long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and kindness. …I promise you, in the name of Christ, that hearts will be “knit together in unity and in love one towards another,” we will find more joy in our journey to eternal life, and our capacity to serve one another and with one another will multiply significantly.”
"There is no reason to put anybody down, there’s no reason to reject anyone. We can come together as one people, as one Zion. Because we live in the world in this pre-millennial stage, we have to grapple with complex issues that others may raise, but let’s use our influence for good. Let’s use the influence we have to teach others that it is wrong to put down our brothers and sisters, that no matter what one looks like, what nationality, what language we speak, no matter how much money we make, no matter what walk of life we belong to, we are all children of the same God, that the difference that exist among us here in income and in material comfort, those are man-made differences, those are not…
“Eventually, as we encourage, support, and love each other, we combine to form a mighty force for good in the world. ...The Lord has inspired His prophets to teach us how we can support and love each other so we can become united in faith and purpose in following Jesus Christ. Paul, the New Testament Apostle, taught that those who “have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ … : for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” ...As we open our hearts to our new friends in some of these ways, we are acting in the spirit of ministering. When we minister to them like the Savior did, they won’t feel like “strangers within our gates.” They will feel like they can fit in and make new friends,…
" ...In the gospel view, no man is alien. No one is to be denied. There is no underlying excuse for smugness, arrogance, or pride....” “As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we seek to bring all truth together. We seek to enlarge the circle of love and understanding among all the people of the earth. Thus we strive to establish peace and happiness, not only within Christianity but among all mankind. In the message of the gospel, the entire human race is one family descended from a single God. All men and women have not only a physical lineage leading back to Adam and Eve, their first earthly parents, but also a spiritual heritage leading back to God the Eternal Father. Thus, all persons on earth are literally…
“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.”
“...He entreats us to make His Inn a place of grace and space, where each can gather, with room for all. As disciples of Jesus Christ, all are equal, with no second-class groups. All are welcome to attend sacrament meetings, other Sunday meetings, and social events. We reverently worship our Savior, thoughtful and considerate of each other. We see and acknowledge each person. ...Imagining ourselves in their place, we welcome friends, visitors, new move-ins, busy individuals pulled in too many directions. We mourn, rejoice, and are there for each other. When we fall short of our ideals and are rushed, unaware, judgmental, or prejudiced, we seek each other’s forgiveness and do better.” ... Miracles occur when we care for each other as He would. When we come with broken hearts…
The Deseret News published this article about Elder Stevenson’s speech at the 2020 NAACP Conference. “Elder Stevenson said the church’s leader, President Russell M. Nelson, and the NAACP’s president Derrick Johnson, have linked arms to set an example.” “Engagement with a broader and more diverse community,” he said, “engenders individuals and groups to think outside of themselves. Ignorance dissipates, replaced by acceptance, which grows to understanding, ultimately progressing towards unity of heart and civility.” “He called on people to take three actions — to be their brother’s keeper, to foster civility and to emulate Christ-like love.”
“These statements by our prophet are eloquently summed up by what he said in our “Be One” celebration on June 1, 2018. Our gospel understanding “of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women . . . inspires us with passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.” That is what we need for our future—for our nation, for our world, and for our individual divine destinies.So what do we do now? In general conference, President Nelson “call[ed] upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice” and pleaded with us “to promote respect for all of God’s children.”
“Simply stated, we strive to build bridges of cooperation rather than walls of segregation. As recorded in the Book of Mormon, which we esteem as a scriptural companion to the Holy Bible, the Savior invites “all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he [denies] none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; . . . all are alike unto God” (see 2 Nephi 26:33). May I repeat that last phrase: “All are alike unto God.””
