No More Disputations

"A house divided against itself cannot stand"-President Abraham Lincoln. This quote was given by Abraham Lincoln, explaining that as long as the country was divided in their stance on slavery, they would not stand. The opposite of standing-falling. 620,000 souls died during the Civil War. Our country, our freedom, means something. Hundreds of years earlier, Christ walked on the Earth. When He came to the Americas, he commanded them not to dispute. 3Nephi 11:28-29: " 28 And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.

 29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." 

     Christ taught that we must be unified. Together, we are stronger. Together, our strengths can build-up, create and defy the odds. But today, it seems as though we are more distant from each other than ever before. 

     We are all different. We all come from different backgrounds and have different life stories to tell. This is what makes us unique. This is what makes us who we are. Our beliefs are part of who we are as well. They push us to act, and inspire us to live our lives a certain way. We have been blessed to live in a country that makes it possible for us to live our beliefs how we wish. This is what our country was founded on-a people looking for a new life in living as a free people. 

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."-The Constitution of the United States of America. 

     These are beautiful words written by men who wanted a better life for their families and for generations to come. Today we enjoy those rights. Yet we don't respect them. Joseph Smith said it so eloquently when he said,“I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination [as for a Mormon]; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves. 26. “It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul—civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race.” 

     Another quote is a quote Elder Oaks used in one of his talks. It says, "The famous Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is quoted as saying, “It is time … to defend not so much human rights as human obligations.”Latter-day Saints surely recognize that qualifying for exaltation is not a matter of asserting rights but a matter of fulfilling responsibilities.”

     It is our duty to stand up for our beliefs, without crushing the beliefs of others. "Defend your beliefs with courtesy and compassion, but defend them."-Elder Holland. 

    As Latter-Day Saints, our beliefs are attacked on every front. Our enemies will not yield. Our fellow brothers and sisters, our neighbors, our loved ones, the very elect, are falling into disbelief. It is not for us to stand idly by, waiting for the world to burn. We have to be Saviors. We have to reach out and stand-up for what is right, despite the disagreements. There is of course a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. But as long as you do it out of love, it will be right. Alma 38:12 says, " 12 Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness."

     Elder Oaks gives us guidance of how we can be witnesses in these last days in his talk, "Protecting Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom." He gives steps as how we can be more proactive in standing for truth. “What can you and I do? First, we can become informed. Be aware of issues in your community that could have an impact on religious liberty. Second, in your individual capacity, join with others who share our commitment to religious freedom. Work side by side to protect religious freedom. Third, live your life to be a good example of what you believe—in word and deed. How we live our religion is far more important than what we may say about our religion."

    The world is changing, but the Lord has not. For his "scepter [is] an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth (D&C 121:45)." He has sent us prophets who He has promised will not lead us astray. We should never seek contention, but always defend the church and christianity where it is needed. Be a witness in these last days of a true believer. 

     At the close of Elder Oak's talk, he says, "My beloved brothers and sisters, don’t walk! Run! Run to receive the blessings of agency by following the Holy Ghost and exercising the freedoms God has given us to do His will.”

    I add my testimony that Christ's church is on the Earth and that Christ Himself is very much alive and apart of our lives. He knows what is going on in the world and has not left us without tools to find answers and ways to defend ourselves. Your Father in Heaven loves you. That has always been and always will be true. In the name of Jesus Christ our Master and Savior, Amen.