What Will Bring Peace in Our Time of Racism and Anxiety?
Quoting Churchill, the former state supreme court justice counsels that, if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future?
What will bring us peace? Excellent question and it is President Oaks asked this inquiry of the First Presidency. He counseled the students at Brigham Young University (BYU) on the shocking videos on the George Floyd case. I asked was it a matter of racism, a call to police from the property owner, or an arrest that went wrong. We all agree that this man did not need to die. He was arrested, handcuffed, and this should have been the end. Alas, as we all know, this was not the outcome, and a community mourned. I, myself, was heart sickened by the unnecessary roughness of the police officers at the scene. I am a former police officer of the United States Military, I am a supporter of Law Enforcement, but when things like this occur, I mourn with those who lost a son, a husband, a friend, or another family member. I am sorry for your loss.
President Russell M. Nelson, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, taught about racism, and I want to share these points he highlighted in his teachings:
· God does not love one race more than another.
· Favor or disfavor with God is dependent upon your devotion to God and His commandments, and not the color of your skin.”
· We should build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.
· Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!
· Latter-day Saints should lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice toward any group of God’s children.
These points are perfectly laid-out plans of God that we as Saints and those within other religious sects. We need to stop this separation/segregation attitude and build bridges.
I want to expound on each point and give my interpretation;
1. God sees only our spirit; this is what he loves. Jesus said that “No man can enter the kingdom of the Father lest he goes through me. (I am paraphrasing this quote.) Heaven is filled with spirit children of God, not the body of the man. Only a few loyal and devoted men of God and Jesus Christ are in the body. Yes, he sees the body, he helped our parents make it for us, but the natural man will be resurrected with his, or her, body in the end.
2. “Favor or disfavor with God is dependent upon your devotion to God and His commandments, and not the color of your skin.”
Are you devoted to God and Jesus Christ? Do you give Him the glory for your time here on the earth? This time is yours to choose to love God, devote yourself to him, and learn. The trials you face will bring you closer to God and Jesus Christ. If you sin, repent. I would confess; we’ve been doing it all our lives. Here is an example. “I’m sorry I hit you with the mud clot.” This apology and confession can be views as a confession and ownership of the sin, and the apology is the springboard to stop throwing stones and stick as a friend. See there is no color; God nor Jesus sees us in this way.
3. We should “build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.”
What would a bridge of cooperation look like? What would it sound like? Perhaps it would mean to start doing projects and things together. One project I would like to see happen in my community is the clean-up of those buildings that are left abandoned, has tagging on it, trash in the streets. Then, we can work on other projects around the city, work together to bring about a good existence for some people, or build better lives for them.
This will not be easy, many people feel that the world owes them something; it doesn’t. This world will eventually swallow you up and not spit you out. The people in it can either be a friend and help or an enemy and hurt you, pick which you want to have around you. Some people are lazy and use the excuse that they are sick or tired, etc. Is sitting around playing games and smoking pot bringing you closer to God? I don’t think so. What kind of people are you attracting to sit with you all day or night? If you are clean and sober, are these people you want around your family? Will your mother approve?
4. Walls of segregation; do you, we or I want this in our community? I tell you honestly, I do not. I like people and learning about them. When people become segregated, they are labeled in some people’s minds as dangerous, uncommon, and addicts. This gives me a sense of discomfort…fear. What did they do wrong to be out casted? What did I do wrong? I dream that we can all come together and love God together.
5. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!
Yeah, there are no reasons to hate a person due to the color of their skin. There are no boundaries in love and admiration.
Love and admiration; this is a beautiful concept that is our God given right. When you love someone in a way that brings you together as one, the color of a person’s skin should not matter. If you prefer to marry outside your race because you fell in love; have a great courtship and happy marriage. God planned for us to have a family and children. There is nothing written by God to stay within a race. These are rules made by the powers-that-be to keep one set of the religious sect from another.
6. Latter-day Saints should lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice toward any group of God’s children.
This message to Latter-Day saints is a reminder as we go about our days and weeks working and bringing the gospel of Jesus in which brings us closer to God. However, all religious sects could use a healthy dose of Jesus and adopt this instruction as well.
Jesus was the perfect example of what God wanted for us on the earth. Give him glory; love one another despite our flaws and opinions, stray strong in the love and spirit that is God’s only begotten son.
I hope you understand the meaning of President Nelson’s message. I do pray you are not confused by my comments on the subject points. We should erase racism from our vocabulary, focus on one another as people, or denomination is ours; persecuted for the way we worship our Heavenly Father is a factor we do not have room for in our society. Our nationality is our heritage; we should look upon it as a blessing. The only people we need to be aware of, take precautions for or against are those inspired by the evil doings of Satan.
At the end of the day, when all is said and done — we still have a choice. We can submit to the hate; (I would rather fight the stronghold of spite and anger). Or, we can forgive one another for the trespasses against us and continue to fight for the rights given to us by God and this nation. Grow in our communities; make a difference, be someone our future descendants and our ancestors from where we came can be proud to look down at us and say, that’s my boy or girl!
