That We May Be One--Lesson 16
This is actually a topic that I've thought a lot about over the years. In trying to formulate my lesson for tomorrow, I think what I'll start with is a list of some of my favorite scriptures that have to do with this topic. Then I can figure out how to incorporate them. . .
1. "Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at
once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings,
that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every
man may have an equal privilege." vs. 122
This one is from D&C 88. The context is the School of the Prophets, which was a class. But the application is pretty universal. I actually tend to think of this scripture as being particularly helpful in developing family unity. I've actually have a couple of experiences lately where we took this approach and in both instances the outcome was the same. One was a sort of adhoc family night we had a week ago. My husband we perplexed about scripture and felt impressed to read it to the family and ask each person what they felt it meant. Because he didn't have an answer in mind, everyone had unfettered input which, in turn, left us feeling more unified as a family. The other experience was Thursday night when we had 2 young men over to our house and we all shared a scripture from the bible that had particular meaning to them. It was a unifying experience. What made this happen was not that we all were the same religion because we weren't. The reason it was unifying is because everyone was given an unfettered opportunity to share something that brought the spirit and everyone understood and felt listened to. I think this is an important key in helping us facilitate unity. When your in a group, a class, a family, whatever. . . and you have been given a leadership role, the best way to bring divergent people together is by following this Divine advice.
2. Scriptures about the unifying effect of unfettered love.
"And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace." D&C88:125
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. . . . And though I have etc. . . and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all . . . and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. . . And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." 1 Corinthians 13
"[C]leve unto charity, which is the greatest of all for all things must fail--but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." Moroni 7:46-7
The older I get, the more convinced I am that the primary thing we are to learn from our experience in this life is Love. These scriptures basically say that, if you really think about it. I have discovered that when I feel the most Love for someone, I naturally do things that lead to greater unity. This may seem very obvious; but, it hasn't always been that obvious to me. As I've pondered this lesson, I was led back to an experience I had as a freshman at BYU. I wrote about it in my journal, which was fortuitous because I would never have remembered this experience accurately if I hadn't. I lived in the dorm one semester with a girl who was very hard to live with. On my floor was a Catholic girl who had come to BYU to study dance. She had a very odd roommate. We met because our resident, wanting I'm sure to have this non-member girl have a good experience, suggested that we switch rooms and become roommates. That would put the other two girls together. Colleen and I talked it over and decided that we should stay where we were because, basically, we thought we could be a good influence on our problem-ridden roommates. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of this until one day when my roommate left her journal out and I decided to read it because I wanted to know if I was having a positive effect on her. Right after I read it, I was so upset that I wrote my feelings down in my journal. She described me as "insincere" and someone "who didn't care about her at all." I also discovered that one day when I'd given her some advice when she was feeling down, that she said that I didn't listen to her and that I just told her what to do. So, my defense I listed all the things I had done, like getting dressed without the light on, studying in the hall, putting up with the rude way she spoke to my friends if they called me after 9:00. I read what I wrote to my husband, and his comment was that I sounded like a self-righteous 17 year old girl. He was right. So, what drew me back to this experience and what does it have to do with the subject of unity? Well, there wasn't any unity there. After I got all my "righteous indignation" (I say that in parentheses) out, I was faced with her words and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that she was right. When it all boiled down to it, we shared a very small room. That was it. So I decided to try a different approach. I invited her to a little dinner a few of us were putting together and she came and had a good time. I stopped commiserating with Colleen about our roommates. I began to notice what was going on in her life. If you'd asked me at the time, I don't think I would have recognized that I changed. Probably because it started as an "approach." But, over time, I did change the way I saw Tere and I did come to care about her and, in the end, I think she knew that. What I learned looking back on this is that "love is a doing thing" (my branch president always said that and I didn't understand what he was talking about.), that practicing love ends up changing us, and that love tends to breed unity because it sends a message to the other person that they have value.
3. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. . . And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.. . .for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." Various verses from John 17.
These words are from The Great Intercessory Prayer that Christ prayed the night of the Last Supper, after Judas had departed. I used to read verse 3 much differently. I thought it was about the importance of coming to know God in the intellectual sense of the word. After reading this verse in its context over many years, I have come to see it differently. If you think about it, the word "know", in the biblical sense of the word, can mean "to be one with." Read that way, the verse is a key to understanding what we need to do experience eternal life. When we follow Christ's example and align our will to His as he aligned His will to that of his Father and become one with them as they are one, we will experience eternal life. I think that is a wonderful promise. I find it challenging, and yet promising.
Later in this group of scriptures is the thought that Lorenzo Snow so eloquently states about how we show the world that truth of His gospel. He was praying for is duly appointed leaders of His church. His desire was that they be unified as He and the Father were unified as a witness to the world that the Gospel is true. That shows how powerful unity is.
4. " My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against one
another and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for
this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened. Wherefore, I say
unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he
that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before
the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin." D&C 64:8-9
The only way we can become unified is if we freely forgive when others trespass against us. Holding on to a past offense cuts us off from spiritually connecting to that person. I can't think of one example where that isn't the case.
5. "And he commanded them that there should
be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward
with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their
hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another." Mosiah 18:21
"For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is o f the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away." 3 Nephi 29:30
"And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church--not the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God--and they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction. Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God." Helaman 3:33-35
These passages all speak of the corrosive effect that contention has on us, both individually and collectively. I especially like the last one. Maybe because it give me the antidote. It's inevitable that we will face similar situations. These situations will take fasting and prayer, humility and faith. The promise is unity with our Father in Heaven (ie. purification and sanctification of our hearts.) This shows me that this is the real unity we should strive for. If we develop unity with our Heavenly Father, we will be unified with others who are striving for the same thing.
