We had stake conference this weekend. Several talks were really important for me to hear. But I want to tell you about the talk a member of the stake presidency gave about pride, how prideful we are sometimes because we are members of the church. We sometimes think we have all the answers and are not humble. We sometimes discount the way other people of other religions worship because we are a little smug or even arrogant. I loved his emphasis on knowing that other people in other religions have qualities we each would do well to emulate.
This concept was brought home to me as I grew up. I remember growing up and hearing school-mates talk about weekends at their family's cabin at the lake, holiday celebrations, and fun traditions they had with their family. I felt like I shouldn't envy them because I had the gospel. But I did envy them. My family of origin was troubled, gospel or not. I would have loved to have had the experiences with my family that they had in theirs. I have nothing but admiration for a co-worker at FWP. She was a devout Catholic and all around admirable person. I loved hearing how she celebrates Lent and other holidays and how close she is to her brothers, sisters, and parents. I liked hearing her stories about how long ago her Dad and his friends had the assignment to ring the bells at the Cathedral when the person who usually did it was on vacation. And when the anti-Mormon movie The Godmakers came to town, who was one of the first people to speak out against knocking the Mormons in this way? One of the Catholic priests in a letter to the editor.
I have often wondered why I am not better than my Baptist neighbor since I have a fullness of the gospel while she doesn't. She never says anything negative about anyone and is not contentious, while I....... Well, I'd rather not get into it. It would take WAY too long and I'd never get through a catalogue list of my faults, even if knew all of them. Below is one of the stories the speaker read to us. It was very powerful to me as he read and not so powerful for me when I read it for myself. Still, I wanted to share:
http://www.the-exponent.com/2011/02/02/a-thousand-ways-to-pray/
2 comments:
Our missionaries have an investigator who still is very active in his church of origin. He loves this church even though his wife and children want to be baptized Mormon. Yesterday, one of our Elder's expressed frustration saying, "I just want him to see how his church is nothing compared to ours." I wanted to slap him up side the head. That man's church is not nothing. A church is the family you choose for many people and all of us would do well to remember that.
Talking about this with you really gave me pause for reflection. I liked what you said about how it seems we all have a tendency towards the attitude that the way we know is the best possible way. I think learning to see another perspective is a project for life
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