Come Back to Reality
I find it interesting that there are certain undeniable truths which can be expressed via more channels than just LDS members. I find it outrageous that there are certain pockets of people within our church who discriminate against others upon the basis of religion. They make pointed remarks contradicting other faiths whose members have had enlightening experiences just as they have had. Sure they can be different, but just because someone isn't a member doesn't make them inherently bad. There's this "them vs us" complex invented by members and its presence in the church is disheartening, really. The only difference between "them" and "us" is the fact that we have the saving ordinances--we have the full truth. A lot of us were blessed to be born into it! How on earth does this make us any better than them? Instead of finding fault with other religious people, we should see them exactly as who they are: a child of God. They're not a project or some lost soul--they're simply lacking the knowledge and covenants that we possess, and we have the opportunity to share with them. If someone does not understand certain principles and feels overwhelmed by the information we have, resulting in their choice to remain unaffiliated with the church, that isn't cause to forget them. This life is about people. We're here to learn and grow and we do so in different ways and times. I want people to be as real with me as possible. I hate the frilly, fleeting feelings. Talk to people because you're genuinely interested about them and their story, not because you want to fill a "member missionary" quota. Have I stressed this enough?
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-10-220-elder-dallin-h-oaks-highlights?category=october-2014-general-conference-highlights&lang=eng
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