One day while I was having a heated online discussion about politics, my opinions were mocked because of the type of education I had received in college.
I enjoy a good debate, but the personal attack was unwarranted. The comments hurt because they appeared to call into question my personal worth. What made it worse was that the person who made the remarks was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On reflection, however, I began to see that I too had made cheap personal comments in order to win an argument. I realized that this type of behavior was common in the society around me.
I came to learn that failing to recognize dignity in others can cause serious damage, especially in the Church. The prophet Alma preached powerfully against “envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride” in the Church (Alma 4:9). He saw that such behavior was “a great stumbling-block” to the progress of the Church (see Alma 4:10).
The encounter made me reflect on my worth in God’s eyes. Studying further, I found a quote by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He taught that Heavenly Father “loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children.”1
I learned that God’s love for us does not depend on our schooling, employment, or ability to win a debate. God loves us purely, infinitely, and freely because He is our Father and we are His children.
Feeling God’s immense love dissolved my enmity. I realized that while it is OK to disagree with others, simply arguing with one another accomplishes nothing but hurt and damage.
If Jesus Christ was willing to lay down His life, I know that we can learn to lay down our pride, look past the vanity of the world, and value each other as God does. In His eyes, the way we treat each other says more about us than whether we win an online debate.
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Note
1. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Love of God,” Liahona, Nov. 2009, 22–23.