“The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity,” For the Strength of Youth, Nov. 2021.
Sunday Morning Session
The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity
Excerpts
Jesus Christ explained that His doctrine was not “to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but [that His] doctrine [is] that such things should be done away” [3 Nephi 11:28–30]. …
After the Savior’s visit to the Americas, the people were unified. … Their differences paled in comparison to their shared love of the Savior, and they were united as “heirs to the kingdom of God” [4 Nephi 1:17]. The result was that “there could not be a happier people who had been created by the hand of God” [4 Nephi 1:16].
Unity requires effort. It develops when we cultivate the love of God in our hearts and we focus on our eternal destiny. We are united by our common primary identity as children of God and our commitment to the truths of the restored gospel. Our love of God and our discipleship of Jesus Christ generate genuine concern for others. …
When love of Christ envelops our lives, we approach disagreements with meekness, patience, and kindness. We worry less about our own sensitivities and more about our neighbor’s. We seek to moderate and unify. We do not engage in “doubtful disputations,” judge those with whom we disagree, or try to cause them to stumble. Instead, we assume that those with whom we disagree are doing the best they can with the life experiences they have. …
… My invitation is to be valiant in putting our love of God and discipleship of the Savior above all other considerations. Let us uphold the covenant inherent in our discipleship—the covenant to be one.