In Alma 22, Aaron teaches King Lamoni's father, who is the king over all the Lamanites. After Aaron has taught him many things, the king bows "down before the Lord upon his knees" and prays. One of the things he says is this:
"I will give away all my sins to know thee" (Alma 22:18)
I have been thinking about those words lately. They humble and inspire me. They are worth pondering I think.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Kindness is a Virtue
Alma 17:35 says:
Reading these words made me think of life in our current world. Many do delight in the destruction of their brethren, even those who know of the Lord. Most of us aren't attempting to actually destroy anyone, but sometimes I think it is our tendency to try to build ourselves up by ripping others down. Sometimes we may even "delight" when someone who has wronged us meets with unpleasant circumstances.
The words of Alma 17:35 made me think of a time a few years ago when a neighbor told me of a divorce that was occurring among our acquaintances. The husband had left his wife with four elementary aged children. The eldest boy was the same age as the neighbor's son and one of my own children. The boy had been cruel to her son and so she told the story of the family's troubles with relish, as if the boy deserved the tumult happening around him because of the misdeeds he had committed. I remember at the time feeling rather sick inside and expressing my sympathy toward the family. I could not share in her "delight." My response did leave my neighbor feeling a bit chagrined, I think, but she wasn't yet ready to lay down her anger and replace it with forgiveness.
In 1937 President George Albert Smith said:
I know that, with the help of our Heavenly Father, we can love even those who seem unlovable. I know that through Christ's Atonement we can receive divine help to forgive. I know that ripping others down does not boost us up. If we wish to feel good about ourselves, we need only to pray, for Heavenly Father loves us and our Savior feels we are worth the great price that He paid.
"...therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren..."It is referring to the Lamanites that scattered the flocks of King Lamoni. The scripture tells us that the reason they "delighted" in doing this was because they knew nothing of the Lord.
Reading these words made me think of life in our current world. Many do delight in the destruction of their brethren, even those who know of the Lord. Most of us aren't attempting to actually destroy anyone, but sometimes I think it is our tendency to try to build ourselves up by ripping others down. Sometimes we may even "delight" when someone who has wronged us meets with unpleasant circumstances.
The words of Alma 17:35 made me think of a time a few years ago when a neighbor told me of a divorce that was occurring among our acquaintances. The husband had left his wife with four elementary aged children. The eldest boy was the same age as the neighbor's son and one of my own children. The boy had been cruel to her son and so she told the story of the family's troubles with relish, as if the boy deserved the tumult happening around him because of the misdeeds he had committed. I remember at the time feeling rather sick inside and expressing my sympathy toward the family. I could not share in her "delight." My response did leave my neighbor feeling a bit chagrined, I think, but she wasn't yet ready to lay down her anger and replace it with forgiveness.
In 1937 President George Albert Smith said:
"I feel sad sometimes when I hear the unkind things that are spoken, not only of people in our Church, but of people in the world. Unkind things are not usually said under the inspiration of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord is a spirit of kindness; it is a spirit of patience; it is a spirit of charity and love and forbearance and long suffering; and there are none of us who do not need all these virtues that are the result of the possession of the Spirit of our Heavenly Father."I am not on my soap box preaching to those who are lowly around me. I am reminding myself that we are all children of our Heavenly Father. We ALL are. We were placed on this lovely world together. We can learn and grow together. We can strive to understand instead of condemn. We can love each other.
I know that, with the help of our Heavenly Father, we can love even those who seem unlovable. I know that through Christ's Atonement we can receive divine help to forgive. I know that ripping others down does not boost us up. If we wish to feel good about ourselves, we need only to pray, for Heavenly Father loves us and our Savior feels we are worth the great price that He paid.
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