Styx "Show Me the Way"
The hate from outside the church I have come to expect and even understand. But what I am finding completely heartbreaking is that I am seeing more hate-filled speech and rhetoric and anger and prejudice and bias and just plain judge mental horrible, awful things coming out of the mouths of church members in "good standing" than from anywhere in the world. I am seeing an incredible outpouring of love from the world outside the church. Muslims attending Catholic mass in order to show unwavering support of their faithful brothers who suffered a horrible loss at the hands ISIS. Pope Francis is such a glorious example of love and hope in such difficult times. Our church leadership shows us everyday the way we should be acting; President Uctdorf presenting a $3 million check to feed refugees...but yet all I hear from members I speak to is that we can't help the refugees because they are all terrorists. And again I shake my head and turn my children toward the prophet and I take what money I have in my purse and I put it in an envelope at church and scribble refugees in the "other" section knowing where it will go. Show me the way.
When 50 young men are shot dead in Orlando and the church issues a statement saying that "we mourn with those that mourn", and in the comments section of that statement you have people who say "I have been a member all my life and those *@%* people deserved being shot, let's get a bigger gun and finish them off!". Please excuse my inability to use their wholly offensive language. When people I know saw me at church that day as I was crying when I was watching the news report on my phone and asked me why, I told them and they shrugged and was like oh well, they were just gay people. And as I feel the earth mourn the loss of her life I watch as people turn their backs on her. I turn again to our prophets and plead show me the way.
I know that this year is an election year and this one includes an active train wreck, but I still believe that above all we are to love one another. Perhaps if we can't do that then politics is something that shouldn't be talked about. As long as I could remember there were topics that were never to be spoken of in polite society; religion and politics. Dalin H. Oaks told us that we could "disagree, without being disagreeable"...And right now I wonder if we have gone beyond disagreeable right into hateful because "we are all members of the same church". I also am very aware that there are those in the church who strongly believe that to be a good-standing member you have to be a member of the Republican Party...and heaven forbid if they find out that you aren't, because you live in their wrath and their hateful speech, all the time and for a long time. Trust me, I know because it's been almost 20 years since I turned my back on the Republican Party and I have never looked back. BOOM! There I said it, I am not a republican and I never will be, but don't assume you know what I am either. So I know when I say that you get called names, horrible names. I don't know why it is ok for people to call others names if they believe different things when we all supposedly believe in emulating Christ. Yes, we ALL have a right to speak our opinion...but realize that when I and others want nothing more to do with you, it's because your opinion made our noses bleed. This reminds of a talk Elder Holland gave about a group of BYU fans who went to a sports game and shouted vulgarities at their opponents, when they were told that they were not acting appropriately their response was simply "we check our religion at the door". Elder Holland's response was an angered "excuse me?!" I wonder if sometimes members believe the same thing about politics...perhaps they check Christ at the proverbial door so that they are free to say what they will without guilt. Or perhaps it is because it's online and they don't have to look people in the eyes when they say these hate filled rants laced with vulgarity. My eyes turn again to the general authorities: Show me the way.
What really threw me over the edge this past week was the discovery that a dear elderly woman who is a widow and member of the church is not being cared for. She isn't just not being cared for, she is being actively ignored. She needed assistance getting to a medical test and a very mean individual not only told her to go back where she belonged, but that she was not welcome at church anymore. She told me that this broke her and no matter what I tried, she had decided that if she was no longer welcome at church then she had no reason left to live. She had decided to lay down and die. She wouldn't let me take her, she had lost all hope and will to live. I sobbed. I wanted to wrap myself around her and take her pain. I don't understand why simply being kind is so hard. Why does it seem as if hate has taken over as the ruling emotion for the church membership. President Monson please show me the way!
I am left with such over reaching pain throughout all of these things...after listening to our prophets speak of love, of hope, and of joy. I have spent a lot of time in the years since my days in Aurora learning about the power of love. It is truly the most powerful force on this earth and I have seen it do amazing things. I have seen it work miracles in people's lives and bring people back from the brink of that cliff that leads to both suicide and the complete loss of soul. And on the opposite side, all hatred does is destroy...relationships and groups and nations and individuals. It pushes people over the edge, it shoves others toward self-loathing and suicide. It leads people to believe that violence can be ok. That suppressing another person or particular group of people's rights or access to rights is ok. Hatred is Satan's way of doing things, he likes to see people stirred up to contention and anger. While the Lord's way is to change people's hearts through love and charity; things that bring people together. Heavenly Father please show me the way!
My children will stand the front lines in the final battle against Satan and his army. They will stand next to good Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, as well as Mormons. They will be of all nationalities and all races, and none of that will matter. It won't matter what they look like, it won't matter what clothes they wear, and none of the rest of it will matter. In order for that battle to be won my children must love and believe in the people they are fighting with...this is my job now, to teach them to love everyone no matter what they look like or believe. We are all children of God, brothers and sisters, part of the same eternal family...black or white or brown. Gay or straight or bi. Muslim or Christian or Jew. The prophets have said that we are to see to the needs of the poor and the widowed and the orphaned...$3 million just went to feed the refugees, they have shown us the way. The only question left to ask ourselves is will we follow...will we follow the prophets of God? Elder Holland put is beautifully when he posed the simple question "what jersey are you wearing?" I put on the Lord's jersey a long time ago and I don't remove it to shout hateful things to people who disagree with me. Elder Holland has shown me the way...and I have chosen to loyalty to Christ and my covenants. If I keep my eye focused on our prophets I am being shown the way, and that is where I keep my family pointed.
To all who care I plead with you to stop this spread of hatred. Turn yourself to the prophets and ask yourself would you say what you are typing to them? Would you look them in the eye and say those things? The things that you share on your page that compare Muslims to poisoned candy...would Christ approve? Perhaps you should follow the prophets and just simply stick to sharing their posts, as they are always full of love for all mankind because they constantly show us the way!
