Christlike Love

It's finally here, the open house for the Gilbert Temple!  It's brought on a myriad of different experiences, some good... some not.  In my bewilderment of how some things come to pass and also in my sincere desire to be understood, I decided to poor my heart out to blogger.  First let me tell you... I love my Father in Heaven and my Savior Jesus Christ.  Because of that, I try hard to be like them.  To follow the example Christ set as He walked the earth, to love others as He would.  I'm not perfect, even close, but I try.  So it's somewhat heartbreaking and just a smidge maddening when people try to tell me what I believe.  I've heard some of the crazies things ever!  And no matter what I say, they know more than I do.  Strange I tell ya.  I believe in things I had no idea even existed.  So I'm told anyway.

This is where I begin my "set it straight" part.  I'm not going to list the many scriptural references that I know of that would "prove" my beliefs, no.. I'm not going to do that.  Wanna know why?  Because it doesn't matter.  I completely respect the basic right to believe and worship as you feel proper.  Or not at all if that suits you.  I claim that same privilege.  You don't have to agree with what I do, you can even think it's downright wrong.  But what the Savior taught is to love thy neighbor as thyself.  Even to love your enemies and those that hate you and despitefully use you.  As far as I can tell, it's my responsibility to love you because you are YOU.  A child of God.  Sent here to do your best and make your way through life trying to figure it all out.  We're all in the same boat.  On Sunday, I go to church to worship Jesus Christ and renew my covenants and be spiritually strengthened.  I don't give one seconds thought to what other churches are doing or if they are doing it right or worrying about their souls.  Nope, I worry about my soul and the souls of my family. That's why I take them to church.  You will not find a Mormon church teaching or preaching or discussing the teachings of other churches.

  And we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins.     

That is how we spend our worship time. If your church is spending time doing anything else, such as how to disprove someone else's beliefs...well, that doesn't seem like something the Savior would approve of. BUT, you have to the right to do it!

I will never understand the hostility towards the Mormon church.  Even if we are crazy wrong and totally deluded and have been lead astray by foolishness, what part of my daily life is so offensive?  Is it my desire to serve others?  The commitment I have to my husband and children?  Maybe it's that I don't steal your things or when I wave as you pass by.  I guess it could be that I teach my children the importance of being virtuous in all things.  Those are pretty offensive characteristics, I guess that makes sense.  If I'm  a generally good person, why does it matter what I do in my church or temple or home?  How does it change your life?  Mormons aren't perfect.  We make mistakes, fall, doubt, get angry, are inconsiderate and even rude.  We're human.  But we try.  We try to be Christlike, to act as He would and avoid contention.  For we are told in the scriptures that contention is of the Devil.  So if I don't enter in to your "bashing" of the things most sacred to me, that's why.  I will not be goaded into acting opposite of the Savior.  I know in my heart that my beliefs, my church, the Gospel of Christ is good and right and true.  That's what matters to me.  If you've found something that makes you feel the same and that's what matters to you, then we should rejoice together that we have found something that completes us and brings us joy.  That is being a Christian.  That... is Christlike love. ♥