Spoke in Church

I spoke in church today. The preparation for the talk gave me a lot to think about this week. The topic was the 11th Article of Faith (those not of our faith, this is one of thirteen articles that state our basic beliefs): "We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

As I pondered this topic, I realized that this could be a very complicated subject. On the one hand, we need to be tolerant of those whose beliefs differ from our own. On the other hand, we need to stand up for what we believe in. Some would, in the very name of "tolerance," ask us to change what we believe to accommodate their views of morality. I found it difficult to reconcile myself to these two, seemingly dichotomous, concepts.

Ultimately, there were a couple of quotes that I found valuable. One was shared by the other sister speaking today:

"It is appropriate to disagree, but it is not appropriate to be disagreeable." Quentin L. Cook, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

"But let there be no misunderstanding or deception: the First Amendment right of free speech applies to religious speech as well as to other kinds of speech." Elder Bruce D. Porter, First Quorum of the Seventy.

“Now may I offer an important note of caution. An erroneous assumption could be made that if a little of something is good, a lot must be better. Not so! Overdoses of needed medication can be toxic. Boundless mercy could oppose justice. So tolerance, without limit, could lead to spineless permissiveness. The Lord drew boundary lines to define acceptable limits of tolerance. Danger rises when those divine limits are disobeyed. Just as parents teach little children not to run and play in the street, the Savior taught us that we need not tolerate evil. ‘Jesus went into the temple of God, and … overthrew the tables of the moneychangers.’ Though He loved the sinner, the Lord said that He ‘cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.’ His Apostle Paul specified some of those sins in a letter to the Galatians. Paul’s list included ‘uncleanness.’ As members of the Church entrusted with its holy temples, we are commanded that ‘no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into [His] house to pollute it.’ That assignment requires great fortitude as well as love. In former days, disciples of the Lord ‘were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin.’ In latter days, devoted disciples of the Lord are just as firm. Real love for the sinner may compel courageous confrontation—not acquiescence! Real love does not support self-destructing behavior.” Elder Russell M. Nelson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus Christ

We need to love others. We don't need to love everything that they do, however. We don't have to believe as someone else believes, in the name of tolerance. We can disagree with others' beliefs, without changing our own. And we can and should stand up for what we believe in, without apology. We have that right, and obligation, as members of this great nation.