We're All The Children of God

 I've been thinking about Fourth Nephi in the Book of Mormon and today's society. The people in Fourth Nephi just had the most incredible experience with Christ visiting the Americas. Here in America, we just came off the most divisive presidential election I've ever experienced. Two very different ends of the spectrum. 

In 4th Nephi 1:17 we read, "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God." 

They didn't label the different groups. They were just called "the children of Christ." Isn't that what we should do today? Instead of calling each other "liberals" or "Republicans" or mean names, can we just be Americans or children of Christ? I think it would help us remember that there are more similarities than differences. It would help us to be kind to one another and remember our ultimate goal. 

If we slip on down to verse 24 it says, "And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride..." 

Henry B. Eyring said, "Pride is the great enemy of unity."

I feel like Elder Uchtdorf's words are so perfect here. We are so busy comparing and deciding immediately that my idea is better than your idea, that we don't even know what the idea is of the other person. Often, things that mean one thing to us mean something different to another person and we're so busy worrying about ourselves, that we don't think about how it affects the other person. We must look beyond ourselves to those around us. See how the world is treating them. Different experiences help us to see the world in different ways. This isn't bad. It just means we need to acknowledge that and see what we can do to make life easier for someone else. 

If we move on to vs 35 we read, "... in the two hundred and thirty and first year, there was a great division among the people." Then they had the "Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites". The labels were back. The divisions returned. And soon, so did the combinations of Gadianton (vs 42). By vs 45, they were all wicked. 

My challenge to myself, as our country continues to divide, is to try to think of everyone as Children of God, because that's who they are. If we all could do that, how much kinder would we all be to one another?