Can our country heal?

 

This week I studied Sustainable Societies by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. I listened to this one back in October, but it just really hit me hard this week. 

We have just survived the most divisive presidential election I have ever experienced. The time now is to heal our country and I feel like this talk is the one to do it. Christofferson talks about a sustainable society being one that "promotes happiness, progress, peace, and well-being". Then he goes on and talks about two sustainable societies in scripture. 

1. The City of Enoch

2. The Nephites and Lamanites after Christ visited the Americas

Both of these cities were divided and just as crazy as we are now, but they were able to heal and to become a "City of Holiness, even Zion." Why can't we do that, too? 

I don't think these two cities just magically became righteous. They had to work for it. They had to repent. They had to become humble. They had to forgive themselves and each other. Even after the city was mostly righteous, they had to continue to work. I'm sure things weren't always easy. People would disagree and they had to find those commonalities. They had to choose a positive way to react to difficult situations. 

How are we going to choose to react to challenges or negativity? 

We know it's possible for societies to fail, even after becoming a Zion, because it happened to the Nephites and Lamanites. We must continually choose kindness. 

When Christ was on the earth, he gave two great commandments that he said were more important than all the others. 1. Love God. 2. Love your neighbor. 

Our society has been failing with #2 and only you can answer how it's been going with #1. 

In Doctrine and Covenants 82:19, we read, "every man seeking the interest of his neighbor." What does that mean to you? To me, that means sincere listening and conversation. To seek the interest of our neighbor, we have to know their interest first. 

Christofferson then says, "When people turn from a sense of accountability to God and begin to trust instead in the "arm of flesh," disaster lurks. Trusting in the arm of flesh is to ignore the divine Author of human rights and human dignity and to give highest priority to riches, power, and the praise of the world (while often mocking and persecuting those who follow a different standard)." 

Let me repeat this last bit. It's in parenthesis, but, in my opinion, it's important, "...while often mocking and persecuting those who follow a different standard." Why do we mock and persecute people who have different beliefs? Different political parties, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientation, genders,... etc. I see it all the time from so many people. It's horrible. From an eternal perspective, we're all sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father! We're all spiritual brothers and sisters, but we hate each other so much. Why? 

Listen to these lyrics. 

Or if you'd like a more traditional version: 

Christofferson then goes on and talks about the virtues needed for any group to function well. 

• Integrity
• Responsibility
• Accountability
• Compassion
• Fidelity in Marriage
• Respect
• Service
• Necessity and Dignity of Work

Then we're given this warning. "Reliance on culture and tradition alone will not be sufficient to sustain virtue in society. When one has no higher god than himself and seeks no greater good than satisfying his own appetites and preferences, the effects will be manifest in due course." Woah! 

Now we're going to jump back to Alma. Remember that he resigned as the chief judge so he could focus more on teaching the gospel? He was worried about his people. Elder Stephen D Nadauld said, "Alma's inspired decision was not to spend more time trying to make and enforce more rules to correct the behavior of his people, but to speak to them of the word of God, to teach the doctrine and have their understanding of the plan of redemption lead them to change their behavior." 

This goes back to Boyd K Packer's famous quote, "The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than the study of behavior will improve behavior." 

This kind of makes me wish I could rewind time and parent my kids all over again from the beginning. No, I'm kidding. I love who they are and wouldn't change them, but this knowledge may have made things a little easier. 

There is so much in this talk, but I think it's important to remember that we can only control what we can control. How about checking your most intimate circles - our friends our family - and striving to make those circles a "sustainable society". That list of virtues above are going to be discussed with the family. How can we work on those virtues?  I, personally, may not be able to heal the country, but I can start with my own family.