Most people, most of the time, follow the rules and behave civilly, primarily because of religion or at least the precepts taught by the various religions that have pervaded most all societies historically. Religion and moral teachings are critical to the working of any society. Even if that religion is non-Christian. Most citizens follow rules and laws not only because they are accountable to governments, local and/or federal authority, but also because they are aware of some higher authority. A higher authority they feel they have to account to at some future time. Even though, publically they may deny such a belief. If all religions, religious organizations and/or beliefs in some higher power were taken away, governments would be hard pressed to maintain civility. Even atheistic civil administrators should thank God, or that higher power, for the beliefs that their citizens have that causes them to act civilly. All of the world’s religions have some truth, some good instruction that causes their members to be more civil minded. Clay Christiansen interviewed a Marxist communist Chinese student and asked him what he had learned while attending an American university? We can all learn from what he said; “Take the best and leave the rest.” We should all take the best of our society, friends, education or whatever association we have in our lives and leave the rest. Incorporating the best of everything we hear and see should make us more enlightened than if we were all consuming sponges absorbing everything we are told and everything we experience in life.
What really makes the LDS Church unique is the fact that it’s the only religion on earth, that I know of, that tries to embrace all of the other world religions for the truths that are contained within them. “Bring all the good that you have and let us see if we can add to it” That is essentially the motto that we follow. The Church if Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeks to do just one thing. Search the world for truth and then embrace it whether it is found in the Texas mega-church or in the mind of a Tibetan shepherd. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints generally do not slam the door in another person’s face or create literature to slam other religions…because they genuinely feel a common bond with so many of the truths found within those other faiths. Many other faith’s write negative pamphlets, etc. about Mormons but you will never see or find a negative thing about another religion written by a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is true that the church has some pretty strong beliefs about it’s own doctrine that we will proclaim as truths. LDS truths may very well be contrary to the common beliefs that others have. Yet, we do not denigrate others. A few years ago, President Gordon B. Hinckley, was asked to speak at a convention of the Religion Newswriters of America. After his talk, he was asked, “What are you going to do when 15,000 or 20,000 Baptists visit you in Salt Lake City next summer and try to proselytize you?”
He replied, “We are going to welcome them. We are going to do everything we can to make them feel at home. These are our brethren and sisters. They accuse us of not being Christian. I hope that our people will try to show them, by the very manner in which they act, that we are truly disciples of the Lord.” Then he said this simple phrase that really captures the essence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
“Bring all the good that you have and let us see if we can add to it.” The most all-embracing religion in the world. If we really understand the brotherhood of man, we could never look into the face of another and say, “I don’t know you”! Why? Because in truth and reality we are all brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of our Father, who is the creator and the God of the universe. I know you because you and your life is much the same as mine. Yes, we have some differences, but we have much more in common than we have that is different. That is why when you are hurt, I too may feel hurt for you. It is called the brotherhood of man or the human condition. May God bless us all to understand that.