Last night our family sat around the tv and together we watched the news.
It was disheartening and so sad.
Lottie was literally shaking in my arms as we watched riots throwing
rocks in windows, starting fires,
and vandalizing businesses and storefronts in several
cities across the country.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and turned the tv off and
immediately had a family prayer followed by
a conversation about what has been going on in our country.
We discussed how degrading and horrible racism is, and how
it divides good people. We also talked about Gods commandment to
"love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
And... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
We talked about how all of the problems in our country are direct
results from someone somewhere breaking God's commandments along the way.
We read in the scriptures over and over again that God prospers His people when
they are living righteously and united together in harmony and obeying Him.
I love this quote by a Church leader:
"Most of us profess to love God. The challenge,
I have observed, is loving our neighbor.
The term neighbor includes family, people with whom we work,
those whom we see in geographical proximity to our home
and at church, and even the enemy,
though we do not condone what the latter does.
If we do not love all of these, our brothers and sisters,
can we truly say that we love God? The Apostle John declared
“that he who loveth God love his brother also,”
and added, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar”
Love of God and neighbor must therefore be inseparably connected."
In my personal fervent prayers to God about what is going on
in our country, I asked Him what I can do because I feel so weak and helpless.
I felt an answer almost immediately.
The best thing I can do, and the way I can contribute
is to continue to teach my children correct principles, morals,
and values in our home where I know the information is from God and His prophets.
My kids will probably never see me marching with signs but will find me
in our home available for them with lots of love and nurturing.
I want to be able to answer their honest questions without judgment and
to reinforce my love for them no matter what.
I hope my efforts will produce
God-fearing children who will have no tolerance for racism,
prejudice, belittling others, or anything like it.
I hope that one day my Nies will become righteous
leaders in their own homes, in their churches, and in their communities
for their future, and for the future of our amazing country.
