As Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin and refused to stop teaching about Jesus, they received help from an unlikely source. Gamaliel, a well-respected Pharisee and a member of the council urged his colleagues to calm down and adopt a more tolerant approach. Reminding them of two other religious movements which had recently arisen but had quickly imploded, he said, “If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39).
What a sensible approach! When you disagree with another person’s beliefs, you don’t have to be contentious. Like Joseph Smith, you can trust that “truth will cut its own way” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 29: “Living with Others in Peace and Harmony”). If you really believe that God is actively involved in His work, you can afford to let some things go with confidence that He will eventually make things right.
In the second year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, Alma had to deal with a difficult situation. People who were not members of the church began to persecute church members. “There was a strict law among the people of the church, that there should not any man, belonging to the church, arise and persecute those that did not belong to the church” (Alma 1:21). But some church members, wanting to defend their family and friends, fought back, even violently, against their persecutors. A surprising thing happened next: Many of the people who were fighting so hard to defend the church ended up leaving the church. Their hearts were hardened, and they stopped believing. The people who remained in the church “bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them.” (See Alma 1:22-25.)
President Russell M. Nelson said:
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others—especially when we have differences of opinion. One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people….
Brothers and sisters, we can literally change the world—one person and one interaction at a time. How? By modeling how to manage honest differences of opinion with mutual respect and dignified dialogue.
“Peacemakers Needed,” General Conference, April 2023
Today, I will be a peacemaker. Like Gamaliel, I will recognize that differences of opinion are part of life, and that fighting against everything I disagree with is a futile endeavor. I will strive to treat others with respect. When I disagree with someone, I will be patient and trust that our differences will be resolved over time.
This came to me just in time. With what I felt was righteous anger and judgement for a situation… Was the cause of me to observe both views. Mine and the views of the other person involved. Thinking instead of reacting, I was capable of finding a peaceful solution! 😀Now that feels great!!!
I’m glad to hear this post was useful to you. Thank you for letting me know, and congratulations on intentionally adjusting your approach to a difficult situation!