God expects His followers to be unified.
At the waters of Mormon, Alma taught his people the importance of unity:
He commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.
Mosiah 18:21
He added, “And thus they became the children of God” (Mosiah 18:22).
In our day, the Lord taught the same principle in the form of the following concise admonition:
Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.
Doctrine and Covenants 38:27
Elder David L. Bucker gave the following counsel:
We must stop looking for reasons to divide and instead seek opportunities to “be one.” He has blessed us with unique gifts and attributes that invite learning from one another and personal growth. I often told my university students that if I do what you do and you do what I do, we don’t need each other. But because you don’t do what I do and I don’t do what you do, we do need each other. And that need brings us together. To divide and conquer is the adversary’s plan to destroy friendships, families, and faith. It is the Savior who unites.
“‘Ye Are My Friends,'” General Conference, October 2024
This advice is easy to understand but difficult to implement. Divisive language can be well-intentioned. We may think we’re being helpful or protective or honest when in fact we are creating unnecessary rifts.
It may be wise to slow down and ask ourselves:
- “Am I strengthening relationships with my words and actions?”
- “Am I helping people to build trust?”
- “Am I emphasizing other people’s strengths and finding common ground?”
Today, I will act on the Savior’s admonition to “be one.” I will look for opportunities to bring people together, to appreciate others’ strengths, and to work with others on common goals. I will remember that a core attribute of disciples of Christ is unity.
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