Ripples

I've seen many reverberations of my recent blog posts lately, in day to day life. I'm going to guess that this is because I've been tossing these thoughts about in my mind since they were posted, and I am therefore more apt to notice related happenings and lessons when they pop up. Whatever the reason, here is one of those ripples...

Out of the new church manual for 2012, one of George Albert Smith's ideals in his personal creed: "I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals but rather love them into doing the thing that is right."

While this is a general statement, incorporating all the world and people in it, I see this in direct correlation to my response to I'm Christian, unless you're gay. George Albert Smith, one of the Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a holy man, a prophet of the Lord, one who lived over a century ago, committed to loving those that did not live up to his (and - in his belief and mine - the Lord's) standards, NOT chastising or hurtling hate language or assaulting or any of the atrocities that are heaped upon gay individuals still TODAY.

Loving someone into doing the right thing is an interesting concept. It eliminates the need to verbally comment on their wrongdoings, from pointing out their perceived error (and I emphasize perceived, because someone else walking down the street may see nothing wrong when I clearly do), and instead encourages us to simply love. That by acting as a loving, nurturing example of what is good and true and right, we will inspire others to follow our lead. In this way, free will is left intact; it is influenced, but not forced. Nurtured, not cut down. This is something I pledge to improve upon in 2012 and onward.

I think I will learn much from George Albert Smith.