The Stranger That Dwelleth With You

Sister Sheri Dew recently published a book with a title “Prophets See Around Corners” and I thought about that title as I considered one of the themes of prophets recently: rooting out racism and prejudice. President Ballard said in 2017, “We need to embrace God’s children compassionately and eliminate any prejudice, including racism, sexism, and nationalism. Let it be said that we truly believe the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ are for every child of God.” Three years later in 2020 President Oaks said this: “One reason the recent protests in the United States were shocking to so many was that the hostilities and illegalities felt among different ethnicities in other nations should not be felt in the United States. This country should be better in eliminating racism not only against Black Americans, who were most visible in the recent protests, but also against Latinos, Asians, and other groups. This nation’s history of racism is not a happy one, and we must do better…. Knowing that we are all children of God gives us a divine vision of the worth of all others and the will and ability to rise above prejudice and racism.” In the same general conference, President Nelson also said, “Each of us has a divine potential because each is a child of God. Each is equal in His eyes. The implications of this truth are profound. Brothers and sisters, please listen carefully to what I am about to say. God does not love one race more than another. His doctrine on this matter is clear. He invites all to come unto Him, ‘black and white, bond and free, male and female.’ I assure you that your standing before God is not determined by the color of your skin. Favor or disfavor with God is dependent upon your devotion to God and His commandments and not the color of your skin. I grieve that our Black brothers and sisters the world over are enduring the pains of racism and prejudice. Today I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice. I plead with you to promote respect for all of God’s children.” Surely those words are needed today as much as they were five years ago.  

               Earlier in 2020 President Nelson also spoke about that topic in an online post commenting on current events of the time. He said, “We join with many throughout this nation and around the world who are deeply saddened at recent evidences of racism and a blatant disregard for human life. We abhor the reality that some would deny others respect and the most basic of freedoms because of the color of his or her skin. We are also saddened when these assaults on human dignity lead to escalating violence and unrest. The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!” He continued, “During the Savior’s earthly mission, He constantly ministered to those who were excluded, marginalized, judged, overlooked, abused, and discounted. As His followers, can we do anything less? The answer is no! We believe in freedom, kindness, and fairness for all of God’s children! Let us be clear. We are brothers and sisters, each of us the child of a loving Father in Heaven. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, invites all to come unto Him—'black and white, bond and free, male and female,’ (2 Nephi 26:33). It behooves each of us to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves.” As I thought upon President Nelson’s teachings yesterday, it struck me that he was preparing us for today when hatred is being sewn by our own government against immigrants, particularly Latinos. President Nelson’s message is every bit as applicable today as it was six years ago: “Any nation can only be as great as its people. That requires citizens to cultivate a moral compass that helps them distinguish between right and wrong…. We need to foster our faith in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. We need to foster a fundamental respect for the human dignity of every human soul, regardless of their color, creed, or cause. And we need to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding rather than creating walls of segregation. I plead with us to work together for peace, for mutual respect, and for an outpouring of love for all of God’s children.” As followers of the Savior, we must sue for respect and dignity towards all of God’s children in opposition to state-sponsored cruelty and racism.

More recently Elder Christofferson said this, “We cannot permit any racism, tribal prejudice, or other divisions to exist in the latter-day Church of Christ. The Lord commands us, ‘Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.’ We should be diligent in rooting prejudice and discrimination out of the Church, out of our homes, and, most of all, out of our hearts. As our Church population grows ever more diverse, our welcome must grow ever more spontaneous and warm. We need one another.” When the Savior was asked what the greatest commandment was, He made this well-known reply: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” He then clarified, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). One example of that law which was clearly based upon this principle of love was this one: “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34). The Savior has never rescinded that command to love, and as we watch Nephi’s prophecy fulfilled—" at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good”—we must stay true what it means to be a follower of Him who “ministered to those who were excluded, marginalized, judged, overlooked, abused, and discounted” (2 Nephi 28:20).