Alma 26:37 -- On Mindfulness and Mercy

"Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

Alma 26:37

I like this reminder that God loves everyone, everywhere.  We get into the mental trap sometimes of thinking that God likes people who are similar to us more than he does others... who share the same politics, live in the same country, or sin the same types of sins.  But God loves everyone, and he asks us to learn to love everyone too... and I think that is something we can probably all work on.

How?  Well one way may be to try to see things from other perspectives.  When we're reading the scriptures for instance, we might relate to Nephi, or to his brothers, to understand both sides a little better.  We might read some of the stories of Christ and relate to Mary or Martha or the woman taken in adultery, or the rich young man.  When we consider our own lives, it is worthwhile to consider the position of someone else as well, especially if we can't initially understand their viewpoint.

Today, let's work on learning from God why each person is valuable and worthy of love, and let's jump in and recognize the amazing people around us, and love and lift them with mindfulness and mercy, as God does.