Moroni 7:45

"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
Moroni 7:45


This is so cool and interesting.  (I always say that... but it *is*...) :)  Today in church we talked a lot about love... charity... really caring about people and treating them well.  lots of examples... excellent things to think about.  All of these things deserve thought, but the one that strikes me today is "not easily provoked." ... probably because I am *really* bad at that one.  my boss at work says that people can't help pushing my buttons because they are so big. :)  hilarious.  anyway... last week this woman at work said in a meeting that anyone can write... and since I am an editor my daily life is based on the fact that that is not true. :)  So, I started steaming then, and when she took it even farther in a public e-mail, I lost my cool and wrote her back this scathing e-mail.  Luckily, I decided to review it with my boss beforehand.... and she was angry too, we talked about it, and she told me to be Gandhi. :)  (Yes, this might relate back to the scripture someday... sorry for babbling.) ... So, I didn't send the e-mail, and tried to let it go.  And it ended up being a really good thing to do.  My point is... I am *very* easily provoked.  In class the other day (taking this "innovation" class) we talked about jumping to one side or the other when we encounter something new, instead of looking at the idea, noting good and bad aspects, and how it might be interesting.  I could be the only one, I suppose, but that seems to be a common thing.  Whenever we encounter anything outside our current experience, we decide almost instantly whether we are going to accept or reject it, and take sides... before we actually look at it carefully.  I think that we do this with things, ideas... and people.  instead of finding out who people are, we instantly size them up and decide whether they are someone we want to approach or not... whether we like them or not... without knowing anything about them.
Anyway, I don't want to go on for hours, but will you do something for me?  Will you print out this scripture and hang it on your wall, and think about it a little?  What does it mean to seek not your own?  to think no evil?  to hope all things?  All of it is fascinating.  and, instead of being "easily provoked" :) and deciding instantly, right now, whether any of it is a good idea, or a lot of bunk... think about it.  How can this scripture change your life?  I think it can change mine, and I am going to take my own advice and think about it. :)