Monday, May 20, 2024

Mosiah 18-8-10 -- On Other People

"And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?"
Mosiah 18-8-10


I like this because thinking about dedicating our lives to God and getting baptized seems like a very personal thing between ourselves and God, but here Alma explains that part of the deal is being willing to care about, and for, others. Why? Because God loves us and them and wants all of us, together, to be saved. We also learn a lot of important things from interacting with other people, which is part of why this earth life isn't a solo mission. :)

Today, let's remember that a commitment to God is also a commitment to loving other people... the two commandments are part of each other, and Christ reinforces this by explaining that what we do to, or for, others, is like doing things to or for Christ. Through the atonement he has felt all of it, and one way to show our love for God is to love other people well, and treat them with gentleness and respect, even if they are our enemies. Let's do better at loving God in this way. :)

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