Building bridges; Good values crucial in time of uncertainty
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Breaching barriers of hate and building bridges of brotherhood and understanding are "within our reach," said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on May 26 as he addressed the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to furthering brotherhood and understanding between opposing cultures, beliefs, religions and world views.
Speaking to some 800 community, business and religious leaders and consuls from many nations, President Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, said that the Church is a global church, having grown from six members at its founding in New York in 1830 to its current roll of more than 14 million members in 184 countries, speaking approximately 170 languages.
"The principles and doctrines it teaches have the power to benefit and uplift the people of every nation, race and culture," he said.
He added, "It is important to recognize that the growth of the Church is not merely about numbers of members, languages and buildings; our mission is to bring souls to Christ and thereby improve the lives of our fellowmen. We teach, support and encourage all men, women and children to draw near to God and live charitable and honorable lives.
"We emphasize the importance of families and declare that 'no other success can compensate for failure in the home.' We believe that 'happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ,' and that 'successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome recreational activities' ("The Family: A Proclamation to the World," Ensign, November 2010, p. 129).
"While love for family is certainly not unique to Latter-day Saints, our conviction that families can be together forever has a doctrinal foundation that is unique to the restored Church. Through restored priesthood authority, we unite families together not only for this mortality but throughout eternity. This is the same authority given to the apostles of old and a distinctive doctrine associated with our temples."
He described the Church as "a volunteer church" in which members serve without monetary compensation. He explained that bishops might be plumbers, doctors, truck drivers, teachers or accountants, and that men, women and youth receive opportunities for leadership and growth, and teach from the pulpit and in classrooms.
President Uchtdorf spoke of the Church's emphasis on secular and religious education, noting its education system serves more than 40,000 students on its four campuses: Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah; BYU-Idaho; BYU-Hawaii and LDS Business College in Salt Lake City. He mentioned the religious education provided through seminaries and institutes for high school and college-age students in programs worldwide and referred to the Perpetual Education Fund established to assist young people in parts of the world where opportunities for education are limited.
Of the Church's Welfare Program and world-wide humanitarian outreach, President Uchtdorf said, "These programs were established to improve the lives of our fellowmen. To that end, we teach our members to become self-reliant and reach out to bless others. Being continuously engaged in improving the lives of our fellowmen is not just theological theory but rather an application of the gospel's core doctrines. The more our hearts are inclined to God, the more we desire to relieve suffering and help others become self-reliant."
Speaking of moral and ethical applications of gospel values, President Uchtdorf quoted "a wise man" who once said: "Conquer the angry man by love. Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness. Conquer the miser with generosity. Conquer the liar with truth."
President Uchtdorf said, "These values are urgently needed in a time of serious challenges and uncertainty worldwide. They are deeply rooted in the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"In my lifetime I have experienced and worked in times of grim challenges and uncertainty. I was a refugee twice, and I have witnessed how opposing political systems impacted the lives of a people in widely divergent ways. I learned by experience how important high moral and ethical values are in leadership.
"We need only to open a newspaper to realize that we are living in a cynical time. Trust in public institutions, corporations and organized religion is declining. Almost daily, media reports describe the decline of moral decency and the erosion of basic ethical conduct.
"In this time of uncertainty, mistrust, fear, rumors of war and political road rage, is there still hope for integration and openness across different cultures, religions, societies and political interests? Is there still hope for virtue, moderation and divine moral principles?
"My answer is a clear and resounding yes!
"But I am also convinced that the axiomatic and eternal principle of moral agency demands that there be 'an opposition in all things' (2 Nephi 2:11) to ensure that meaningful choices can be made — choices not only between good and evil but also from among multiple righteous alternatives."
He said he believes one reason for today's decline in moral values is that the world has invented a new, constantly changing, undependable standard of moral conduct often referred to as "situational ethics."
"Some consider good and evil adjustable according to their own situation and interest. They wrongly believe that there is no divine law and, therefore, no sin. They play with words and dissemble truth. They convince themselves that ends justify means and that agendas or ideologies must be advanced regardless of collateral damage."
This delusion, he said, is in direct contrast to the God-given standards. "The Ten Commandments and other divine laws constitute the commandments of God. These divine laws are instituted by God to govern His creations and to prescribe behavior for His offspring."
President Uchtdorf said Church members throughout the world accept and try to live by ethical principles reflected in the Articles of Faith: "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, . . . and in doing good to all men. . . . If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
President Uchtdorf noted, "This basic declaration is part of our theology and describes the principles and ethics of our desired behavior. If such values would be adopted by all men, courtesy would overcome cursing; dignity would replace disgust; hate would diminish; love and respect for one another would increase across geographic and ideological boundaries."
He said it takes courage and humility to put away old hatred, divisions and traditions that constrict and confine people into a blind succession of destructive behavior toward others. "It is within our reach to breach barriers of hate and build bridges of brotherhood and understanding between opposing cultures, beliefs, and world views," President Uchtdorf declared.
Further, he said, "Too often the teachings of our respective faiths are kept in an abstract religious box, cautiously separated from personal conduct. Divine leadership principles are based on the commandment 'that ye love one another'" (John 13:34).
President Uchtdorf assured the audience, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will continue to focus on strengthening families, building righteous societies and helping our brothers and sisters improve their lives the world over, regardless of culture, language or religious beliefs. I believe that these are worthy and righteous goals. We invite all to be part of these efforts.
"Many of you are exemplary bridge builders. You have created bonds between nations, cultures and religions. The world needs builders, not destroyers."
