Dieter F Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency - The Merciful Obtain Mercy

OK I was laying in bed listening to this session. When Elder Uchtdorf opened with the story about the letter from a mother that would specifically benefit her two children I was interested. Then when he mentioned how a rift had grown between them, and they had stopped speaking to each other; I really began to listen the as I have an older brother. When I was younger I wanted to grow up and be just like him. However, we have different beliefs, lifestyles and while we are both good people we have different follow through with our family and friends. He is more of a carefree, sometimes empty promises, free-spirit and me, well I am me more conservative. ( I had to come up and say yes, I know I need to STOP IT) 

A few years ago at a family Thanksgiving weekend an incident occurred that really upset me for many reasons. He chose to do something that was dissappointing, lacked better judgment and was embarrasing and insulted people's intelligence or at least mine.

I guess you could say this was the last straw with me. I had talked to him previous to this and he just didn't seem to get it and he did let me know I hurt his feelings and his defense and words to me were that I was an old maid.  

So hearing this talk made me realize I need to repair that rift between us. We are getting older. I need to have patience with him and forgive him.

I know I can move past the judging others who sin differently than me. The harder challenge will be to love them. The following points Elder Uchtdorf counseled us with are going to be challenging. I don't say hate so I am 1/110th of the way there right?

Jesus said it is easy to love those who love us; even the wicked can do that. But Jesus Christ taught a higher law. His words echo through the centuries and are meant for us today. They are meant for all who desire to be His disciples. They are meant for you and me: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other.

At the end he provided us with a self test:

Do you harbor a grudge against someone else? I don't think so - so maybe that means yes?

Do you gossip, even when what you say may be true? Guilty
Do you exclude, push away, or punish others because of something they have done? Guilty - I have done that to my brother.
Do you secretly envy another? I don't, I learned at an early age what it felt like to be envied and I try to not do that.
Do you wish to cause harm to someone? I definitely don't.


If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to apply the two-word sermon from earlier: stop it!