The stumbling block

Just in case anyone missed the point of last week's post, when we try to control what other's do, we are following Satan's plan. 

As Latter-Day Saints we believe that at the Council in Heaven, we chose that people would be able to choose -- which is necessary for our growth -- and that there would be sin but that we would have a Savior to pay for our sins, on condition of repentance.

Forcing everyone to be righteous makes it not even righteous, and we are here because we voted against that, which makes efforts here to impose our will upon others sadly misguided and ironic.

This plan, where the Atonement not only makes it possible for sinners to be forgiven but for those sinned against to be healed is beautiful, and worth celebrating all year. It is easy for our thoughts to turn to it at Christmas.

It is so easy to miss the point.

I believe this is because when there is this competition over control and glory, apparently that makes it natural to choose sides. 

Perhaps there is also a sense that if someone else is bad, that makes us good.

Therefore, sometimes the response to oppression is the desire to oppress.

Sometimes imperfect attempts to do the right thing are treated with more scorn than outright attempts to harm.

The failure of someone else to be Christ-like does not exempt us from our responsibility to be Christ-like.

Even if there is a seductive easiness to that answer, it would not be beautiful. Cruelty would only escalate.

No one would be sanctified.

This does not mean calling evil good, but it does mean offering grace and understanding how hard change can be.

It means supporting the least powerful, but understanding that you can have some privilege and still be vulnerable.

It means wanting good for everyone.

It is not easy, but we have a good example. 

I can give a lot of examples the other way, but then piling on becomes too easy. Yeah, look at them. I'm not like that.

What is most important is self-honesty.

What do I need to repent of?

Am I fair to people I disagree with?

Do I want to control others, or do I wish for them to make their own good choices for the good of themselves and others?

Am I motivated by love?