All You Need is Love

This is what I believe and what I will teach my children:

We need to show love to everyone regardless of beliefs or actions.  People are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, we are all on a level playing field.  While the choices we make may not be the same as the choices other people make, we are all people.  Before we came to earth, we lived together as spirit children of our Heavenly Father, and we all have the same opportunity to return to Him.

People may not respect our beliefs and that's okay.  We will respect others' beliefs.

When Christ was on the earth, He did not meet the expectations of many people.  He did not rise up above others and wipe out the social and political problems of His day.  He lived a life of love and proclaiming His word, His gospel.  He suffered for all of us and gave His life for us.  He asks very little in return when we think of the magnitude of His sacrifice. When I remember that even the Savior Himself did not meet everyone's expectations, it makes it understandable that current church leaders will not meet everyone's expectations. The gospel will still be true.  If there is a policy that we don't understand, we will search the scriptures and church books and pray to better understand. 

I believe Christ established a church while He was on the earth.  I believe that His church is on the earth today with a living prophet.  I believe that His church is led by imperfect people (as we are all imperfect) but that the gospel is real and true and by studying the scriptures and praying, I can have a personal witness by the Holy Ghost of what is truth.  I also believe that these are the ways to find truth and if I look to the opinions of other people, I will just hear opinions and not necessarily the truth.  

I also believe that I go to church to worship my Father, renew my promise to Him by taking the sacrament, and to meet with others who are trying to do their best as we learn together. I believe that everyone is welcome at church and that no one is better than another. I believe that as we look at each other as children of God, regardless of socio-economic status, personality, mental stability, physical conditions, physical appearance,etc., we will understand how we can overcome our own weaknesses and help others in their daily lives. Everyone is in need of help, everyone needs to help.  We are not so different.

People may believe we are wrong to believe the way that we do and we still love and respect them.  People may feel that our beliefs are not tolerant, but we will still love and respect them.  

John 15:12, "This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you."