Everybody wants to live in a joyful environment. There is a scripture written in Moses 7:18, “And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.” This is a perfect example for us to follow. We know that in Zion, there is no contention, discrimination, fear, hatred, dissatisfaction, or deception—because they are ONE! The question then becomes, how can we find Zion and be part of it?
I heard a testimony from a new convert which offers an excellent clue for the answer to the above question. This man, from a traditional Oriental background, was deeply moved by the gospel as taught to him by missionaries. He sought redemption through Jesus Christ. After his baptism and confirmation, he participated in Church worship and activities and faithfully partook of the sacrament every week. In his testimony, he said that because of many good examples of Church members, he wanted to change and repent for his behavior at home. Due to his dominant financial contributions, he felt entitled to issue orders, rather than requests, to his wife and daughter. As the head of the family, he believed he should be exempted from household duties. However, once he felt the influence of the gospel, he wanted to show his love to his family by doing the dishes after each meal. This was a big surprise to his family! He testified that the atmosphere in his family completely changed. Once he began helping, he found that his daughter was willing to talk with him from time to time and liked to share her feelings. That father-daughter communication had been extremely rare before. What a simple demonstration about how living the gospel of Jesus Christ brings unity!
“And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.”
Moses 7:18
After entering this world, we are attracted to temporal things. We build walls to protect ourselves and our possessions, but eventually this separates ourselves from others. Jesus taught us: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). The pure love of Christ can pierce these temporal barriers, bringing miracles into our lives. Just like the example described above, a simple change to show our gratitude to others can pass on Christ’s love. It is so nice to love people around us and it is so nice to feel loved.
There is another important point that we can learn from this new convert. By sacred covenants and ordinances, we bind ourselves to our Savior Jesus Christ and become ONE. In John 6:54-56, we read: “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” The importance of the sacrament is highlighted multiple times during Jesus’s visit to the Nephites (see 3 Nephi chapters 18, 20 and 26). As Jesus’s followers, we gather together in sacrament meeting every Sunday. We will feel the power of the atonement and love from our Savior. At that sacred moment, we are ONE indeed.
In our present day, people seem to emphasize diversity more than unity. That emphasis is even a challenge within the Church. However, we really do not need to worry about the focus on diversity, because love should always prevail! We welcome God’s children to exercise their free agency. We can benefit each other by sharing profound and different aspects of life, as long as we all embrace the love of God. This is well said by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:21-22, “And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.”
Living the gospel of Jesus Christ brings unity. We can find happiness in our families, Church, and communities through service, sacred covenants, and, most importantly, the love of our Savior. There is no greater joy than being ONE with our beloved family and our Heavenly Father.