Miriam D. led our discussion using Chapter 8:
Taking the Gospel to All the World from the Howard W. Hunter manual.
It
is in understanding and accepting this universal fatherhood of God that
all human beings can best appreciate God’s concern for them and their
relationship to each other. This is a message of life and love that
strikes squarely against all stifling traditions based on race,
language, economic or political standing, educational rank, or cultural
background, for we are all of the same spiritual descent. We have a
divine pedigree; every person is a spiritual child of God.
In this gospel view there is no room for a contracted, narrow, or prejudicial view. The Prophet
Joseph Smith
said: “Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to
be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled
with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but
ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.” (
Taking the Gospel to All the World)
“The purpose of the gospel of
Jesus Christ is to bring about love, unity, and brotherhood of the highest order,” he said. (
Taking the Gospel to All the World)
Miriam brought up a quote from a book that saw deep feelings emerge as a friendship grew between a successful art dealer and a homeless man.
“You was the onlyest person that looked past my skin and past my
meanness and saw that there was somebody on the inside worth savin...We
all has more in common than we think. You stood up with courage and
faced me when I was dangerous, and it changed my life. You loved me for
who I was on the inside, the person God meant for me to be, the one that
had just gotten lost for a while on some ugly roads in life.”
―
Ron Hall,
Same Kind of Different as Me
We need to battle the 'walls' we build in our own mind that slow us in sharing the gospel: the comfort wall, financial
wall, grandchildren wall, health wall, lack of
self-confidence wall, self-satisfied wall, transgression wall, or the walls of fear, doubt, or complacency.
We heard from the sister missionaries serving in our ward about how we just need to open our mouths and show true caring for others that will open the door to sharing the gospel. Sinclaire also told of a success story with inviting people - even those who seem disinterested - to hear the gospel message.