Sunday evening our new bishopric presented a youth fireside on unity. It is something that I constantly think about as a family. It is something that we strive for and something that I feel like we should constantly be working towards. It is something that we are supposed to strive for in the Church also. The scriptures teach us, "And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another."
At the fireside one of the speakers talked about the Emperor Penguins. He talked about how the male penguins care for the egg while the mothers are out gathering food. He spoke of how they huddle in masses to keep themselves and the eggs warm and how they take turns moving to the center of the group to warm up and then move back for another to get in the middle to get warm. Without working together as a group they would surely freeze to death... and I have thought about this a lot since. They do not have the 'me' mentality. They aren't worried who is right, or wrong... they just know that they need each other to survive and to fulfill their very basic needs. How important is that example to us? They are driven by instinct to take care of each other. They don't determine that one is not worthy of the warmth and shun them... they just huddle together and take care of one another. I think that if, or maybe especially, WHEN somebody is struggling, they need the warmth that comes from the huddle! Wouldn't that be amazing if we always had the same instinct? I think sometimes we are more like sharks, where we smell blood, or find a weakness in another and then attack. Henry B. Eyring talked about how to be united. He said that we need to be humble. Going back to the penguins, yes, I realize they are penguins...but it seems that there would be no room for pride when they are busy taking care of each other. It's not about who deserves the warmth, or who is better, or right, or wrong. It is about the need that they ALL have to be warm! I think that often we judge falsely, and sometimes we even judge with evil intent, though I don't think that most people do that purposely. I sometimes find myself judging incorrectly... more often than not I find myself with at least a little compassion even in my judgement, but still, it is judging. Understanding that there is likely a reason that they are doing what they are doing. It's a great thing to know that the Savior is the only One qualified to judge us perfectly. He will be able to judge our physical, chemical and emotional make up. Elder Eyring said that more often than not we have a choice in judging. A choice. We get to choose if we are going to judge with a harsh judgement, or assume the best, and even be willing to forgive if we think somebody is doing something wrong. And even more, it is not our place to decide if someone deserves our forgiveness. Elder Eyring said that as we get better and better at forging unity, we will think of a scripture when we are asked our opinion of another person: “And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged." ~See that ye do not judge wrongfully. Isn't it the truth that there are always more than one side to every story, and even when we are certain we are right, we likely do not know everything... and even when we think we do, we still have no right to determine who deserves to be able to be kept warm. Didn't the Savior talk about leaving the ninety and nine to go in search of the one? Why would He leave the 99... well, it's simple. Because they are already in the circle, being kept warm. Taking care of each other. That one is still so important to the Lord. There is safety in numbers... in being united! Every where in the scriptures it talks about the way the Lord 'judged'... even the woman caught in adultery was shown great love and compassion by the Savior. I can't even imagine how amazing it would be if we all did that... if I always judged like that! I think of how many people I know, personally, who would rather stay away from the 'group' because they are left out of the huddle to brave the cold alone. I think that sometimes we all feel alone. We aren't ever really alone, but sometimes it feels like it. I think I want to be more like the Emperor Penguin... I think I want to work hard to pull others into the huddle and keep them warm, to protect them from the bitter cold! I am grateful for the gift I have often been given, to discern how to pull each family member in and keep them warm. I want to be able to take care of those that are hurting and left alone, I want to judge less, and huddle more!!!
At the fireside one of the speakers talked about the Emperor Penguins. He talked about how the male penguins care for the egg while the mothers are out gathering food. He spoke of how they huddle in masses to keep themselves and the eggs warm and how they take turns moving to the center of the group to warm up and then move back for another to get in the middle to get warm. Without working together as a group they would surely freeze to death... and I have thought about this a lot since. They do not have the 'me' mentality. They aren't worried who is right, or wrong... they just know that they need each other to survive and to fulfill their very basic needs. How important is that example to us? They are driven by instinct to take care of each other. They don't determine that one is not worthy of the warmth and shun them... they just huddle together and take care of one another. I think that if, or maybe especially, WHEN somebody is struggling, they need the warmth that comes from the huddle! Wouldn't that be amazing if we always had the same instinct? I think sometimes we are more like sharks, where we smell blood, or find a weakness in another and then attack. Henry B. Eyring talked about how to be united. He said that we need to be humble. Going back to the penguins, yes, I realize they are penguins...but it seems that there would be no room for pride when they are busy taking care of each other. It's not about who deserves the warmth, or who is better, or right, or wrong. It is about the need that they ALL have to be warm! I think that often we judge falsely, and sometimes we even judge with evil intent, though I don't think that most people do that purposely. I sometimes find myself judging incorrectly... more often than not I find myself with at least a little compassion even in my judgement, but still, it is judging. Understanding that there is likely a reason that they are doing what they are doing. It's a great thing to know that the Savior is the only One qualified to judge us perfectly. He will be able to judge our physical, chemical and emotional make up. Elder Eyring said that more often than not we have a choice in judging. A choice. We get to choose if we are going to judge with a harsh judgement, or assume the best, and even be willing to forgive if we think somebody is doing something wrong. And even more, it is not our place to decide if someone deserves our forgiveness. Elder Eyring said that as we get better and better at forging unity, we will think of a scripture when we are asked our opinion of another person: “And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged." ~See that ye do not judge wrongfully. Isn't it the truth that there are always more than one side to every story, and even when we are certain we are right, we likely do not know everything... and even when we think we do, we still have no right to determine who deserves to be able to be kept warm. Didn't the Savior talk about leaving the ninety and nine to go in search of the one? Why would He leave the 99... well, it's simple. Because they are already in the circle, being kept warm. Taking care of each other. That one is still so important to the Lord. There is safety in numbers... in being united! Every where in the scriptures it talks about the way the Lord 'judged'... even the woman caught in adultery was shown great love and compassion by the Savior. I can't even imagine how amazing it would be if we all did that... if I always judged like that! I think of how many people I know, personally, who would rather stay away from the 'group' because they are left out of the huddle to brave the cold alone. I think that sometimes we all feel alone. We aren't ever really alone, but sometimes it feels like it. I think I want to be more like the Emperor Penguin... I think I want to work hard to pull others into the huddle and keep them warm, to protect them from the bitter cold! I am grateful for the gift I have often been given, to discern how to pull each family member in and keep them warm. I want to be able to take care of those that are hurting and left alone, I want to judge less, and huddle more!!!
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