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The following was shared by Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency.
I receive hundreds of letters in my office, and many of them describe the heartache that results from the categories we sometimes create for each other. Below is a letter describing the pain of being single in a Church focused on family:
“I’m 48 years old and have never been married; I’ve really struggled with this reality. I’ve had a difficult time knowing what my purpose in this life is as a single person with no family or posterity. Family is such a big focus in the Church (as it should be), but when that blessing isn’t given to you, it can be challenging to know where you fit in. How do I get past feelings of emptiness and feel more purpose in life?”
Other letters describe different issues, but the authors all share a feeling of being on the “outside” of the “regular” Church.
I have found that the things we have in common as disciples of Christ are much more compelling and important than the labels that keep us segregated. The Church of Jesus Christ, focused as it is on creating the conditions for Zion, can be a church without categories—a place without -ites, as the Book of Mormon says (see 4 Nephi 1:17).
The following seven ideas are my response to this sister’s letter. Your situation may be different, but if you have felt pigeonholed, I hope there is something here for you.
1. Our Blessings Come in Different Order, but They Still Come
During mortality, people label us and divide us into categories—single, Nigerian, returned missionary, Hyundai driver. The variety is almost funny—but these categories mean very little from the eternal viewpoint. President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, recently taught us that only one label matters: “Each of us is a child of God with a potential destiny of eternal life. Every other label, even including occupation, race, physical characteristics, or honors, is temporary or trivial in eternal terms.”1 God is truly “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34; see also Alma 1:30).
Knowing this truth helps me understand my eternal purpose. I came to the earth with eons of experience and talent. I also came with certain responsibilities personal to me. My macro-mission is the same as anyone else’s: have experiences, repent and forgive, gain ordinances, serve others. My micro-mission, however, is specific and part of a divine plan for me.
To read the full article on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, CLICK HERE.
K. Chin—Modesto, CAOctober 30, 2019
These “helps” are SO well expressed—THANK YOU for sharing them! Our Savior desires to bring us together; it’s Satan who gets us to think of ourselves and others as, “-ites!” If we allow him to divide us from others into “categories” that make us feel any less than beloved children—sisters and brothers—of our Father in Heaven...then we empower Satan to conquer us. What a beautiful reminder of the “eternal now” as we head into a season of thanksgiving and joy. When we focus on ministering as our Savior would (including “ministering” to our own tender spirits and mortal needs) we open ourselves up to blessings of exponential joy and the tender mercies our Father in Heaven would have us receive. This article/letter is a “keeper,” and one I will gladly share!!