Bob Young is a lifelong member of the Church who has served in a variety of leadership and support callings. He served a full-time mission in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from California State University at Long Beach with a degree in Communications. Bob spent more than three decades as a human resources professional and is now happily retired. He is currently serving as a stake emotional resilience facilitator.
Enter Bob…
Recently, in a discussion regarding community activities, a neighbor stated it was hard to know about the community events because “the standing joke is, you don’t really have neighbors here unless you’re LDS.” She added that for the last several years, she has taken Christmas goodies to her immediate neighbors but has yet to make a connection with any of them.
As I thought about this comment, I also recalled two previous conversations with different community residents who were told by other Latter-day Saint neighbors their children would not be allowed to play with each other because they were not members of the Church. One of these comments was from a couple of decades ago while the other was somewhat more recent.
While I obviously do not know if similar feelings are had in other areas, it makes me sad to hear that it is present in my own neighborhood. I hope that as I present a few discussion items on this topic, each of us can self-evaluate how we interact with our neighbors who are not members of our faith.
The Savior’s Legacy of Love
In the familiar story found in Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus was asked “which is the great commandment in the law?” He responded the “first and great commandment” is to love God with all of our soul and mind. However, he didn’t conclude His answer here, He continued by adding this commandment’s companion. He continued “And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Then the Savior declared, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
In other words, isn’t Christ teaching us that love is the essence of His gospel? President Thomas S. Monson said:
“Actually, love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. His life was a legacy of love.”
Also, Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf stated,
“Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ.”
In Luke 10:29-37, Jesus responds to the question “who is my neighbour” by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus then asks which one was “neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” The inquiring man responded that it was the one who showed mercy and Jesus then commands “Go, and do thou likewise.” An essential part of this story is that Samaritans were thought by Jews to have a diluted bloodline, and incorrect faith and traditions. Yet this greatest of all teachers taught us with this parable these things do not matter; we should love and show love to others regardless of differences in faith, culture, standing and/or any other difference.
We have a wonderful manual on the Church’s website dedicated to “Teaching in the Savior’s Way,” but shouldn’t we also love as the Savior loves?
Christ taught in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you.” Then He emphasizes the importance of this “new” doctrine by essentially repeating it twice more to His disciples in John 15:12 and John 15:17.
The doctrines and principles of the gospel are, of course, important and deserving of our attention and obedience—but if they don’t lead us to greater compassion, kindness, and inclusion, perhaps we are missing something. With the above being said, the question is how do we do it?
Being Neighborly
There are many ways to involve ourselves in our communities and to include our neighbors regardless of differences of faith, culture, politics, ethnicity, or orientation. There are PTAs, garden clubs, youth sports leagues, local neighborhood associations, etc. Step one could be just to become friends with our non-member neighbors by doing simple things like:
- Inviting them over for dinner without an agenda,
- Having a game night with several neighbors,
- Shoveling someone’s snow or mowing their lawn without being asked,
- Sharing produce from our garden,
- Having a mutual play day with kids at the park and
- Many more ways not listed here.
We can also show up at community forums, concerts, or service opportunities not affiliated with the Church, and invite neighbors to attend with us. Loving our neighbor isn’t about shared religion—it’s about shared humanity. It’s great to invite our non-member friends to our Church activities, but many might not feel comfortable in this type of setting and may respond better to non-religious invites. Other ways to be more neighborly include:
- Learning your neighbors’ names and using them,
- Waving and greeting them regularly (especially those who live near you),
- Bringing over cookies just because,
- Welcoming someone new to the street right away,
- Offering help in emergencies, moves, etc.
A big way is to engage in conversations about them by asking questions and showing interest in their lives, their children, and/or their beliefs. This can help people feel seen and valued before they ever step into our Church building. It can also open hearts without pressure and let the Spirit guide naturally.
With regard to this subject, President Dallin H. Oaks stated,
“On the subject of public discourse, we should all follow the gospel teachings to love our neighbor and avoid contention. Followers of Christ should be examples of civility. We should love all people, be good listeners, and show concern for their sincere beliefs. Though we may disagree, we should not be disagreeable. Our stands and communications on controversial topics should not be contentious.”
An addition resource on how we can do this can be found on the Church website.
Our Own Street
Let us lead out—not just in faith, but in friendship. Let us live the gospel by loving like the Savior loves. A good place to start or to renew our efforts will be on our own street, right where we live.
