John Paul the 2nd...

Tuesday 8Dec09  – “An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded.”

“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”

“As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”

These quotes come from Pope John Paul II, who I somehow stumbled upon in my trawling of Wikipedia (it’s amazing to me how all things are interconnected). As I read through the things that he did, the ideas he espoused (not all of which I agree with, but most) and the example he was to millions of people, I was forced to conclude that, as Pres. Hinckley has observed,  there are many people of great faith and excellent works in all places of the world, and that truth is found in all places. A person can believe a lot of truth, not having all of it, and still be a good person who helps others, is charitable and Christ-like in every way that they can.

Now, those who know me well know that this realization doesn’t come easily. Where I went on my mission, the cities were full of people who were the antithesis of the ideas I was preaching. Such behavior on their part made it extremely easy for me to be frustrated and discouraged, and encouraged me to be bitter and hostile towards other religions. I thought of them as receptacles of lies and promoters of deceit who actively tried to keep people in spiritual darkness. As one who was trying (not that I think I ever completely did, or even came close [I was too afraid, I think, to have the faith necessary to ‘lose my ‘life...in order to gain it’. But that is another topic entirely!]) to dedicate their time, effort and life completely to preach the truth as I knew it is, these others who were, in my opinion, keeping souls from coming to the truth. I didn’t like that. I also thought the reference of the ‘great and abominable church’ referred to specific religions.

But I think that now I begin to understand just what the Prophet Joseph was saying: these people (even the ones who I think are trying to sabotage the truth and/or keep others from it) are looking for truth, but don’t know where to find it. All they need is someone with patience to help them feel the Spirit sufficiently to help them make the transition from their truth to the place where the fullness of all truth is- the LDS church.

            Truth is found everywhere and is with all people; some have more than others, and thus makes those with more truth responsible to help those with less. Good people are everywhere and are doing good things to help others. Some are closer to God and Christ than I am (which sadly, doesn’t hurt me as much as it should because I don’t think of myself as a very valiant, upstanding latter-day saint in the first place  :c ).

I also realized that the ‘great and abominable church’ refers to the general apathy towards things religious and spiritual, the nullification of God, and the necessity of faith in our lives; it doesn’t refer to any specific entity or organization.

            I begin to realize that I could take examples from John Paul’s life and do better myself: that someone who I didn’t think was worth emulating indeed has Christ-like attributes that I need to develop.