Missionaries in Odate, Japan (taken by me)

It is going to get harder and harder for people not to find out that you’re a Christian with standards different from our fellow (sometimes atheist) man. The sooner we get used to being in the spotlight and expected to explain ourselves and keeping our standards then the faster we will find confidence given to us by the Lord, and the sooner we will find His approval. Isn’t that terribly important? It is to me. To Hell with the world and to Heaven with the Lord. I guess I’m reflecting this back to living in Japan where nobody believed in Christ, nor many times one true God. But it will become increasingly important in the land of equality and rights here in America to stand for what you believe in.

Doesn’t it say in Romans 12:5 – “we, being many, are one body in Christ.” Unity is necessary for any Christian church. For any religion, at all. As the world slowly, and slightly is tempted into becoming worse and worse then unity is the only thing that will keep the weak of the church from being picked off by the wolves. I think a lot of times unity is an obscure topic that leaders are expected to understand and aim for. But, as a church, if we don’t seek for unity from the bottom up, then the bottom will get swept away in the storm of life.

Today in Sunday School we were learning about unity. Proposition 8 came up as we talked about how this has disunited so many members as they have tried to keep standards of following the Lord’s will, and yet still want to make the world happy with them. It says in Acts 13:47, “I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” We have to expect that there were be trials in our life because of our religion. We have to expect that trials do not only mean personal one-on-one trials, but tests of faith against our neighbors, our employers, our friends and our family members. This is very easy for me to say since I haven’t had any of those tests yet. But I fully expect them, and I hope to follow my Savior through them.

I know it’s difficult, though. We had a Brother in Sunday School today who commented that he was going into Music, Dance, Theater for a major. He related that because of the support the Mormon Church has given Prop 8 that the theaters and acting agencies refuse to accept applicants and employees from Utah. The problem is so big that the faculty of the department got together and reviewed what to do since if they aren’t providing an atmosphere of getting jobs outside of graduation then they can’t continue the program. That’s pretty scary for the junior sitting in our class. That’s a clear representation also of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” The church members that supported in Prop 8 are causing this man to suffer, even though he isn’t from California.

Becoming a Christian causes an investment in where the church goes. I think that is where unity really counts. The church has to move forward in unity to be able to survive the suffering that every individual both feels and causes for others. If there is not unity then that church will quickly see its members looking for a new place, a convenient place, to worship instead of finding the strength they need to make through the hazing process the Lord prepares us for.

I know these thoughts are somewhat scattered, but this seems so important to me for members to find unity within both my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints/Mormon Church, as with any other. With this coming Christmas, we should be looking to unify ourselves with both Christ and the body of Christ, which is the church. Through knowing the true will of God, then we may confront the brushes of the adversary as he seeks to demoralize us and invite us to lower our standards. Then I can have confidence in my actions and know that the Lord is supporting me as I gain my education at school. That’s my prayer this week as I dive into finals before I get my Christmas Break. I hope you will also comment on your feelings of unity, temptations, standards, and surviving the tempest of the world.