Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in October 2021 general conference: “My dear brothers and sisters, during an exercise stress test, the heart’s workload is increased. Hearts that can handle walking may struggle to support the demands of running uphill. In this way, the stress test can reveal underlying disease that is not otherwise apparent. Any issues identified can then be treated before they cause serious problems in daily life.
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been a global stress test! The test has shown mixed results.
Yet, in some instances, the spiritual stress test has shown tendencies toward contention and divisiveness. This suggests that we have work to do to change our hearts and to become unified as the Savior’s true disciples. This is not a new challenge, but it is a critical one.4
When the Savior visited the Nephites, He taught, “There shall be no disputations among you. … He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.”5 When we contend with each other in anger, Satan laughs and the God of heaven weeps.6
. . . . By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”8 The converse is also true—everyone knows that we are not His disciples when we do not show love one to another. His latter-day work is compromised when contention or enmity9 exists among His disciples.10 Second, contention is spiritually unhealthy for us as individuals. We are robbed of peace, joy, and rest, and our ability to feel the Spirit is compromised.
Jesus Christ explained that His doctrine was not “to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but [that His] doctrine [is] that such things should be done away.”11 If I am quick to take offense or respond to differences of opinion by becoming angry or judgmental, I “fail” the spiritual stress test. This failed test does not mean that I am hopeless. Rather, it points out that I need to change. And that is good to know.
. . . . Unity requires effort.15 It develops when we cultivate the love of God in our hearts16 and we focus on our eternal destiny.17 We are united by our common, primary identity as children of God18 and our commitment to the truths of the restored gospel. In turn, our love of God and our discipleship of Jesus Christ generate genuine concern for others. We value the kaleidoscope of others’ characteristics, perspectives, and talents.19 If we are unable to place our discipleship to Jesus Christ above personal interests and viewpoints, we should reexamine our priorities and change.
We might be inclined to say, “Of course we can have unity—if only you would agree with me!” A better approach is to ask, “What can I do to foster unity? How can I respond to help this person draw closer to Christ? What can I do to lessen contention and to build a compassionate and caring Church community?”
When love of Christ envelops our lives,20 we approach disagreements with meekness, patience, and kindness.21 We worry less about our own sensitivities and more about our neighbor’s. We “seek to moderate and unify.”22 We do not engage in “doubtful disputations,” judge those with whom we disagree, or try to cause them to stumble.23 Instead, we assume that those with whom we disagree are doing the best they can with the life experiences they have. For Elder Renlund’s complete remarks click. . . .The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity
