The good in us all

Today I know I must write.  The circumstances are such that I know it is time again.  I have realized that my gift is not in speaking, and in fact I fumble often with my words when I try to explain myself.  My gift is in writing.  Many events have happened that have brought me to this realization and as such it is time to explain myself.  I am often seen defending those who to most people seem to not deserve my defense.  There is a reason for this.  God has given me a gift and as I have come closer to him that gift is magnified.  In saying this I am not saying I am free of imperfections, listen to me speak and you will know that I am full of them.  The gift he has given me is the ability to see beyond the man and into the spirit.  I can see not the man that has done an awful thing, but the man that was, that still can be through the atonement, and the man that God loves.   I can see into the heart.  I can see the pathway that led a once good man, as King David was to sin so awful that they may never recover from it.  I can see the tragedy of it, and it makes me want to cry for them, not condemn them, for the world has already done that.  I know all men must be brought to justice for their sins, it is not my job to condemn them more. I also truly mourn for those in whom these people have hurt.  I also know that God can see more than any of us can, and that many of those people who have fallen so hard, might yet make it back to the celestial kingdom, and I want to be there to welcome them in.  I want to be there to show them the great joy I have knowing that they made if after all.  I want to not feel the tragedy of their fall.  I want to not mourn for young David any longer.  I want to go home and see all of my brothers and sisters in whom I know I loved before this world and in whom followed the Savior at least once as I did.  I do not want to cry for them because they are not there, I want to rejoice because they are.  I believe that if we all could see as God does just once we would never again be quick to anger, to condemn, to justify our own actions and words, to hate.  I believe we would be in a hurry to bring all men; even those in whom we feel have wronged us most; to our Savior, to healing, to peace.  We would mourn for those who continue in misery, not anger towards them.  Instead of trying to change them, we would love them, and our actions and words would show it.  Remember Mormon, a prophet in the Book of Mormon (ancient scriptures written by prophets of the inhabitants of the Americas) and how he served a people so fallen.  These people so full of anger and hatred towards one another asked Mormon, 15 at the time, to lead them in battle to protect them, perhaps they could sense his strength and love for them.  As far as we know they never did return to that God that loved them so much, but Mormon loved them anyways, and as a result did not lose his soul.  Remember the Savior, that did not condemn the woman taken in adultery.  We all know that story, but do we know the significance of it.  We are not capable as mankind to see into the hearts of men.  God only can give us that ability, and when he has we know it has come from God because of the Love that we are filled with.  The ability to love even those in whom we deem unlovable.  The ability to feel sorrow for the Ebenezer Scrooges of our time, for the abuser and the abused (who often times are both), for the drunkard, and for the murderer (remember the Lamanites, a people in the Book of Mormon, were murderous people before they were converted).  In saying all this I am not saying that these people do not need to be brought to justice, for we know that they must.  I am not saying that you need to trust these people, I am only saying that we are not God and cannot write them off, and say they are not worthy of our love and understanding.  Do we know the pathway that led them to that point.  Do we remember the day that they and us chose to follow God.  All people were good once.  David slew Goliath in great faith for the protection of his people, and later in life sent a man to his death because of lust.  All of us could fall like that, not one of us is immune.  All of us need God and the Savior to get us back, not just because of the mistakes we make, but because of the mistakes we will yet make, and the inability to change on our own.  All of us have regrets, insecurities, and a desire to be understood, loved and accepted.  All of us will fall, and require the atonement to get back up.  Never make the mistake of thinking that your sins are lesser sins, for these so called lesser sins are what lead to greater sins.  One of my favorite parts in the Book of Mormon is when the people for almost 4 generations live in peace and love towards one another and had everything common among them.  This can be us, but the change has to come from within ourselves and through the divine power of God.  It tells us in the scriptures to pray for this love.  It is a gift that God is waiting to give us.  It will only bring us to more peace and joy and closer to the veil, and closer to the face of God.