Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Ulisses Soares, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Ulisses Soares counsels members of the Church to promote respect, unity, and dignity for all of God's children.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryIdeas for Opening the Lesson
- Begin the lesson by asking class members to share their thoughts or experiences on the importance of unity and respect among all people.
- Start the lesson with a brief discussion on the concept of "brotherhood" and "sisterhood" in Christ. Ask class members what it means to them.
- Open the lesson by reading President Nelson's quote on abandoning attitudes of prejudice and promoting respect for all God's children. Ask for initial reactions or thoughts.
Topics
Recognizing Our Spiritual Brotherhood and Sisterhood
Elder Soares emphasizes the gospel teaching that we are all spirit children of heavenly parents and therefore brothers and sisters. As disciples of Christ, we are invited to increase our faith in and love for this spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood.
The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that we are all begotten spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents who truly love us and that we lived as a family in God’s presence before we were born on this earth.
- How does understanding our spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood affect our interactions with others?
- What are some ways we can increase our faith in and love for our spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood?
- How can we promote respect for the dignity of all God's children?
- What are some examples in your life where recognizing this spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood has made a difference?
- How can we better knit our hearts together in unity and love, regardless of our differences?
Abandoning Prejudice and Promoting Respect
Elder Soares reiterates President Nelson's call to abandon attitudes and actions of prejudice. He urges us to promote respect for all God's children and emphasizes that human dignity presupposes respect for our differences.
“The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent! … It behooves each of us to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves.”
- What are some ways we can abandon attitudes and actions of prejudice?
- How can we promote respect for all of God's children in our daily interactions?
- What are some ways we can preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves?
- How does respect for human dignity relate to respecting our differences?
- Can you share an experience where you saw someone abandon prejudice and promote respect?
Jesus Christ's Example of Treating Everyone Equally
Elder Soares shares stories from Christ's ministry where He treated everyone equally with love and respect, regardless of their origin, social class, or cultural characteristics. He emphasizes that Christ saw everyone as His brothers and sisters, children of the same Father.
He ministered, healed, and was always attentive to everyone’s needs, especially those who at the time were considered different, belittled, or excluded. He denied none but treated them with equity and love, for He saw them as His brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same Father.
- How can we follow Christ's example in treating everyone equally?
- What lessons can we learn from the way Christ interacted with those who were considered different or excluded?
- How does understanding that we are all children of the same Father influence our interactions with others?
- Can you share an experience where you or someone else followed Christ's example in treating everyone with love and respect?
- What are some ways we can be more attentive to everyone's needs, especially those who are often overlooked or excluded?
Eliminating Prejudice in the Community of Saints
Elder Soares warns against the division and prejudice that can exist even among Saints. He encourages us to eliminate such behavior by looking at our differences with the Savior's eyes, focusing on our common divine identity and kinship.
In fact, my dear brothers and sisters, there is no place for prejudiced thoughts or actions in the community of Saints.
- What are some ways we can eliminate prejudiced thoughts or actions in our communities?
- How can focusing on our common divine identity and kinship help us eliminate prejudice?
- What does it mean to look at our differences with the Savior's eyes?
- Can you share an experience where recognizing our common divine identity and kinship helped overcome prejudice?
- How can we help others in our community to eliminate prejudiced thoughts or actions?
Valuing Diversity as Children of God
Elder Soares encourages us to value our differences as divine children of God. He uses the metaphor of the Iguaçú Falls to illustrate how we can maintain our divine connection while celebrating our diversity.
We will surely become instruments in His hands to promote respect and dignity among all His sons and daughters.
- What are some ways we can better value the diversity among God's children?
- How does the metaphor of the Iguaçú Falls help us understand our divine connection and diversity?
- How can we become instruments in God's hands to promote respect and dignity among all His children?
- Can you share an experience where valuing diversity brought blessings or growth?
- How can we help others to value diversity as divine children of God?
Additional Discussion Questions
- What stood out to you from Elder Soares' talk?
- How can we apply President Nelson's call to abandon prejudice in our lives?
- What are some practical steps we can take to promote respect for all God's children?
- How can we help others understand the concept of spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood?
- How does understanding our divine identity and kinship influence our behavior towards others?
- What can we learn from Christ's interactions with those who were different or excluded during His earthly ministry?
- How can we help eliminate prejudice in our communities and wards?
- What role does humility play in eliminating prejudice and promoting respect?
- How can we encourage others to value diversity as divine children of God?
- How can we maintain our divine connection while celebrating our diversity?
