God the literal Father of the spirits of all human
beings. He loves all His children
“Then
Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no
respecter of persons” (Acts 19:34). "... he inviteth them all to come unto
him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black
and white, bond and free, male and female; and ... all are alike unto God ...”
(2 Nephi 26:33). God loves all His children and reveals His will to them. “I
shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it” (2
Nephi 29:12). “Ultimately, we realize that only the comprehension of the true
Fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men
and the true sisterhood of women. That understanding inspires us with
passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of
segregation” (August 2018). The second great commandment is “Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:31).
Because
God loves all His children, He gives to the people of every nation that which
they can accept and understand. In terms of moral prerogatives, there is much
in common across all world religions and many good people who do not affiliate
with a specific religion. We can use this commonality to work together to solve
some of the big problems that afflict humanity. Together we can find answers to
such problems as the gigantic differences between the poor and the wealthy,
lack of basic freedoms in many countries, equal access to medical treatments,
equal educational opportunity, huge environmental concerns, war, hatred,
racism.
Mortality
brings many challenges including physical illness, accident, untimely death,
and mental illness. There is “opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11). Harvard
psychologist Susan David wrote, “Discomfort is the price of admission to a
meaningful life” (Emotional Agility Newsletter, August 20, 2024). I believe God
allows these challenges because He loves us and knows that they can result in
growth in ways nothing else can.