How Latter-day Saint's Can Learn Compassion in the Last Days | Mormon 1-6 | Come Follow Me

In Mormon 3:12 we learn how Mormon treated those around him despite how wicked they were, saying:

12 Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts.

So how do WE learn to love like Mormon did? In her book I See You: How Compassion and Connection Save Lives, author and speaker Julie Lee wrote:

Seeing people in high definition means we are able to not only recognize the complicated circumstances of their lives, but we can recognize the gifts they have which benefit the world (high definition). We become teachable to the lessons they have to offer.

We are bound to love people more when we see them in high definition. We become more heavily invested in relationships, which creates more risk and vulnerability. We could get hurt. That’s how love works.

All the same, it’s worth making the investment and taking the risk. In her book, The Fear of Flying, Erica Jong wrote, “Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it’s cracked up to be. That’s why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”

Seeing people in high definition will fill our lives with love and light. After all, we know we need light to see color. It will open our eyes to the unending possibilities for friendships. The compassion that we feel for people who struggle is a gift worth fighting for. Seeing people as humans who are doing their best with the hand they’ve been dealt, will serve us well.  The most exciting part of ditching black and white thinking is we no longer have to wait for others to be like us to see them. We can connect and be compassionate, all while standing firmly in what we believe.

I have a dear family friend who served as a district judge for close to a decade. In a recent conversation, he reminded me, “Compassion and love can mean, in the appropriate circumstances, letting the person hit rock bottom.”

There is good and bad behavior. When a stranger kidnaps a child at a playground, they are making a bad choice. Their complicated upbringing doesn’t diminish their bad behavior. This is an important distinction to make. Seeing in color and high definition doesn’t mean we excuse bad behavior; it means we have compassion for the person who made the choice and allow important consequences to follow. No matter the person or the choice, there is always more to learn about people.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!

** The following was taken from I See You: How Compassion and Connection Save Lives. The opinions and views expressed herein belong solely to Julie Lee and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of Cedar Fort, Inc.