Pres. Snow – Interacting with Others Who Believe Differently

When I was given this quote by President Snow from the priesthood manual to read in class today, I thought immediately of posting it here. I wish all church leaders, at all levels, understood and followed it more closely. The part about losing any confidence that used to exist between people is especially prophetic when the fallout from Prop 8 is considered – and I think the recent effort to be more understanding and accepting of homosexual members and non-members is a direct result of seeing that fallout and dealing with its consequences:

“We have got to know that it is our business to learn to secure the peace and happiness of those that are around us, and never take a course to trample upon the feelings or rights of our neighbors. Let a man go and trample upon the rights of a brother and how long would it take him to destroy that feeling of confidence that had heretofore existed between them? And when once destroyed how long will it take to establish that feeling which once existed between them? It will take a great while. This is what we have to place our eye upon; in all our thinking, in all our movements and in our secret meditations we want to let our minds reflect upon the interests of all around; and to consider that they have rights and privileges as well as ourselves; we ought to have this firmly established in our minds.”