July 4th 2008

The two way street

Recently the church published online a resource guide for disability’s.
A marvellous read, one I would recommend. It can be found at
www.lds.org under the home and family section. It covers all the major
disabilities such as autism, hearing / sight impairments, chronic illness,
mental, physical disabilities etc. Of course everyone has different needs
and it would be too exhaustive to cover them all, but as a general guide
it can be adaptive to the individual needs of the members.

The message is simple. Everyone has the right to full participation in
the church, whether it be as a child in Primary, YM/YW, YSA, RS,
Priesthood, Sunday school, as a teacher of those with special needs or
with special needs themselves or serving in any calling. Our limitations
due to disability should not impede our participation. The awareness of
and the incidence of disability is on the increase , we all need to do our
part.

This subject is fraught with danger. I will tread carefully but please pull
your feet under the seat so I don’t step on any toes.

We are all given talents and gifts, we are all given the opportunity to increase and magnify these gifts and talents to further our own journey towards exaltation and to glorify our Father in Heaven.
We are also given challenges and obstacles to overcome for the same reasons. To journey forward towards exaltation through endurance and faith; and to glorify our Father in Heaven. For many the challenge is a disability. For us as members of the Church we need to be understanding of these limitations and the with all sincerity ask how we may help these members fully participate. We then need to respect the way that person
/ parents deals with things and not try and force our ideals upon them. It is easy to get caught up in the ‘you just don’t understand’ frustrated attitude as a sufferer / parent and it is easy to get caught up in the ‘well I’d do it this way’ judgemental attitude. Both are wrong, both need repentance and forgiveness. Both need to
learn the unconditional pure love of Christ.

Page 276 of the teachings of the Presidents - Joseph Smith manual states:

‘The work in which we are unitedly engaged is one of no ordinary kind. The enemies we have to contend against are subtle and well skilled in manoeuvring; it behooves us to be on the alert to concentrate our energies, and the best feelings should exist in our midst; and then, by the help of the Almighty, we shall go on from victory to victory, and from conquest to conquest; our evil passions will be subdued, our prejudices depart; we shall find no room in our bosoms for hatred; vice will hide its deformed head, and we shall stand approved in the sight of heaven, and be acknowledged the sons of God.’

Here within the gospel should be our haven, our solace and safe harbour from the world, let us not bring it in here too. Love one another, be your brothers keeper, have compassion and understanding, even if your don’t understand and possibly never will, have the faith in the Lord and the love to not judge. It is too easy to become hardened, we are weak and we are wicked, but with the love and strength of the Lord we can be exhibitors of Christ like love for all. We are poor wayfaring men of grief and we are the ones
who took Him in and lifted Him up, we are all these things and more because of Him who died for us.

The conductor of the choir I am in told us of a member of his church choir who continually disrupts the rehearsals and makes a huge fuss over the way this person believes Amazing Grace should be sung. He reminded that person as he reminded us when we sang it last week that it is not how you sing it, it is to whom you are singing. It is what you are singing about.

Same for us, it is not what you look like, how you are dressed, how your hair is styled, how you speak, behave or any number of things, it is for whom we are here. It is to whom we have come to worship and adore that matters. He didn’t wear a suit with a crisp white shirt and conservative tie, He did not ask those around Him to come follow Him as long as they had the right shoes on or thought the way other people did.
He came to set free the sinner. To lift up the poor and lowly of heart, restore sight to the blind, health to the leper cause the lame to walk. He cares not what we look like, he cares that we follow Him and that we love one another.

From the bottom of my heart in all sincerity I love you my brothers and sisters and I pray the Lord will help me be compassionate and understanding, to put away my pride and unrighteous judgments and to always
love my fellow man.