Please Don't Label Me "Inactive"

burnham lighthouse
Originally uploaded by g r e e n g a g e

As members of the Church we are sometimes inclined to place labels on others. The world needs to be a place of order, and I guess things seem more orderly when people are placed in categories and stamped with labels. Some of these labels might be “inactive,” “nonmember,” “active,” “single,” “divorced,” “uninterested,” “smoker,” “drinker,” and so on. May I suggest that there is a very real danger in applying these labels to people? It is altogether too easy to forget that each man, woman, boy, and girl on the face of the earth is a child of our Father in Heaven and entitled to the same blessings as we are. If we study the life of the Savior, we find that he was very hesitant to label his brothers and sisters as publicans, sinners, or adulterers. There can be no doubt that, as a perfect man, he was all too well aware of the sin in this world. Yet he was able to condemn the sin while at the same time loving and caring for the sinner. It is interesting to me to note that the one label that he did apply was that of “hypocrite.” Are there any of us who are so free from sin that we can afford to categorize others? Let us be careful to view our brothers and sisters as sons and daughters of God with great potential and to care for them accordingly.--Elder Ballard (Click here to see the entire article.)

An understanding friend of mine recently asked me, "So, are you inactive, or do you just not attend church?" I replied that I am not inactive. I still do all the things that I have done for years: study the scriptures each day, pay tithing, pray. Most importantly, I feel the Holy Spirit guiding me, and I feel my Savior's love and approval. I simply cannot attend any meetings right now, and that is because of my illness. Being the great friend that she is, she trusted that I spoke the truth.

Interestingly, I see aspects of my Patriarchal Blessing being fulfilled now as never before. I know that my light has not gone out. I hope I am serving, although I am unable to accept any formal calling.

I know that we all need to let our lights shine. Perhaps others could think of me--and of others in similar situations--as just a different type of lighthouse.

(Thank you to adamclutterbuck.com for the picture. Click on the photo for credits.)