Be a Little Kinder - Mosiah 20

Mosiah 20 – Look before you Leap

This chapter is a great example of examining a situation with thoroughness before you take action.  Even better – why not consult the Lord before taking action?

King Noah’s Priests who had abandoned their wives and families, abducted the Lamanite daughters. They were in the wilderness without wives and we already know they don’t have a lot of morals or else they would not have left their families to spare their own lives.  Why NOT steal someone else’s daughters to satisfy their own lustful needs? 

Rather than stop to assess the situation, the Lamantes declared war on the people of Limhi who, to this point had kept the oath of peace they had made with the Lamanites.  A terrible battle ensued.  It wasn’t until they captured the wounded King of the Lamanites that they examined the cause of the battle and other possible options.  How much better it would have been if the King had calmly gone over to Limhi and had conversation with him.  Sure, he could be angry still.  You would be if your daughter had been kidnapped.  But look at the lives that would have been spared from needless slaughter if they’d taken this one step. 

Do we do this in our own lives?  Do we take offense at something and get angry and shut a loved one, friend or work associate out of our lives or cause them grief because of our misunderstandings?  It happens way too much in this world.  We can learn from the example of this unfortunate experience.  I personally don’t believe most people wake up in the morning and think to themselves: “How can I ruin someone’s day?”  We are human and sometimes insensitive, but I don’t believe most of us are inherently evil.  We make mistakes.  Let’s be a little kinder.  I love Pres. Hinckley’s closing remarks at April 1999 General Conference:  “We can all be a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more thoughtful of one another. We can be a little more tolerant and friendly to those not of our faith, going out of our way to show our respect for them. We cannot afford to be arrogant or self-righteous. It is our obligation to reach out in helpfulness, not only to our own but to all others as well.”