In a time of hatred, war, and great upheaval, it's touching to see this beam of gospel light shining brightly. The grandfather of one of the slain Amish girls took the opportunity during this horrible trial to teach other children to love and forgive their enemy. If the world would accept and practice this principle, we would enjoy the peace the Nephites and Lamanites experienced at the end of Helaman 5 after the gospel was preached among the Lamanites.
To read more, follow this link:
(WARNING: CNN may display a Victoria Secret ad on the right side of the screen)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/04/amish.shooting/
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2 comments:
I'd love to hear Mormons speak louder about loving our enemies, instead of backing wars to destroy them. I think we can learn a few things from the Amish.
What the Amish showed so beautifully is a Christ-like love for the killer's widow. They have a God-like level of empathy for her.
A totally separate issue is the appropriateness of going to war to destroy your enemies when your enemies are intent on destroying you.
The Book of Mormon illustrates that some people simply choose to do all in their power to enslave and kill. With these people, the only option is to subdue or kill them before they do it to us.
Choosing to defend one's country and family against enemies (aka. people who are bent on enslaving or killing) is the right thing to do. See Alma 48:14.
Intellectually honest people can debate about specific current events, and from whom and at what time it is appropriate to go to war to protect our country. But the blanket statement that Mormons who back certain wars are war-mongers actually reveals about the stater a fundamental lack of understanding:
--of free agency,
--of the existence of evil, and
--of the reality that some people will use their agency to gain power and will kill to get it (like Hitler).
The statement also shows an inability to discern moral differences between those who go to war because they are protecting themselves and those who go to war because they have murderous hearts and wish to destroy others' freedoms and lives.
It would benefit us all to be like Captain Moroni who went to war to preserve the freedom and lives of his people, and like the Amish who don't hold hate for the innocent family of the killer.
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