I’ve been going through the published text of this past General Conference as part of my studies, and have been so surprised by how much more I learn as I read and study.
The other night I read through Reyna I. Aburto’s address, “With One Accord,” and learned a valuable lesson about butterflies.
Yes, butterflies.
“A group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope…Each butterfly in a kaleidoscope is unique and different, yet these seemingly fragile creatures have been designed by a loving Creator with the ability to survive, travel, multiply, and disseminate life as they go from one flower to the next, spreading pollen. And although each butterfly is different, they work together to make the world a more beautiful and fruitful place.”
In the side margin, I wrote my impression of that statement, “How the people of the world so desperately need to understand this.”
We live in a world full of deception, where people lie to make seemingly good people look awful, and the majority of the publicity we see is negatively based. Easy example: pick a news channel and watch for a few minutes.
We all have the same divine DNA. We are all designed by a loving Creator with unique talents and personalities, and although different, we can work together to make the world a more beautiful and better place.
Why work so hard to bring people down, when you can do so much more good with much less effort? And the benefits are far superior for doing good things, especially long term.
So, what good are you doing for the world? No, it doesn’t have to be extravagant in scale. It can simply be helping a family member or neighbor. Showing someone that you care about them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with literally telling someone that you are there for them.
Give it a try this week. Each day, find something good you can do in the world around you. Look to serve others. It’s what Jesus did. And we can try our best to be like him with simple acts of service.
The Latter-day Life 