It would be pretty easy to live a righteous life all by myself. ⁣

Well, maybe not super easy. ⁣

But at least, I think could do it. ⁣

But…

Some of my highest highs AND my lowest lows in life have come from interacting with other people. ⁣

I’ve laughed til my belly aches and cried in moments of vulnerability with good friends. ⁣

And I’ve endured awkward moments and painful misunderstandings with good friends, too. ⁣

I’ve experienced more love than I ever thought possible with my family members. ⁣

And I’ve had to practice patience and forgiveness more than I ever thought possible with my family members. ⁣

I’ve been uplifted and edified by things that my fellow ward members have said. ⁣

And I’ve been shocked and frustrated by things that my fellow ward members have said. ⁣

I’ve had sweet, kind interactions with strangers at parks, stores, or schools. ⁣

And I’ve had terribly rude interactions with strangers at parks, stores, and schools. ⁣

Getting outside of ourselves is where life gets extra messy, but also extra beautiful. ⁣

And I think that’s why the Lord reminds the Saints as they prepared to move to Ohio that they HAD to look out for each other. ⁣

They couldn’t just each take the journey on their own with their own resources. ⁣

Well, maybe a few of them could have made it in their own that way, but they would have left a lot of people in the dust in New York. ⁣

And so the Lord cautioned in D&C 38:27, “If ye are not one ye are not mine”.⁣

We NEED each other. ⁣

The second great commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. ⁣

And so if the adversary can get us to just think about ourselves all the time, he’s won half the battle. ⁣

We have to be one. ⁣

We have to experience the messes that come from meeting new people, awkward moments, and misunderstandings so that we can also practice living the gospel in action. ⁣

Unity and oneness can’t begin if we don’t even know each other. ⁣

And if we are not one, then we are not His.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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