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Doctrinal Background |
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Conditions in the Pre-Mortal World |
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Assignments to Earthly Nations |
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Earthly Conditions |
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The Role of Diversity in Establishing the
Millennial Kingdom |
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Learning to Celebrate Diversity |
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Conditions of pre-mortal spirits |
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Assignments to nations and eras |
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Circumstances on earth |
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Some spirits advanced enough to be considered by
the Lord as “noble and great” |
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Currently available revelations don’t specify
the meaning of “advancement,” “nobility,” nor “greatness” in a perfect,
infinite environment |
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There must have been some kind of organization
in the pre-mortal world that regulated assignments to geographical
placement, families, and a variety of missions on earth, based on a number
of variables combined with the foreknowledge of God |
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Currently available revelations don’t specify
what criteria would have been used to determine such pre-mortal assignments |
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“There were no national distinctions among
[pre-mortal] spirits such as Americans, Europeans, Asians, Australians,
etc. Such 'bounds of habitation'
would have to be 'determined' when the spirits entered their earthly
existence …” |
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Home Memories of
President David O. McKay, pp.228-230 |
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“And again I say unto you, let every man
esteem his brother as himself. For
what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and
they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in
robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit
thou there--and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just? Behold, this I have given unto you as a
parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not
one ye are not mine.” |
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Doctrine & Covenants 38:25-27 |
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“But it is not given that one man should
possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.” |
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Doctrine & Covenants 49:20 |
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“Behold these thy brethren; they are the
workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them ... commandment, that
they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father;
but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; ...
[Wherefore] should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?” |
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Moses 7:32-33,37 |
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“... Wherefore, he commandeth none that they
shall not partake of his salvation. ... and he inviteth them all to come
unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto
him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; ... and all are alike
unto God, both Jew and Gentile.” |
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The Book of Mormon
2 Nephi 26:24,33 |
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“We must not be partisans of any doctrine of
ethnic superiority. We live in a
world of diversity. We can and must
be respectful toward those with whose teachings we may not agree. We must be willing to defend the rights
of others who may become the victims of bigotry.” |
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Conference Report, April 1995 |
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“It is morally wrong for any person or group to
deny anyone his or her inalienable dignity on the tragic and abhorrent
theory of racial or cultural superiority.” |
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Conference Report, April 1994 |
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The dispensation of the fulness of times: a
welding of previous (and largely unknown) dispensations |
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The role of foreign languages in scripture study |
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The design of the millennial kingdom of Christ:
the analogy of the building |
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“And then cometh the day when the arm of the
Lord shall be revealed in power in convincing the nations ... of the gospel
of their salvation. For it shall
come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the
gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are
ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed
forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.” |
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Doctrine & Covenants 90:10-11 |
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“... [Do] not speak in tongues except there
be an interpreter present; the ultimate design of tongues is to speak to
foreigners, and if persons are very anxious to display their intelligence,
let them speak to such in their own tongues.” |
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Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.247 |
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The oneness of “Zion” requires correct knowledge
about the cultural backgrounds of the members of our organizations |
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Accentuate the positive–the world is not a slum,
and the definitions and standards for “poverty” vary with economic and
cultural conditions |
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Include members from other nationalities in
active and significant roles–use interpreters if necessary |
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Be patient and respectful with cultural
"idiosyncrasies" |
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Notes