We Need More Less Active Members

Many of us have individuals within our families or circle of influence who have changed drastically from how they were raised. For the sake of keeping with the curriculum of the course, we will call these transitional characters. These transitional characters could make positive changes, such as overcoming an abusive upbringing. On the other hand, they could also have negative consequences, such as a family member who is raised in an active church going family becoming less-active. I would like to focus on the latter.

While we never want to see someone leave what Brigham Young called "the Old Ship Zion," we also need to understand the huge importance of agency. I work with a man, who we will call John (because I want him to be anonymous, but I am also uncreative). John is in his mid-twenties, grew up in a strong LDS family in a community with a high LDS population. He never served a mission and went less active for a while, indulging in alcohol and presumably other sins. He has in the past two years, however, completely come back from that.

While John has regained activity, he could still be considered by some to be a "black sheep," so to speak. On the outside, he still looks and talks like he could be less active, though his faith is strong. I'm not a member of his congregation, so I don't know what happens there, but I know I erroneously judged him when I first met him. In getting to know him better, I have seen my testimony in the principles taught by Jacob 5 strengthened.

In Jacob 5, a parable is shared about olive trees. I'm no expert in botany or agriculture, but from what I understand to continue to get produce from the particular variety of olive trees discussed, it is crucial to graft in branches from wild olive trees. We can apply this both to within the church as a whole as well as to our society. It is important that we accept those who on the outside seem different. People like John have a middle-ground perspective.

Side tracking for a second, here, what is it that I mean by a middle-ground perspective? I mean that John is uniquely positioned to be able to form a bridge for investigators. On one hand, John grew up in the Gospel and therefore has an extensive knowledge of the doctrine. On the other, he knows what it's like to live "in the world." With this, he can walk side by side through the path of conversion with an investigator who may struggle with things that someone who grew up in and stayed in the Church hasn't, because he has been there.

Speaking with John, I feel I am at least a little better equipped to welcome a non-member into Church who struggles with the same things John did. If we don't accept these people or seem stand offish toward them, our figurative olive tree will become unproductive and eventually die. In other words, we'll become an exclusive group of weirdies and that for sure won't help spread the Gospel to all the world.

Remember, everyone is important whether their lifestyle seems to mesh with ours or not. The burden of judgement is not our own, but the burden of acceptance is. The more accepting we can be, the more people we will aid in accepting the Gospel. Obviously, it isn't as easy as just being accepting, but I surely wouldn't want to even try to understand an exclusive, judgmental group, whether I grew up with them to begin with or not.