Defending the Family in a Troubled World

BY ELDER BRUCE D. PORTER
OF THE SEVENTY

Adapted from an address given at a conference held at Brigham Young University on March 5, 2010, reprinted in the June 2011 Ensign. This is only a small portion of that talk.
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The Shifting Definition of Tolerance

Until recently in our national history, tolerance referred to racial and religious non-discrimination. It meant civility in the political arena; in other words, respecting the right of others to express their views, even if we do not agree with them. It meant treating all people with decency and respect. Such tolerance is an important and vital part of our American heritage.

Today, however, the world is in danger of abandoning all sense of absolute right or wrong, all morality and virtue, replacing them with an all-encompassing “tolerance” that no longer means what it once meant.

An extreme definition of tolerance is now widespread that implicitly or explicitly endorses the right of every person to choose their own morality, even their own “truth,” as though morality and truth were mere matters of personal preference.

This extreme tolerance culminates in a refusal to recognize any fixed standards or draw moral distinctions of any kind. Few dare say no to the “almighty self” or suggest that some so-called “lifestyles” may be destructive, contrary to higher law, or simply wrong.

When tolerance is so inflated out of all proportions, it means the death of virtue, for the essence of morality is to draw clear distinctions between right and wrong. All virtue requires saying no firmly and courageously to all that is morally bankrupt.

Curiously enough, this new modern tolerance is often a one-way street. Those who practice it expect everyone to tolerate them in anything they say or do, but show no tolerance themselves toward those who express differing viewpoints or defend traditional morality.

Indeed, their intolerance is often most barbed toward those of religious conviction. But let there be no misunderstanding or deception: the First Amendment right of free speech applies to religious speech as well as to other kinds of speech. Believers of all faiths have every right to participate in and share their convictions in the public arena.

Now let us go one step further. Even in its original and correct connotation, tolerance is surely a secondary virtue in comparison with the far higher virtue of love. Certainly it is good to be tolerant of those who are different than we are, treating them with kindness and civility. But love, or charity, is the highest of all, and it is far better to genuinely love those with whom we differ.

When we truly love all of God’s children in a Christlike way, we will desire to bring them unto Christ, the fountain of all happiness. This means proclaiming the truth, defending that which is right, and in a mild voice inviting all to walk the path of Christ. By defending the traditional family, Latter-day Saints bless all people whether others recognize it now or not.

So perfect and exalted was Christ’s love for God’s children that He took upon Himself the penalty for their sins, descending below all things in the Garden of Gethsemane and dying for us on the cross at Golgotha. Yet He never compromised virtue nor tolerated sin in the slightest degree (see D&C 1:31). He treated the woman taken in adultery with love and respect, putting her accusers to shame;nevertheless He said, “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). The Master abhorred sin, because sin is the enemy of the human soul.

God’s love is sometimes described as unconditional. It is true that God loves all of His children on earth no matter how often or how far they may stray. But while God’s love is all-encompassing, His blessings are highly conditional, including the very blessing of being able to feel and experience His love.

The further human beings stray from the path of righteousness, the less they will be capable of feeling divine love, because it is conveyed into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that God loves us less when we stray, only that we, by our choices and actions, have distanced ourselves from His love. How wondrous, then, is the gift of repentance, by which we can be brought back into accord with His will and feel again of His love.

LOOK TO GOD AND LIVE

I recently made a two week long car trip away from my family. It was not until I was alone on the road and feeling exhausted that I realized my own vulnerability. Without God to help me, I would not survive the trip. I could not endure the journey without a higher power to guide my path. I got lost several times, especially in the big cities, where interstates met interstates. Poor visibility, rain, fog and fatigue all took their toll. I listened to Church music and LDS instructional recordings to stay alert and to keep my mind on what was really important.

Several times, I should have been killed or injured in auto accidents and near misses became common place. I believe that miracle after miracle guided me in safety. My first destination from Utah was Pebble Beach, California. Nevada seemed particularly discouraging with its million dollar casinos surrounded by run down trailer courts and desperate, depressed looking people. The losers had paid for the lush gambling halls filled with cigarette smoke.

On one occasion, I took a wrong turn and wound up in a rundown part of the city in Oakland, California, searching for a gasoline station. The streets were dark and the stares of young people in gang colors were frightening at best. It was then that I realized I was at the mercy of whatever those stares had in store, unless divine providence acted in my behalf. Fortunately, I was guarded once more and escaped unharmed, glad to be on my way.

By midnight that first night, I found myself searching, with the help of God and a GPS, for our son’s family amongst a darkened housing area, in a series of lefts and rights that made me dizzy.

I should have not been able to stay awake, but somehow, His angels bore me up and I arrived and collapsed into an awaiting bed at their home. I was thrilled to spend time with family members.

The next leg of my journey brought me thru central and northern California and finally Oregon. Except for the passes, the roads were straight and long and it rained most of the time. Just before Portland, I stumbled into a Motel 6 that was offering a single room for half price. I didn’t even know they were having a special there and I do not believe I staggered into that particular facility by coincidence.

On I went from there to Everett, Washington, Marysville, Washington and finally Oak Harbor, Washington, visiting family along the way and enjoying their kindness and hospitality and of course, getting lost off and on.

I next stopped at the Seattle LDS Temple and participated on ordinances therein, despite efforts by the adversary to impede my way and block my path. It is so good to know that God’s power trumps that of Satan.

I finally parked the car in long term parking and flew home to Utah leaving the car there for a flight back to that area in a couple of days. New adventures awaiting my return to Seattle this time with our daughter and grandson; he had a medical appointment. More miracles followed. Flat tires were fixed, wrong turns were taken and the hands of surgeons were guided, to the point that I could feel the hand of God blessing us all along the way.

I am filled with gratitude for the kind blessings we receive at the hand of God always. He is indeed our Savior and King and may we never forget who helps us thru the struggles of life as we work to do His will.