Latter-day Saint Life

President Uchtdorf Gives the Perfect Advice for How We Stand Up for What We Believe

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Finding ways to balancing standing up for our beliefs while being respectful and mindful of others is not ways easy. 

In a recent Facebook post, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared the perfect way members can balance boldness without being overbearing when they stand up for what they believe.

To all who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I invite you to be confident and courageous in living as a member of the Church in kindness and in clarity. Please stand up for what the gospel is all about. We do not need to be overbearing, but we should not shy away from living and sharing our beliefs.
I’m reminded of an experience I recently heard about parents who were registering a child for school. The registration form asked if the child was Lutheran or Catholic. The parents informed the school administrators that their child was neither—he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were told the name of the Church was too long to be included on the form.
After insisting patiently and kindly and making it clear that this was important for their family, these parents finally were able to find a way to register their child with the school, indicating him as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the registration form. Perhaps this is a small thing, but it is on small hinges that big gates swing. These parents understood that their religion was important enough to include on the school records. This is the kind of maturity and confidence that our children and grandchildren need to see in our daily interactions.
We do not need to place ourselves on a pedestal and look down on those of other faiths, nor should we cower and shy away from letting others know who we are and what we believe. We should feel confident and at peace to communicate who we are, eye-to-eye with all whom we come into contact during our daily lives. Our kindness to our fellowmen and dedication to living gospel principles will be our best missionary tools, often more so than the spoken word.

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