Just hours after the Opening Ceremony took place in Tokyo for the delayed 2020 Olympic Games, President Russell M. Nelson posted on his Facebook page about the importance of healthy competition, respect, and cooperation.
“It is possible to disagree with others without violating the Savior’s injunction to ‘love one another, as I have loved you’ (John 15:12). It is possible to have a different opinion than your neighbor while still loving that neighbor. It is even possible to ’compete’ in a spirit of mutual respect that brings out the best in everyone.”
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He also recounts the life-saving importance of cooperation and teamwork when he and his colleagues were pioneering the artificial heart-lung machine, stating that, “We knew that our real competition was against disease and death. Our cooperation in the race to pioneer new medical procedures literally saved lives.”
He concludes: “May we reflect personally on what we can do to eliminate contention from our own lives as we embrace the Olympic ideals of excellence, friendship, and respect.”
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Lead image from Facebook