How Should We Treat Others?

[Finrock]

One of my weaknesses is that I do not have enough compassion for others. I am too selfish and self-centered; frequently worried about what I want or supposedly need. I came across a passage in Jacob that I felt addresses my issue.

Jacob 2:17

17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

I wondered to myself what does it really mean to "[t]hink of your bretheren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all..."? So, I pose this question here. What say you?

Sincerely,

Finrock

[Guest]

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Think of how you'd want to be treated and do the same. I don't know how many times a day I tell my kids those things, or how many times a week I fail at them myself.

[Seminarysnoozer]

One of my weaknesses is that I do not have enough compassion for others. I am too selfish and self-centered; frequently worried about what I want or supposedly need. I came across a passage in Jacob that I felt addresses my issue.

Jacob 2:17

17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

I wondered to myself what does it really mean to "[t]hink of your bretheren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all..."? So, I pose this question here. What say you?

Sincerely,

Finrock

That is what Celestial life is like, to love your neighbor as your self. We are told to do that so that we can begin to learn and show that we like such a lifestyle as God will not give us something we don't like. The start of such love is in the family. Think of the love you have for your children (if you have any) or your parents love for you, that is a good example of this kind of love and familiarity.

[Wingnut]

One of my weaknesses is that I do not have enough compassion for others. I am too selfish and self-centered; frequently worried about what I want or supposedly need.

For the record, that does not come across in your interactions with members of this site. :)

[Traveler]

I have two thoughts. The first is that often we are our own worse critics. At least I am. Many times I feel that I have fallen short and criticize myself thinking I should do better. Seldom am I satisfied with my own efforts. Perhaps in this manner I am different than others that post on the forum. It is harder for me to forgive myself than it is others - I can walk away from others when I am not comfortable with what they are doing but I live everyday with myself and the mistakes I make - there is never a time or a place that I can walk away from my own mistakes and sins. There has been some feed back that I am arrogant and seem to always think I am right. The truth is that I am never satisfied with what I post. Like sharing my testimony or giving a talk - when I finish I mostly remember what I left out and should have said. In this, I do not believe I should treat others as my self.

The second thought has much to do with second thoughts. Mostly I think I should be able to have a "do over". Let me try again and make more of an effort to get it right. In this I believe I should treat others as myself. Giving latitude to try again and make a effort to improve. I should never deny anyone the opportunity to try again to do better.

The Traveler

[NeuroTypical]

I wondered to myself what does it really mean to "[t]hink of your bretheren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all..."? So, I pose this question here. What say you?

So what are you? I'm a son of God, inheritor of a divine birthright, doing time as an error-prone agenda-driven fallen sinful guy on earth. Sometimes I do ok, sometimes I don't. I have strengths and weaknesses, and can be pretty selective about who I let comment on my weaknesses.

Life got a lot easier once I realized most other people are pretty much just like me in these ways.

[Finrock]

I looked up the word familiar and I think the second definition given in Merriam-Webster fits the context of the scripture:

"one who is often seen and well known; especially: an intimate associate"

How can I treat everyone as one who is often seen and well known? How can I treat everyone as an intimate associate? What does practicing these principles entail in my day to day interactions?

Regards,

Finrock

[zippy_do46]

One of my weaknesses is that I do not have enough compassion for others. I am too selfish and self-centered; frequently worried about what I want or supposedly need. I came across a passage in Jacob that I felt addresses my issue.

Jacob 2:17

17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

I wondered to myself what does it really mean to "[t]hink of your bretheren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all..."? So, I pose this question here. What say you?

Sincerely,

Finrock

I have a very good friend who is a beautiful example of this. She has such compassion for others that serving others is like taking a breath. It is a natural part of her.

She once told me that sometimes she feels like some people have trouble recognizing compassion. A lot of people think she is crazy or stupid just because she is doing what she feels her Heavenly Father wants her to do. She told me that the only time she has trouble is when she starts second guessing her actions.

[ElectofGod]

Here is some deeper thought.

Let me quote from the king follet discourse: “If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.”(...ensign/1971/04/the-king-follett-sermon) Why is that? How does this relate to knowing God? Do we know ourselves by knowing God? Or do we know God by knowing ourselves? When do we become like God? What image were we made of? Whos countenance? What changes us or is it always there?

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see through a glass [mirror], darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

• Alma 5:14

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

• Alma 5:19

19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day [judgment] with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

Are we not all quickened by the same substance? The governance of our spirit, The Holy Ghost? Which communicates with the Holy Spirit which will make us ONE with God if we do so? Once one has "received the Holy Ghost".

If we see Christ in us after we have been quickened than are we not also seeing ourselves in others?

[mirkwood]

At work I treat people with as much respect as they allow me.

I try to do better then that on my own time.

[Anddenex]

Jacob 2:17 17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

I wondered to myself what does it really mean to "[t]hink of your bretheren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all..."? So, I pose this question here. What say you?

This is one of my favorite scriptures in Jacob. Within my short lifetime, in reference to this scripture, I have observed people (including myself) who are "too cool" to be friends with certain people.

When I think upon "being familiar with all" I think of people who aren't too cool to be friends with all. I remember on my mission how Elders and Sisters would group together. Some missionaries were to cool enough for others, so they disassociated themselves with them, either to humor themselves or to bring humor to others at another person's expense. I remember when returning home from a mission and how some apartments were just "too cool" for certain other apartments. I think this is what it does not mean to become familiar with all.

I remember thinking, are we not all sons and daughters of God? This does not mean we need to be the best of friends, but we need to be "friendly" with all people. I think my wife is a great example of this scripture.

How can I treat everyone as one who is often seen and well known? How can I treat everyone as an intimate associate? What does practicing these principles entail in my day to day interactions?

Luke 7: 34 - "The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!"

We treat others like "intimate associates" when we realize the implication of the first part of the verse, by thinking of others like unto ourselves. If you want to be a friend, treat other friendly. If we want others to enter into an "intimate association" with us, then we need to entreat them as an intimate associate.

When we rid ourselves of pride, of I am to cool for certain people, it is much easier to be friendly with all people. This is part of the reason why I have a hard time with people who say a ward is unfriendly, especially when they have done nothing to be "friendly" themselves. However, as a people we appear to associate ourselves in comparisons with others. Example, this brother is a Peter Priesthood (this sister is a Molly Mormon) and then we hear, "This person is 'too good' for us." The opposite example would be true also. "Don't play with so and so, they are not good members." These lessons of becoming familiar with all begin in our own childhood lessons of life. As my wife found out when she was younger, because she did not come from an active home, neighborhood children were told not to play with her because she wasn't a good example (she was a good kid with good standards and good morals).

Charity is the key to this verse.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Anddenex

[Anddenex]

As a further thought, if we honored this verse things like this would not occur in our life "The World's Ugliest Woman."

Talk about someone overcoming adversity in her life. Evidence character ultimately matters in God's eyes.

[McLain]

One of my weaknesses is that I do not have enough compassion for others. I am too selfish and self-centered; frequently worried about what I want or supposedly need. I came across a passage in Jacob that I felt addresses my issue.

Jacob 2:17

17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

I wondered to myself what does it really mean to "[t]hink of your bretheren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all..."? So, I pose this question here. What say you?

Sincerely,

Finrock

I think of the book Les Miserables and The bishop Bienvenu when I think of being familar with someone and their infirmities. When he was told that a priest said it wasn't his job to go visit an inmate condemed to death he went instead. He did not just read him a couple scriptures and leave, he stayed with him all night. The next morning he went with to the guillotine with him and stood near him as he was excitcuted and provided comfort for the man. After this he was effected by what happend to the man for many days and often to the point of having trouble sleeping. That to me is being familar with another human being and their afflictions.

[skalenfehl]

I love how Joseph Smith put it. In my mind, what our Savior declared to be the two greatest commandments, was eloquently expounded by the prophet:

"If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you. If you have no accuser you will enter heaven, and if you will follow the revelations and instructions which God gives you through me, I will take you into heaven as my back load. If you will not accuse me, I will not accuse you. If you will throw a cloak of charity over my sins, I will over yours—for charity covereth a multitude of sins."

Do we accuse others of being apostates because they believe or sin differently? Do we accuse the poor of having brought their own plight upon themselves and turn them away? When we judge someone based on our own individual paradigms, we make accusers of ourselves. Can we love another with the perfect love of Christ, which Mormon taught his son, Moroni, and yet judge them or accuse them of something? If we do not have charity, truly we are nothing.

[Finrock]

Good morning skalenfehl. I hope you are doing well! :)

I love how Joseph Smith put it. In my mind, what our Savior declared to be the two greatest commandments, was eloquently expounded by the prophet:

"If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you. If you have no accuser you will enter heaven, and if you will follow the revelations and instructions which God gives you through me, I will take you into heaven as my back load. If you will not accuse me, I will not accuse you. If you will throw a cloak of charity over my sins, I will over yours—for charity covereth a multitude of sins."

Do we accuse others of being apostates because they believe or sin differently? Do we accuse the poor of having brought their own plight upon themselves and turn them away? When we judge someone based on our own individual paradigms, we make accusers of ourselves. Can we love another with the perfect love of Christ, which Mormon taught his son, Moroni, and yet judge them or accuse them of something? If we do not have charity, truly we are nothing.

Your post was meant for me, at least, thank you. Part of learning compassion for me has been recognizing and NOT minimizing how my actions have or can affect others. It is gaining an awareness of how others perceive me, not so as to allow that perception to decide who I am and what I do, but rather so I can see myself from another's perspective and therefore understand how they might feel about what I have done or what I have said. When I accuse others of doing this, that, or the other, I am being a hypocrite. Always. I am unable to see them for who they truly are when I accuse others. I truly am God's son. I am not of this world. All other people on this earth truly are God's children and they are not of this world. For me, this recognition has been helpful in having compassion. I should not be contending and finding fault with others. I should not judge, only invite others to come to Christ. We truly are all equal. I know God loves all of His children like the other. He is no respector of persons.

Charity is patient, long-suffering, and is not easily provoked but charity also thinks no evil and that includes not thinking evil of others.

I have begged for mercy from God and received it. How sinful and wrong it is for me to then turn around and accuse and judge others or not show them mercy! How can I expect to receive mercy from Him if I am unwilling to extend mercy to others?

Regards,

Finrock

Edited August 5, 2013 by Finrock
Grammar

[skalenfehl]

And He continually extends His mercy unto us all day long. He loves us more than we know now. All he asks is for us to love others as He loves us. And to love Him as we love ourselves.

"Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep."

Truly when we treat the least of our brothers and sisters as He would treat us, we are treating Him likewise. The more we study His life and how he treated others, the better we can emulate Him. I love the story of Lazarus. Very symbolic on several levels. One of the things, which bears relevance to this discussion is that in the parable, the Lord named Lazarus. The rich man had no name. Those whom the Lord keeps, He knows. The brother of Jared knew Christ. And Christ knew Him. Christ knows the least of us who come unto Him. He has called very few His friend. Yet those friends were still His servants for the world's sake as He was our Father in Heaven's servant for our sakes. To truly know Christ is to truly love Christ.

[Anddenex]

I read this verse this morning and thought it correlated really well with this thread topic:

For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; 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 he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. (2 Nephi 26:33; emphasis added)

The bolded section is the part I was thinking related to this thread's topic.