Today, the president declared that the U.S. will be protected by God.
He also said, "It is the right of all nations to put their own interests first."
Somehow, that second statement doesn't seem to jive with what I know about God. Scripture teaches us that "God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him" (Acts 10:34-35).
May I proclaim one simple truth? We are all children of God. We all bleed the same color and have souls of equal worth, no matter where we live in this country - or in any other.
If you are one of Trump's "forgotten" who feels an entitled right to pursue your best interests at any expense, may I remind you that every decision that puts "America first" puts someone else - perhaps many people living in many other American nations and feeling forgotten just like you - second, third, and last. And decisions that make you feel remembered and benefited are likely to marginalize others.
In any system of government with any economic system, there will be winners and losers. No amount of government bureaucracy - or the elimination thereof - will make life in this fallen world fair. The task that is given to each of us is to bear our burdens well and help lift others' at the same time.
As we watch our leaders make decisions of international and domestic policy, may we remember that "inasmuch as [w]e shall keep the commandments of God, [w]e shall prosper in the land" (Alma 36:1) but "all those who are proud, and that do wickedly, ... shall be as stubble" (2 Nephi 26:4).
And may we remember that the first commandment of God is to love one another - not just when convenient or easy or when others are watching, but always.
Finally, as many of us struggle to feel heard or find peace in these trying times, let us remember that the President isn't the only one who makes decisions. Senators and representatives send out surveys and accept calls and mail so they know what matters to their constituents. Beyond that, we have a Heavenly Father who is aware of all our frustrations and hears all of our prayers with complete attention. His ways are not our ways nor his thoughts our thoughts, but his timing is perfect and his plan supreme.
This dreary January day may not be the darkest of those to come but, in the end, the sun will shine brighter than we've ever seen.
#ComeWhatMayAndLoveIt
