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A month or so ago, my good friend Russell Moorehead gave a sacrament meeting talk in his New York City ward. It happened to be delivered on the same day the announcement was made by the church regarding gay marriage, and shortly after a very prominent member of the ward (the former bishop of 5 years) had “come out” regarding his homosexuality.
I think Russell is a poet, so I’m sharing his talk w/ you here. Please let Russell know if you like!!! Also, just for clarification, the John to which he refers is not me. :)
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My name is Russ Moorehead. I have been coming to this Ward on-and-off for over three years. I have enjoyed getting to know many of you. My wife, Robin, and I are grateful for the friendship and kindness that has been shared with us. For those of you that I haven’t met yet that attend “play group”…I’m Marshall’s dad.
When John called and asked if I would give a talk today, I paused for a minute (I am sure he thought I was hesitating, but I was actually just doing some math in my head). I realized that no one has asked me to give a talk in church for well over 10 years, and that was my little brother who asked me to speak at his mission farewell. So I am a little out of practice.
The topic I was given was “Standing for Something.” I am sure that John is aware of the latitude and space that this topic offers, and I appreciate that.
In Mary Jane’s Sunday school class a few weeks ago, we were discussing Exodus and the Ten Commandments. Her lesson reminded me of something I copied into a notebook many years ago. I looked for it later and I actually found it.
It was a great little column in the March 20, 1994, issue of Parade Magazine written by Marylin Vos Savant. She inverts five of the Ten Commandments from passive to active voice:
- Thou shalt not kill –> Heal those who have been harmed
- Thou shalt not commit adultery –> Respect everyone
- Thou shalt not steal –> Give more to the world than you take
- Thou shalt not bear false witness –> Value the dignity of truth
- Thou shalt not covet –> Be content with the necessities of life
I thought this was great, and when I re-read it all these years later, it occurred to me that they are all really saying the same thing…Love each other.
If Jesus stood for anything, He stood for this.
As I began to gather my thoughts on this topic, I thought of the scripture where Paul is speaking with the Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 13: 2)
“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.”
Sometimes we get caught up in the irrelevant details of Church and forget that this is what we are actually here to learn. This is what all our meetings, auxiliaries, and ordinances are actually designed to help us accomplish.
Lowell Bennion called Love:
“The mother of all social virtues: because love encompasses tolerance, kindness, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, sacrifice, longsuffering, and forbearance.”
When we were on vacation last week in Utah, we went to buy some magazines to read on the plane, we noticed that there is a book titled Standing for Something by Gordon Hinckley. In the interest of full disclosure, I have not read the book. But I did crack it open at the airport bookstore and I did notice that “Love” was the first of the ten virtues he mentions in his book. So I was relieved that I had at least picked one of the ten as the topic of my talk.
The epigraph at the beginning of his chapter on Love states:
Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people.
I thought about that statement a lot, and I kept returning to it as I was preparing my talk. I would respectfully make one small edit to that statement. I think the statement could be even stronger if it were changed to:
Love is the only force that can value the differences between people.
The older I get, the less interested I am in erasing differences, and I am certainly not interested in having my differences erased–and I don’t believe that God is either.
I think our Church can be a great place for us to learn this lesson. As members of this Church we need to be sure to include and value diversity. We all have different talents and gifts…and challenges. That is the way it is supposed to be.
In D&C 46:12 referring to spiritual gifts it reads:
“To some is given one and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.”
I think it is important to include both gifts and challenges in our understanding of that scripture, and in the following scripture:
2 Nephi 2:11 “Needs be opposition in all things”
We are all different and unique and that is good. Now for the paradox…but we are all the same unto God. “God is no respecter of persons” and loves us all equally with our differences.
We need to value our differences and love each other…unconditionally. Is it tough to do? Sure! But if I am sure of anything anymore, it is this.
As a Church, we put a big emphasis on proxy work and on “vicarious benefit”. Examples of course include temple work, the sacrament, even the atonement. I think this idea can quite powerful, when one takes the time to see what one can learn from it and how it applies to our lives here and now. This idea of vicarious benefit can applied to something beyond ordinances, but to something just as sacred to me… our Ward itself…the people in this room.
This Ward is a microcosm of possibilities. It is a lab. It is a case study, it is a workshop where mistakes happen, and accidents happen, and wonderful and sacred things happen.
It is all here. Our own small Garden of Gethsemane right here in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Life is too short for us each to physically experience every trial.
But we can vicariously experience it all by sharing our joys and burdens with each other. We do this by including, not by excluding–by valuing difference, and by simply loving each other.
Thomas Merton said,
“God has willed that we should all depend on one another for our own salvation, and all strive together for our own mutual good and our own common salvation. And if one member suffer anything, all members suffer with it, and if one member glory, all the other rejoice with it.”
Lowell Bennion also said,
“A person, to be a Christian must place the highest value on persons, and his or her relationship to them. Nothing matters ultimately in any setting—in marriage, the family, school, the church, the community, the world—except what happens to people. It is not an end to itself. Man was not made for the Church, but the Church was made for people. We should not serve the Church, but rather serve people through the Church. We don’t teach lessons; we teach people.”
Growing up in Washington DC, where I was the only Mormon boy in my elementary school, I was always a little confused with what adults I was supposed to call Brother and Sister or call Mr. and Mrs. That is actually one thing I love about our Church. Our vocabulary continually reminds us that we are all brothers and sisters. All of us!
The name of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints–it’s a mouth-full, but I like it. I like the word “Saints”…but who are the Saints? We are. All of us! You don’t have to be an Apostle to be a saint. Women, men, and even children are all Saints. It includes everyone. It includes people who don’t hold the priesthood, people who don’t have a temple recommend, people who don’t hold leadership positions, people who live outside of Utah, people who were not born in the Church, people that come to church every Sunday and people that come occasionally. It includes people who come and try their best but often make mistakes. It simply includes…what a great message!
Eugene England said,
“The very exposures, exasperations, troubles, sacrifices, and disappointments that characterize involvement in a lay church like ours, are a main source of the Church’s power to teach us love.”
Spirituality isn’t way up there–it’s right here, and you can vicariously experience it all. What ever you are going through, I assure you that someone else in the Ward has gone through it. And the things that you will never experience…you can experience in some small way by loving others as they experience them.
Within almost any Ward in the Church there will be:
- People with doubts …love them
- People who think they have all the answers…love them
- People who are lonely…love them
- People who have lost a family member…love them
- People who are estranged from their families for joining the Church…love them
- People who are thinking about leaving the Church…love them
- People who have different political views than you do…love them
- People who are treated as less because of the color of their skin…love them
- People who are going through a divorce…love them
- People who feel ignored or marginalized…love them
- People who are treated as less because they are gay…love them
- People who disagree with much of what I’ve said today…love them
When I walk through the doors of this Church I feel many different things.
Often times I feel peace, and sometimes I feel frustration, but I always feel that I am standing on the shoulders of giants. I am always reminded of the great women and men throughout my life in this Church–who went the extra mile for me and took the time to listen; people that gave me opportunities to share and grow. And most importantly, through their example, taught me to think for myself, but to think about other people. They taught me that this Church is a great workshop. A place where you can:
- Serve and be Served
- Bless and be Blessed
- Love and be Loved.
That is what I stand for, and that is the reason I am standing here today.
And I say these things in our Lord’s name.
Amen
Russell Moorehead
Technically, of course, the commandments are not written in passive voice. If they were, they’d read: “Coveting is something thou shalt not do.”
What the famously anti-religious vos Savant did was interpret the commandments in a manner she found more appealing. One suspects most religious folk would take issue with her interpretations. “Value the dignity of truth?” Huh?
Here is the Decalogue in passive voice:
“Other gods shall not be had before me.”
“A sculpted image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above shall not be made.”
“Swearing falsely by the name of the LORD shall not be done.”
“The Sabbath day shall be remembered and kept holy.”
“Your father and your mother shall be honoured.”
“Murder shall not be committed.”
“Adultery shall not be committed.”
“Stealing shall not be committed.”
“False witness against your neighbor shall not be borne.”
“Your neighbor’s house shall not be coveted.”
An interesting exercise, eh?
—The Practical Mormon
What a truly great talk!!!!
To me, Brother Moorehead has encapsulated a great portion of the gospel. I wish all Sacrament Meeting talks could be as inspirational. This Ward should not wait 10 weeks, let alone, 10 years, to ask him to speak again.
Further, this talk reminds me what this Church stands for. The Internet critics of the Church may never stop nit-picking on little historical points, but in so doing they too often miss the forest through the trees. Kinderhook plates, and the like, are tiny footnotes, even if necessary and interesting. Russell Morehead has given us the MAIN TEXT. Therein is where my testimony lies.
A great talk. Wish there were more like them given. I like James’ definition of true religion in his Epistle to the Church. Visit the afflicted and keep himself unspotted from the vices of the world.
John and Russell, I enjoyed reading this talk, and feel that it was very well written and certainly in harmony with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t see any conflict in Russell’s message here, John, and the FP letter regarding “gay marriage” or even a former bishop coming out of the closet as you describe.
I’m curious, John, why you specifically link Russell’s message of inclusion with your blurbs about gay marriage and the former gay bishop. Isn’t Russell’s inclusionary message meant for anyone and everyone, not just if you have a particular sexual preference? I got that sense anyway from the list of people he suggests we should love. He clearly didn’t limit it just to one element or segment. Nor did he highlight or elevate one element or segment over another.
I liked the talk–though–very much.
Guy,
Just to be clear–I didn\’t link the 2 (the talk, and the announcement) for any other reason than that for the ward, at the time….and I believe that for the speaker…there was a strong feeling of irony.
Personally, I don\’t see the 2 as in necessary conflict at all (at least not at face value), but I do believe that within the ward, and for Russell, there was some irony felt (given the situation w/ the recently released bishop coming out as gay, juxtaposed by the announcement, juxtaposed by Russell\’s talk).
Maybe Russell can adress this more in depth. I hope I\’m not putting you on the spot, Russell.
Thank you, Russell and John for sharing. Love and inclusion are powerful virtues that are taught by many people throughout all cultures and times. I have no testimony of God, but I have a testimony of love.
I very much appreciate the remarks and the reminder to love more.
ithin almost any Ward in the Church there will be:
* People with doubts …love them
* People who think they have all the answers…love them
* People who are lonely…love them
* People who have lost a family member…love them
* People who are estranged from their families for joining the Church…love them
* People who are thinking about leaving the Church…love them
* People who have different political views than you do…love them
* People who are treated as less because of the color of their skin…love them
* People who are going through a divorce…love them
* People who feel ignored or marginalized…love them
* People who are treated as less because they are gay…love them
* People who disagree with much of what I’ve said today…love them
— I liked that.
Thanks for sharing this talk
What a beautiful talk.
It’s a shame more members (and leaders) of the church don’t truly feel and live the concepts portrayed. Were it so, I may still be a member. Hypocrisy within the church is all too present and the institution itself is excessively self-serving.
Lowell Bennion penned it perfectly.
Amen!
RRR–So, have you found a life devoid of all hypocrisy, where no one is self serving, and everyone lives and feels the true concepts of love and acceptance outside of the Church? If so, please, share where you found this.
Wow ! This is a gem ! Thanks for sharing this talk on the blog ! It has made my day !
Interesting talk. It would have been much meatier and more powerful if Brother Moorehead had taught from the scriptures instead of reciting anecdotes and philosophy. Too bad, because the valid points he made could have been made with the words and authority of the Savior or the prophets, rather than a few passing references to scriptures out of context as a sort of proof-text of the theme. But this is coming across as somewhat harsher than I intended; as I wrote, I thought it was an interesting talk, and I believe it has some real value. I would just like to see us teach more from the scriptures and less from “Special Stories for Saints”-type books.
I like this talk, maybe if this kind of talk were given in my ward I would quit bringing Soduko to church with me. :-) I disagree that it should be “backed up” with more scriptural or “prophet” references. I like to hear other people’s thoughts. The talks that turn me off the most are the ones that seem more like a scripture chase or those that read exerpts from conference talks. I can go and re-read conference talks anytime, I want to know what YOU (the speaker) thinks of the subject you are speaking on.
The gentle compassion that Brother Moorehead clearly demonstrated obviously would have brought the spirit into the chapel that Sunday
Wonderful.
Great talk. I love it when people get it and express it.
The gospel is quite simple.
j
And I agree with Denae regarding Sibling’s comment.
After all, the scriptures are no more than stories of and for the Saints.
If more people gave talks like this on Sundays, I would probably still attend. The best talks are always from the heart and not bogged down with rehashed stories from those in authority or scriptures. Thank you for inspiring me!
John, what an experience to have been there for that.
I so so so so disagree with the above suggestion that the talk could have been more powerful with more scriptures. it is valuable to know what is inspiring to a speaker and from where he/she searches for information. the scriptures and words of the church leaders arent the be-all end-all for all people.
There is great irony that this was delivered moments after the congregations was asked to voice the opinion of three men on behalf of the church. the irony isnt simply the homosexuality issue that guy objects to. it is that all the people sitting in that congregation are NOT the same. they have many varied concerns and positions, political and otherwise. and its just fine to stand for those positions. and more, there are some in that congregation that were wrestling with the highlighted topics: divorce, homosexuality, grief, illness, etc. and its wise to consider them. in asking those that are grieving to simply march in step to three other men’s stance, is not sympathetic or empathetic. rather, it is blatantly apathetic. and this speaker did a great job of pointing this out.
Mayan,
I objected to nothing. As I said, in my comment, I enjoyed the talk, and felt it was in harmony with the Gospel. I found it curious that John highlighted homosexuality, when the speaker Russell did not. In fact, Russell pointed out several types of individuals whom we should love, gays make up only of the several catagories.
I see no irony at all in the talk having been given on the day of the announcement. In fact, I think it was John who used the term irony, not Russell. All of the individuals Russell lists merit love. Even you! Even me!
bad word choice on my part guy. these comment sections are not a good place for me. i am too hasty to forego the edit feature.
Thanks for putting this talk up on Mormon Stories John. Russell’s talk really addressed some of my own feelings about church membership and the ways we view each other.
I love hearing the scriptures and the words of the modern prophets and apostles in talks as much as the next saint, but there’s always room for the edifying perspectives of other wise men and women from both inside and outside the church.
I’m glad Russell chose those particular quotes from Lowell Bennion and Eugene England; and Thomas Merton’s writing has been an inspiration to me for many years.
Russell’s talk spoke to me, so thanks for that.
BTW If anyone else out there likes Merton, they may find Henri Nouwen’s take on things interesting too. Try ‘Seeds of Hope’ or ‘The return of the Prodigal Son’
I was in the congregation as Russell gave his talk that day. It was deeply touching to me and the others I spoke with afterwards. Thank you Russell!
Cool talk, no doubt about that. But I struggle with one thing (just the one; the rest of the talk was truly uplifting.)
Russell says “Love is the only force that can value the differences between people.” Does that mean that if I were a believing Mormon (which I am not), and did not value “homosexuality” (the “difference”), I do not truly love?
My bottom-line: I feel the message would be offensive to some believers, and as such, may not be uplifting.
Mormons don’t believe in valuing what they believe is sin. Nor do I for that matter, although I wouldn’t necessarily agree with Mormons on every definition of sin. They believe in faith and not doubt, in enduring to the end and not leaving the church, in obeying the commandments and not sinning. So while most of the talk is inspiring, part of it would be off-putting, especially since the “love the sin” message is woven in other more harmonious teachings about sharing one another’s burdens.
So on that point, I think the message is sneaky (hey, isn’t that “philosophies of men mingled with Scriptures”?). And even though I might agree with Russell on most definitions of what is a sin and what is not, on that point I don’t like his approach. Not a bit.
Maybe Russell would tell me that Sacrament meeting is a fine place to challenge people and share doctrines other than the ones they came to study… and I might lose that argument. But still, I don’t like it.
So let me take a stab at it. How about:
“Love is the only force that can value people in spite of their differences.” Or even better:
“Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people.”
But somebody else wrote that.
Great talk! It reminded me of what a beautiful and simple message the Gospel is.
Thank you Russell, for drilling back down to the core by removing the complexity, formality, and traditions where it often hides.
Side note. I have been looking for a old friend of mine from UTAH who moved out to NY. If this is the same Russ can you have him contact me?
What a powerful talk. Thank you Russell, I needed to read this.