Our world has become one of intense controversy. Trending news has become less and less about real information and more and more about reacting to it. The issues blasting us from our cellular devices, television, and headlines of all media seem as though they are selling discord. The more confused we become, the more trapped we can feel — tied up and twisted in ideas that distort ideals and dampen our consciences. Things not even considered at one point in time have suddenly become sensationally important. Any sensible person notices a need for peace — a calming of these treacherous tempests of opinions.
Gender identity. Xenophobia. Gay rights. Terrorism. Religious and racial bigotry. Democratic socialism. Feminism. Atheism. Myriad other “-isms.” As our society is unified on shaky platforms of political polarization, it becomes increasingly difficult for anyone to stand for what they know to be true if what they know is not what the people want. But as people try to make sense of their feelings and yet are quick to attack those that express theirs openly, it is only natural for one to contemplate what it is that actually can solve all the problems. From a social standpoint, it appears as though things have been getting and will only continue to get worse. I am prepared to offer a solution to all the problems of the world. I am convinced that there is one thing, one remedy for even the most complex problems from racism to dishonesty to perversion and even a gender identity crisis and the disintegration of the Constitution of the United States of America.
The answer is Jesus.
In the Book of Mormon, we read of a great King who, in his final days gathered together his whole kingdom to instruct them and counsel them. This King Benjamin was a great man; a man who believed in God and a Christ that had not yet even been born. He let those beliefs govern his life, his character, and his kingdom. Because of this, the instruction he gave his people at the end of his life had to do with the idea that if you believe in God and keep His commandments, you will prosper in the land forever.
9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
10 And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.
11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.
13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.
14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.1
These are the words spoken by a true prophet king. The object of sharing that passage was this: If we have at one point felt loss, hate, humiliation, confusion, intolerance, anger, or any like emotion either towards or because of someone else, and conversely, if we have at any point felt the goodness of others and the grace of an all-knowing God in our lives, does it not make sense to abstain from the negative and promote nothing but the good? If you have known what it is like to be attacked for your views, should that not keep you from attacking others? If you have been humiliated for an error or mistake in your life, should you not then comfort and forgive those in the same situation? If you have felt the goodness of another person, or likewise been guided or inspired by God, should you not only seek more of that but also to be a tool in God’s hands to have that influence on others?
These are the teachings of Jesus. This is what the life of the Savior exemplified as he went about as one of the lowliest, yet was indeed among the Most High.
The Lord said,
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.2
The teachings and example of Jesus Christ are widely disregarded perhaps because they appear too simple. In our world of high-tech computer codes, engineering marvels, mathematical formulas, intellectual thrill-seekers, and Google, we are socialized to believe that complex problems require complex solutions. This idea is what inhibits many people from making wider impacts on larger scales and some people from even attempting at all. The sooner mankind can realize that the case is most certainly the opposite, only then will we begin to progress in ways that actually matter. Indeed the most complex problems facing the world at this point can and will be solved with the simplest solutions. The antidote to war is love. The opposite of criticism is encouragement. The way to solve child abuse, alcoholism, divorce, and religious contention is to choose compassion, have a more eternal perspective. These are the things that Jesus taught. Be you Evangelical, non-denominationally Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Latter-day Saint, or anything in between, we can all feel and contribute to the healing power of Christ’s teachings. That is the answer to every problem.
Echoing King Benjamin, we will not even have the mind to injure one other. This eliminates the trolls, the haters, the bullies, the dishonest, and the murderers. As we render of ourselves to our fellow men me could eliminate poverty and disease, we would be healthier and happier. The world would shrink and our communities would expand. The very will to do wrong would cease as we turn our minds to God. It’s really that simple. Though anymore it seems things are worsening, it is encouraging to think that a solution is so readily available to all, even more so now with the reality of living prophets on the earth to relay the will of the Lord to us all continually. Ironically we are among the hollowest of humanities living in this, the fullness of times.
I did not mention math. Nothing about money or earthly resources. No science or technology. No governments or symposia or lawsuits. Just Jesus. I know that one day He will reign on this earth. And though we believe that he will bring solutions and put heavenly order to all things, the way by which he will go about doing it might be a little different that what they imagine. May I suggest that He will likely do it the same way He did it the first time. Maybe more people will listen then, one can only hope. It really is quite simple. He is the Master. He is the answer.
In the October 2022 General Conference, Elder Ryan K. Olsen gave a talk likewise titled The Answer is Jesus that offers another take on this idea. It can be accessed here.
References
- Mosiah 4:9-14
- John 13:34-35
Dillon Boss 