This blogpost features a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for April 21-27, which includes D&C 37-40. Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.
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HEARTS KNIT TOGETHER
Is there a difference between being nice and being kind? If so, what is the difference?
Think on that for a bit and let's read a passage found in our CFM for this week.
In Doctrine and Covenants 38:24-27, it reads:
"And
let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and
holiness before me. And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his
brother as himself. For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no
respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the
one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be
thou clothed in rags and sit thou there—and looketh upon his sons and
saith I am just? Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable,
and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye
are not mine."
Keep that concept of oneness in your heart and let me shift directions for a moment and tell you a little about an experience we had one one of our family vacations a few years ago when we toured an unusual cave. Like most cave tours, we started off by walking through the narrow natural corridors of the cave, learning all about the different formations and how they’d formed. Then we rounded a corner, and arrived at an underground stream. This is where the tour was different than any we’d ever been to before. At the stream, we boarded small boats and continued on our tour. As we drifted along the stream, it gradually got darker and darker and quieter and quieter until we entered into a large dark room of the cave. It was in that thick darkness of that cavernous room that our eyes were drawn upward to the natural ceiling of the cave which looked like a night sky aglow with small glittering stars. They were Arachnocampa luminosa...or more commonly known as glowworms. You can see that a glowworm isn't much to look at up close.
I love this imagery, because it’s very much how I feel sometimes. What I have to offer to others often seems small and insignificant, but combined with the small lights of many others, we, as church members, can absolutely be making this world a more beautiful and compassionate place for all of God’s children.
Now let me get back to the question I posed at the beginning. Do you have any thoughts about what the differences are between being nice and being kind? Feel free to leave a comment here and share your thoughts, but here is my two cents. Although I think these two words are often considered synonymous with each other, I’ve realized as I’ve gotten older that there absolutely is a difference between being nice and being kind. Being nice is more of a surfacey thing. We politely say, “Hello,” we offer a smile, then we walk away. Or we like someone’s Facebook post and pretend we’re nice and connected to that person now. Being nice is good and has its place, but sometimes I think we stay so busy being nice that we forget that niceness doesn’t forge true connection and depth the way that kindness does. Real kindness is not just patting someone on the back and telling them it will be okay or following them on social media, but it’s diving beneath the surface and assessing what they really need--whether it be a listening ear, someone to talk to about the last book they read, or something more--like a meal or a ride to the repair shop. We can be nice to anyone, but it takes getting to know someone--at least a little-- to be kind.
Joseph B Wirthlin in his talk the “Virtue of Kindness,” said, “Jesus, our Savior, was the epitome of kindness and compassion. He healed the sick. He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many. He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many. He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him. He was kind to all who had sinned, condemning only the sin, not the sinner. He kindly allowed thousands of Nephites to come forward and feel the nail prints in His hands and feet. Yet His greatest act of kindness was found in His atoning sacrifice, thus freeing all from the effects of death, and all from the effects of sin, on conditions of repentance.”
Jesus 100% is the ultimate example of getting past the comfort of being nice and into the nitty gritty of kindness. He loved people right where they were. He didn’t wait for a more convenient time to extend compassion. He was right there on the front lines forging loving connections with people without judgment and condemnation. Think of the glittering effect that kind of kindness could mean in our communities if we all got out of our comfort zones and did our small part to show kindness a little more like our Savior.
Study after study has shown that having strong social connections (or in gospel terms--having our hearts knit together with others) is something that brings countless benefits to our lives. It not only helps our mental health and increases our satisfaction in life, but is even shown to increase lifespan and reduce the likelihood of dementia and poor health as we age. We NEED each other, as much as we need exercise and healthy foods. I don’t think it’s an accident that God used ward communities when setting up the structure of the restored gospel on the earth.
Joseph B Wirthlin said in the same talk I referenced earlier... “The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things, or have perfect thoughts, or have perfect feelings. The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement, support, and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father.”
That is the beauty of this gospel. None of us are perfect. We all are in different places in our journeys back to Christ and we all have our own struggles --some visible, but most of them not. Let us seek to get past the comfort and ease of being nice and try to be a little more like our Savior. We can each do our own little part to make a difference, forge connections, and together we can create a welcoming place filled with light, love, kindness, and compassion.
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These
activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.
They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the
Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom
or home setting. I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling
working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament
programs each week.
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Be sure to bookmark this site and come back every week for new resources!
Have fun learning the gospel together!
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