In order to welcome others into our communities, we must actively build “higher and holier relationships.”
Attending a new ward for the first time can be nerve-wracking for anyone. This can be even more true for people who look and act differently due to disability, gender presentation, or fashion and lifestyle choices. And often, we may not know how to welcome new and different people into our ward communities.
Elder David L. Buckner discussed these difficulties in his talk “‘Ye are my Friends’” in the October 2024 general conference: “The sign Visitors Welcome is not enough. Do we warmly welcome all who come through the doors?” In other words, we say that people are welcome, but how can we help them feel that they are? Elder Buckner advises us to seek unity through Christ so that we can help build genuine belonging. He says that the way to do this is by showing the love of Christ in our actions.
Showing the love of Christ by reaching out to others can be intimidating at first—we don’t want to offend someone who is different from us. However, taking steps to genuinely befriend new and different people builds a community of belonging where people know that these things are done with love.
Small actions, such as introducing yourself and asking if a new person wants to sit with you, make a big difference. Get to know them, ask questions, and find a mutual interest that you can talk about.
As we build relationships with those who may be new or feel out of place, we will strengthen our communities. As we show Christ’s love through our actions, our wards will become more unified, welcoming, and full of genuine friendship.
Read and watch Elder David L. Buckner’s “‘Ye are my Friends’” to learn more about unifying our communities through relationships.
Source: General Conference
—Eldin Ratliff, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY ELDIN RATLIFF
Find more insights
Read about service as an expression of love in Elder Gerrit W. Gong’s “Love is Spoken Here.”
Learn more about service within our communities by reading “Building Healthy Community Through a Gospel of Beauty” by Madison Mulvey.