We often separate ourselves into categories based on our differences, but these categories do not define our inherent value as eternal children of God.
We often repeat the scripture that says “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (see D&C 18:10). However, sometimes the perceived differences in our beliefs, cultures, or appearances cause us to forget that the worth of souls should be great in our eyes too. In her BYU devotional speech, “The Worth of Souls Is Great,” Kristin L. Matthews says that “when we value others, we not only demonstrate the best that humanity is but we also magnify our discipleship.”
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Matthews says that we create categories to “make sense of humankind’s diversity,” but that these “human-made hierarchies of value can cause division, contention, and skewed understandings of self-worth.” She quotes scriptures that remind us to “love thy neighbour as thyself” and to “love one another” (see Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, and John 13:34–35). If we have love for each other as Christ has commanded us, we will be able to see past our differences and understand the inherent value we all have as children of Heavenly Parents.
At the close of her speech, Matthews shares her testimony “that God is love, that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of love, and that true discipleship requires sharing that love with all people.” Our differences might seem like a negative thing or make us feel uncomfortable, but we can overcome these feelings and see the true value of individuals if we love all people the way Christ and our Heavenly Parents love them. As we learn to love our diverse neighbors, the worth of their souls will become great in our eyes too.
Read more about our infinite value as children of Heavenly Parents in Kristin L. Matthews’s BYU Speech “The Worth of Souls Is Great.”
Source: BYU Speeches
—Sam Niven, Latter-day Saint Insights
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Find more insights
Read Sister Joy D. Jones’s general conference talk “Value beyond Measure” to learn more about your spiritual worth.
Check out Noelle Conder’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Avoiding Pinterest Perfect Comparisons” to learn how to avoid comparing yourself to others.
Take a look at “Your Worth Is Not Conditional,” a Liahona article by Maryssa Dennis, to find important points to remember about your worth.
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