Viral Infections, Influenza, Pneumonia, Coronavirus, and Conjunctivitis are a few of the most well-known illnesses in our day; they are relentless ailments, transmitting easily from person to person without ceasing.
Just like these persistent and frustrating infirmities, the plague of ignorance and contention prevails throughout our lives. Whether arguing over assumptions, brawling over beliefs, or jousting over judgements, there seems to be a neverending pandemic of predication in our lives. It has become increasingly difficult to fight with ignorance as people, friend and foe alike, proceed to make flash assessments of the situations they see and those they interact with. Deceived by the news and media, truth and fact is often held from consumers, leaving opinions forced down their throats. This, in turn, leads to years of contention between political, religious, social, and cultural groups over topics that are thrown out of proportion, opinionated, or misleading.
As children of god, it is important that we prepare ourselves for this plague by educating ourselves so we can withstand the deceitful media and inaccurate opinions thrown our way. We can do this by thoroughly researching important worldly and heavenly matters. While scouring the internet, using our knowledge of resources such as .org, .gov, or .edu to find reliable information on earthly matters, we can’t use the same method for gospel topics. Instead, we must approach our questions and frustrations in regards to religious topics by searching the scriptures, following the words of our prophets, and turning to our heavenly father in prayer.
As children of god, it is important that we prepare ourselves for this plague by refusing to conform to the hate shown during conflict. When we feel the need to defend our beliefs against opponents and challengers, we must remember to approach these contenders with understanding and knowledge, not anger or resilience. Instead of shouting our opinions at others and forcing ideas down their throats, we need to calmly and deliberately deliver facts, allowing the spirit and our knowledge of those topics to guide us as we express our thoughts.
If we do not fight the plague of ignorance and contention, hatred will spread and will worsen, overpowering truth and love. If we proceed to approach others kindly during times of contention, as well as develop our wisdom about significant world and gospel issues, people will feel less like debating with us and more like listening and learning from us.
