Beyond the Labels

I must admit.  I have been pondering this post for over a month now and what I will be writing is very different than what I had originally brainstormed.  It just goes to show how the Spirit can mold us and teach us if we let it.  The Spirit can also help you, as the reader of this post, to learn what Heavenly Father needs you to learn in this moment.  I am 99.9% sure that what I write will not be great.  In fact, it might be confusing or I might ramble.  (I am really good at that.)  However, if I write with the help of the Holy Ghost and you read with the help of the Holy Ghost, then somewhere in the middle of all that, magic happens, and I take absolutely no credit for that.  I echo what Ammon said in Alma 26:11…

“I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.”

I have been thinking quite a bit about the “labels” we have placed upon us.  Whether those labels be a job title, religious affiliation, parental status, health condition, political affiliation, or a plethora of others, we all have one or more labels attached to us.  I used to cringe when I heard that term- “labels”– in reference to people.  After all, we are SO much more than those labels and why should any of those labels matter?  Everyone is different, and thank goodness for that.  The world would be an awfully dull place if we were all the same, making the same choices day in and day out.

But what if sometimes, a label could be helpful?  Bear with me for a minute as I try to explain what I mean.

Let’s take a look at a soup can- sans label.

Do you know what this soup can holds?  Can you tell by holding it, smelling it, or shaking it?  Probably not.

So in this case, a label is very helpful unless you want to open every single can you own just to find the chicken noodle soup.  Why else would a soup can label be beneficial?  What if you suffer from food allergies?  Could a label provide information that might keep you safe, or even save your life?  It absolutely could.  For both of these reasons, I am grateful that my soup cans have labels.  They introduce me to the can, give me a small amount of information to know what is in the can, and could possibly save my life.

I know what you may be thinking at this point…what in the world does a soup can label have to do with people “labels”?  Almost there.  Please keep reading.

Our people “labels” introduce us to people, give them a small amount (a very small amount) of information about what we may be like on the inside, and in some cases, a people label could help us to avoid being in dangerous situations.  However, what do you do with a can of soup and it’s pretty label?  Do you just look at it or think about it to know if you like it?  No!  You have to try it before you will know if you like it.  And so it is with us.  We have to go beyond the labels.  We have to ask questions, be friendly, serve, and get to know the people behind the labels.  That is the only way we will truly know who that person really is.  Who knows?  Maybe you will actually really grow to love that person even though initially you didn’t love what the labels were telling you.  (This is hummus for me.  Looked at the label, said no thanks.  Looked past the label and took a little nibble, now I am hooked.)

Sometimes even when we have done our best and gone beyond the label, we still may end up not liking what is there.  (Clam chowder in my case.)  But that does not mean that I should prevent other people from “trying the clam chowder.”  There are a lot of people who do like clam chowder and that is great!  I am happy for them and I am happy that clam chowder has friends.  In relating this to people- we will all meet people in our lifetime that we just don’t mesh with.  Our personalities clash, something or other just doesn’t click and sometimes, it is hard to be around each other.  But that does not give us an excuse to not be polite.  I was watching this Mormon Message and one quote jumped out at me.

“It doesn’t cost one cent to be polite.” 

-Charles, a homeless man

And it doesn’t.  It does not cost us anything, except maybe a little bit of pride, to be polite to everyone we meet.  Whether or not they want to be polite back is completely up to them.  But we each have a responsibility to be kind, polite, and to search beyond the label.

To pull this all together, let’s turn to the scriptures.

First in Matthew 7:2 (with the Joseph Smith Translation)

“Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people.  Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged:  but judge righteous judgment.”

And then in Moroni 7:18

“And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.”

Yikes.  That one always brings it home for me.  “For with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.”  Sorry for judging you harshly, clam chowder.  Maybe I will have to give you another chance…  Nope.  Still not a fan, but that’s okay.  We can still be friends and I can help you meet other people who you will absolutely love the way you taste.

To close, I leave you with a quote from Elder Dallin H. Oaks from his October 2014 General Conference address, “Loving Others and Living with Differences.”