Divine Identity Creates Unity with Shima Baughman

We’d all like to open our arms wider to include others, understand each other and avoid the divisions we see in the world around us. So how do we look at others who are different from us with, as Elder Soares puts it, “the Savior’s eyes”?

"The more we treat people as sisters, the more they'll feel that sisterly love."

Today's guest is Magnify contributor Shima Baughman. Shima grew up in Iran, immigrated to the U.S. when she was little, and is now an author and law professor. This makes her an ideal person to share how we can bring more unity to our relationships inspired from Elder Soares' most recent address "Brothers and Sisters in Christ." Shima and Kathryn discuss her three spiritual takeaways.

Shima's three spiritual takeaways:

Love them because he loves them.

Our goal is to reach a kind of love where there is no light or differences between us. Where are are all one. Shima shares a story about helping a refugee mother and her own personal experience of being an immigrant, and how the Spirit whispered to her, "you are sisters."

Picture everyone wearing white.

Shima shares a thought she had while serving in the temple. We are united not only in purpose when we go to the temple, but we are physically all wearing the same thing: white. Wearing white tells a bigger story, which is that we are all united and made clean through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Divine identity creates unity.

Shima shares the invitation that our prophet extended us: focus our identities on being children of God, children of the covenant, and disciples of Christ. This will bring us together more than anything. Differences can bring us closer.

Small and simple challenge: Ask Heavenly Father for ways that we can be enlightened through the Holy Ghost for ways we can improve on being united with others. One example Shima shares is to try to not treat people that are less-active or different from other ward members as less-than. Instead of inviting them to a church activity, ask them to bring something. Make them feel a part of the cause.

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