Unity

POSITION STATEMENT

Unity means in unison or to act together in harmony. The scriptures tell us we should be “of one heart and one mind in word and deed.” The Lord has said if ye are not one ye are not mine.” When we unite together as a sisterhood, a ward or a family are able to accomplish the Lords work; united in purpose.

Unity is needed in all facets of our lives. Husbands and wives should work together and be unified in their marriage and family. Undoubtedly, presidencies and other callings in the church are successful when cohesion or unity exists. This is done by counseling together, listening to each other’s interpretations, suggestions or ideas, then coming to a unified agreement will unite one and all in purpose. When a decision is made then wise people continue to support and sustain the decision. Finally, once a decision.

QUOTES

1.

“A sweet spirit of unity exists among the General Authorities. The Lord has declared, “If ye are not one ye are not mine.” We will continue to be united in one purpose—namely, the furtherance of the work of the Lord.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “Looking Back and Moving Forward”, General Conference, April 2008

2.

"A second gospel principle that has been a guide to me in welfare work is the power and blessing of unity. When we join hands to serve people in need, the Lord unites our hearts."

President Henry B. Eyring, “Opportunities to do Good”, General Conference, April 2011

3.

"The miracle of unity is being granted to us as we pray and work for it in the Lord’s way. Our hearts will be knit together in unity. God has promised that blessing to His faithful Saints whatever their differences in background and whatever conflict rages around them. He was praying for us as well as His disciples when He asked His Father that we might be one."

President Henry B. Eyring, “Our Hearts Knit As One”, General Conference, October 2008

4.

“We will become of one heart and one mind as we individually place the Savior at the center of our lives and follow those He has commissioned to lead us.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “One Heart”, General Conference, October 2008

“Just as harmony comes from an orchestra only when its members make a concerted effort, so harmony in marriage also requires a concerted effort. That effort will succeed if each partner will minimize personal demands and maximize actions of loving selflessness.”

Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage”, General Conference, October 2008

5.

“Latter-day Saints understand the word of the Lord, who declared, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.”

“This great unity is the hallmark of the true church of Christ,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley. “It is felt among our people throughout the world.” President Hinckley continued, “We pray for one another that we may go on in unity and strength.”

Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Children of A Covenant”, General Conference, April 1995

6.

“Where people have that Spirit with them, we may expect harmony. The Spirit puts the testimony of truth in our hearts, which unifies those who share that testimony. The Spirit of God never generates contention (3 Nephi 11:29). It never generates the feelings of distinctions between people which lead to strife (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine 131). It leads to personal peace and a feeling of union with others. It unifies souls. A unified family, a unified Church, and a world at peace depend on unified souls.”

President Henry B. Eyring, “That We May Be One”, General Conference, April 1998

7.

“Under the revelations of the Lord and the directions of His prophets, a bishop is ordained and set apart to preside over a ward whose boundaries are geographic and whose membership includes all who reside there. For this reason, a bishop looks after the old and the young, the married and the single, the rich and the poor, the active and the less active. In this he seeks to unify the flock so that we may be taught and serve in groups of Saints that transcend considerations of age, marital status, ancestry, and economic condition. Our bishops lead us all in our efforts to follow the Savior’s commandment to “be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine".

Elder Dallin Oaks, “Bishop, HELP!”, General Conference, April 1997

8.

“Remember, brethren, that in your role as leader in the family, your wife is your companion. President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught: “In this Church the man neither walks ahead of his wife nor behind his wife but at her side. They are coequals.”  Since the beginning, God has instructed mankind that marriage should unite husband and wife together in unity.  Therefore, there is not a president or a vice president in a family. The couple works together eternally for the good of the family. They are united together in word, in deed, and in action as they lead, guide, and direct their family unit. They are on equal footing. They plan and organize the affairs of the family jointly and unanimously as they move forward.”

Elder L. Tom Perry, “Father, An Eternal Calling, General Conference, April 2004

9.

“For the past eight and one-half years I have served as a member of a council of twelve men. We come from different backgrounds, and we bring to the Council of the Twelve Apostles a diverse assortment of experiences in the Church and in the world. In our meetings, we do not just sit around and wait for President Howard W. Hunter to tell us what to do. We counsel openly with each other, and we listen to each other with profound respect for the abilities and experiences our brethren bring to the council. We discuss a wide variety of issues, from Church administration to world events, and we do so frankly and openly. Sometimes we discuss issues for weeks before reaching a decision. We do not always agree during our discussions. But once a decision is made, we are always both united and determined.”

President Boyd K Packer, “Counseling with our Councils”, General Conference, April 1994

No decision emanates from the deliberations of the First Presidency and the Twelve without total unanimity among all concerned. At the outset in considering matters, there may be differences of opinion.  These are to be expected. These men come from different backgrounds. They are men who think for themselves. But before a final decision is reached, there come unanimity of mind and voice.

Gordon B. Hinckley, God Is At The Helm, General Conference, April 1994

10.

"Tonight we rejoice in our many different roles as women in the Church. Though in many ways we are different and unique, we also acknowledge that we are all daughters of the same Heavenly Father, which makes us sisters. We are unified in building the kingdom of God and in the covenants which we have made, no matter what our circumstances. This combined assembly is, without a doubt, the most glorious sisterhood upon the face of the earth! To be sisters implies that there is an unbreakable bond between us. Sisters take care of each other, watch out for each other, comfort each other, and are there for each other through thick and thin. The Lord has said, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.”

Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Sisterhood: Oh How We Need Each Other”, General Conference, April 2014

11.

The most important lesson was that we are truly all one in Christ Jesus. We are one in our love of the Savior. We are one in our testimonies of the gospel. We are one in faith, hope, and charity. We are one in our conviction that the Book of Mormon is the inspired word of God. We are one in supporting President Hinckley and the other General Authorities. We are one in loving each other.

Cheiko Okazaki, “Baskets and Bottles”, General Conference, April 1996

12.

"Within this Church there is a constant need for unity, for if we are not one, we are not his. We are truly dependent on each other, “and the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” Nor can the North Americans say to the Asians, nor the Europeans to the islanders of the sea, “I have no need of thee.” No, in this church we have need of every member, and we pray, as did Paul when he wrote to the church in Corinth, “that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another."

Elder Howard W. Hunter, “That We May Be One”, General Conference, April 1976

13.

“I suppose each of us is fond of having his own way. I know I am. … But I do not like my own way well enough to want it in opposition to my brethren’s way. That is our duty as the First Presidency of the Church. It is the duty of every presidency throughout the Church…Suppose that one man has more wisdom than another; it is better to carry out a plan that is not so wise, if you are united on it. Speaking generally, a plan or a policy that may be inferior in some respects is more effective if men are united upon it than a better plan would be upon which they were divided.”

President George Q Cannon, Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of George Q. Cannon, 2 vol. (1957–74), 1:207