One Heart and One Mind

“The Lord called His people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind” (Moses 7:18). To the cynical, it can seem like becoming of one heart and one mind means abandoning one’s own identity in favor of assimilation into some kind of homogenous mob. But that is not the Lord’s way. In his most recent Conference talk, Elder Renlund tells a story of the Finnish temple. He explains how the Russian and the Finns have a hatred stretching back centuries, but when the Finnish Temple was being dedicated, the temple committee chose to allow the Russian saints who had traveled for days to be the very first ones to enter the temple. “When I reported this kindness to my father, his heart melted and he wept, a very rare occurrence for that stoic Finn. From that time until his death three years later, he never expressed another negative sentiment about Russia. Inspired by the example of his fellow Finns, my father chose to place his discipleship of Jesus Christ above all other considerations. The Finns were no less Finnish; the Russians were no less Russian; neither group abandoned their culture, history, or experiences to banish enmity. They did not need to. Instead, they chose to make their discipleship of Jesus Christ their primary consideration.” Becoming One in heart and mind has nothing to do with dissolving what makes us unique to fit in with the whole. It’s about uniting one with another in placing the Lord first and foremost. Rather than confining and constricting us, becoming one in heart and mind gives us the freedom and the confidence and the trust to be more truly and more fully ourselves, without fear that others will exploit our weaknesses and without the lust for power that would tempt us to exploit the weaknesses of others. Becoming One actually allows us to become more different, even as we become more committed to placing the Lord first.