そして祭司たちが、神の言葉を民に告げるために仕事を休めば、民もまた神の言葉を聞くために仕事を休んだ。そして、祭司たちが彼らに神の言葉を告げ終えると、彼らは皆、再び自分たちの仕事に戻り、熱心に働いた。教えを説く者は聞く者よりも偉いわけではなく、教える者は学ぶ者よりも偉いわけではないので、祭司は自分自身を自分の話を聞く者よりも優れているとは思わなかった。このように、彼らは皆、平等であった。そして、彼らは皆、各々自分の力に応じて働いた。アルマ章１：２６
And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength. Alma 1:26
One of the characteristics of the Lord’s true Church is that everyone is equal. Everyone has access to the same blessings. Everyone follows the same rules. Everyone is the same, a beloved son or daughter of Heavenly parents.
In this scripture, the prophet Alma teaches us about this important principle. He teaches us that both the teacher and the learner are equal. Just because an individual has been called to a position of leadership does not make them any better than any other member. In fact, it places more burdens on their shoulders, to care for and to teach everyone the truths of the gospel.
In the Church, there is order. We all know to whom we can look for guidance and instruction. We each have a Bishop and a Stake President. There are General Authority Seventies. There are twelve Apostles. There is a living Prophet. Everyone who holds the priesthood has a “line of authority” that lists the authority of the person by whom he was ordained.
However, the fact that there is order in the Church and that there are men and women called to leadership positions does not in any way imply that those who have been called to those positions are more important in the sight of God than any other member of the Church.
With the exception of the office of Apostle, every calling in the Church is temporary. Some may serve in a particular calling for many years, while others may have the opportunity to serve in a variety of positions over time. For example, a Bishop typically serves for about 5 years. A Stake President usually serves for about 9 years. But at some point, they will be released. Their next assignment might be as a Sunday School teacher, a ward mission leader, or some other calling within their own ward.
We do not ask for particular callings nor do we ask to be released from a calling. It is certainly appropriate to discuss with the Bishop any concerns we may have with our own calling. The Bishop holds the key in the ward and, by revelation, can determine whether or not a release is the right thing in a given circumstance.
It is also interesting that, while most of us are usually the “hearers”, we are often at the same time the “teachers”. We may have a calling to teach a Sunday School or Primary class. We may have an opportunity to speak in Sacrament meeting. We all have opportunities to minister to members of our ward.
Heavenly Father loves all of his children and expects each of us to show our love for him by loving all of our brothers and sisters. There are many who speak a different language, who dress differently, who have a different ethnic background than we do. They are all our brothers and sisters and deserve to be treated as such. We are all equal.
As we go through this next week, let’s practice equality. Let’s remember that each of us is sometimes a “hearer” and sometimes a “teacher”. Let’s do our best in both of those assignments. Let’s rid ourselves of any notion that we are superior to others or that we are more important than they are.
Let’s all have a great week!
頑張って！継続は力なり！信仰を込めて一歩ずつイエス・キリストに従いましょう。
Bill Hiatt