What it means to "be one" (Doctrine and Covenants 37-40)

In December 1830, the Lord asked the members of the church to move to Ohio. This was a big deal. They would be leaving behind their farms and all they had done to build up their livelihoods. It took a great act of faith to do this, and many suffered from significant financial loss for their great show of faith. Yet, they did it because they trusted the Lord and his greater knowledge. 

And, in fact, learn in "Gathered In Saints: The Story of The Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, Volume 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815-1846," that “I hold forth and deign to give unto you greater riches, even a land of promise,” the Lord declared, “and I will give it unto you for the land of your inheritance, if you seek it with all your hearts.” 

The Lord was gathering his saints to protect them from the wicked, and as he did so, he asked them to "be one."

In Doctrine and Covenants 38:26, the Savior asks, "For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be though clothed in rags and sit thou there - and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just?" 

Or, in other words, what kind of father treats one son like a king and another so poorly, and can call himself a fair man?

He then says, in verse 27, "Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one, and if ye are not one ye are not mine." 

We are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. That means we are all brothers are sisters. We are HIS. So if we are one, we are treating each other as if we are not HIS, and therefore, acting as though Jesus Christ is not our brother. 

I love the way that William K. Jackson says it, in his October 2020 talk, "The Culture of Christ:"

This culture is grounded in the testimony that our Heavenly Father exists, that He is real and loves each one of us individually. We are His “work and [His] glory.”¹ This culture espouses the concept of equal worth. There is no recognition of caste or class. We are, after all, brothers and sisters, spirit children of our heavenly parents—literally. There is no prejudice or “us versus them” mentality in the greatest of all cultures. We are all “us.” We are all “them.” We believe that we are responsible and accountable for ourselves, one another, the Church, and our world. Responsibility and accountability are important factors in our growth.

Charity, true Christlike caring, is the bedrock of this culture. We feel real concern for the needs of our fellowman, temporal and spiritual, and act on those feelings. This dispels prejudice and hatred.

President Russell N. Nelson said it very profoundly way back in 1978, in a talk called, "Building Bridges" that was re-shared in 2018 at the "Be One" celebration as shared here.

Ultimately, we realize that only the comprehension of the true Fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women. That understanding inspires us with passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.

It is my prayer and blessing that I leave upon all who are listening that we may overcome any burdens of prejudice and walk uprightly with God — and with one another — in perfect peace and harmony. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

How do we live "in perfect peace and harmony?" In his talk, "All Nations, Kindreds, Tongues," from October 2020 General Conference, Gerrit W. Gong explains:

In the household of faith there are to be no strangers, no foreigners,⁷ no rich and poor,⁸ no outside “others.” As “fellowcitizens with the saints,”⁹ we are invited to change the world for the better, from the inside out, one person, one family, one neighborhood at a time.

We can do this as we support each other, learn about each other, show compassion and mercy for each other. In "By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power with God," Sharon Eubank says, 

Jacob 2:17 reads, “Think of your [brothers and sisters] like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.” Let’s replace the word substance with mercy—be free with your mercy that they may be rich like unto you.

We often think of substance in terms of food or money, but perhaps what we all need more of in our ministering is mercy.

And finally, in April 2021 General Conference, in the talk, "Hearts Knit Together," Gary E. Stevenson says, "

We have a primary responsibility to set a tone and be role models of kindness, inclusion, and civility—to teach Christlike behavior to the rising generation in what we say and how we act. It is especially important as we observe a marked societal shift toward division in politics, social class, and nearly every other man-made distinction.

... The Lord expects us to teach that inclusion is a positive means toward unity and that exclusion leads to division.

... As we look through a gospel lens, we recognize that we too are under the watchcare of a compassionate caregiver, who extends Himself in kindness and a nurturing spirit. 

The Good Shepherd knows each one of us by name and has a personal interest in us.¹⁹ The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said: “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep. … And I [will] lay down my life for the sheep.”²⁰