President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "We live in a society that feeds on criticism. Faultfinding is the substance of columnists and commentators, and there is too much of this among our own people. It is so easy to find fault, and to resist doing so requires much discipline…The enemy of truth would divide us and cultivate within us attitudes of criticism which, if permitted to prevail, will only deter us in the pursuit of our great divinely given goal. We cannot afford to permit it to happen." We cannot give in to feelings and demands to criticize. Once we do, how much more slippery the slope becomes.

When faced with those among us who would like to persecute us for our beliefs, there are several points to remember.
The first of these would be to recall the eleventh article of faith which says, "We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." This idea we believe and accept as part of our articles of faith seems to follow another great document, The Constitution of the United States. The First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." These two ideas push towards an idea of, not only religious freedom, but also one of patience and tolerance.

Many people believe that if we are fully tolerant and truly accept and love others it is a betrayal of our beliefs, that we are in essence condoning the wrongful behavior. That simply is not so. If we look to Christ as our example, we see time and time again when he love the sinner, but hated the sin.

Russell M. Nelson, at the April 1994 General Conference discussed the differences between tolerance and to tolerate. "…We must recognize at the outset that there is a difference between tolerance and tolerate. Your gracious tolerance for an individual does not grant him or her license to do wrong, nor does your tolerance obligate you to tolerate his or her misdeed. That distinction is fundamental to an understanding of this vital virtue." He goes on to say how God loves everyone, but his children fight and build walls of intolerance with one another.

In the early 1990's, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve issued this statement, "We call upon all people everywhere to recommit themselves to the time-honored ideals of tolerance and mutual respect. We sincerely believe that as we acknowledge one another with consideration and compassion we will discover that we can all peacefully coexist despite our deepest differences."

The second point to remember is to not engage in anything that would be considered bashing, that is to tear down one another, beliefs and ideas in a negative way.

Marvin J. Ashton said, "Some think the only way to get even, to get attention or advantage, or to win is to bash people. This kind of behavior is never appropriate. Oftentimes character and reputation and almost always self-esteem are destroyed under the hammer of this vicious practice." He then explains that charity is more than visiting the sick and serving the needy. "Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us." ("The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword" Ensign, May 1992)

Bashing not only happens religiously, but politically as well.
When we are given the right to vote and speak our minds, do we bury our heads in the sand, or take on an attitude of contempt for policy and politics and complain about the world we live in or do we actively participate in government and arm ourselves with information about the issues? Do we participate in discussions rather than debates? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Protestant martyr, wrote from prison, "There is a very real danger of our drifting into an attitude of contempt for humanity. We know full that it would be very wrong, and that it would lead to a sterile relationship with our fellow men…the man who despises others can never hope to do anything with them."

It is also important to remember to have a forgiving spirit. There are those that have immense ill will and resentment towards member of the Church or others in their lives that have caused them hurt and pain. We need to reach out in love and forgiveness to those who wish to spew venom at us. H. Burke Peterson, in the November 1983 Ensign, said, "Forgiveness of others for wrongs-imaginary or real-often does more for the forgiver than for the forgiven…The human soul seldom reaches such heights of strength or nobility as when it removes all resentments and forgives error or malice." In Alma 5:30-31, it says, "…is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions? Woe unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!"

For those that hold different beliefs than we do, whether those beliefs are religious, political or something else, we need to follow the plan laid out for us. The plan of respect and tolerance, kindness and charity; our greatest example being Jesus Christ. In Our Search for Happiness, it states, "All of our interpersonal relationships should be built on a foundation of mutual respect, trust, and appreciation. But that shouldn't prevent us from sharing deeply held religious feelings with each other. Indeed, we may find that our…differences add flavor and perspective to our relationships, especially if those relationships are built on true values, openness, respect, trust, and understanding. Especially understanding."

Some Inspired Words

"We are Christians. We want the whole world to know that we are. Sometimes we are accused of not being Christians, but such is not the case. In the words of the great prophet Nephi, "… we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Ne. 25:26.) We look to Christ as the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is our Redeemer."
Hartman Rector Jr., "Our Witness to the World," Ensign, July 1972, 64

"Those men and women who persist in publicly challenging basic doctrines, practices, and establishment of the Church sever themselves from the Spirit of the Lord and forfeit their right to place and influence in the Church. Members are encouraged to study the principles and the doctrines of the Church so that they understand them. Then, if questions arise and there are honest differences of opinion, members are encouraged to discuss these matters privately with priesthood leaders."
James E. Faust, "Keeping Covenants and Honoring the Priesthood," Ensign, Nov. 1993, 36

"We live at a time when old beliefs and old standards are being challenged. The Church of which we are members is being attacked on many sides. A few dissidents, apostates, and excommunicants have marshaled their resources in an effort to belittle and demean this work-its history, its doctrine, its practices. Some have stooped to falsehood, misrepresentation, and mockery. A few weak ones have been taken in by their sophistry.
There is another group presently receiving wide publicity across the nation. They are poking into all the crevices of our history, ferreting out little things of small import and magnifying them into great issues of public discussion, working the media in an effort to give credibility to their efforts.
None of this is new, of course. From the day that Joseph Smith walked out of the grove in the year 1820, critics and enemies-generation after generation of them-have worked and reworked the same old materials. They have minutely explored the environment in which Joseph Smith lived in an effort to rationalize-some on the basis of folk magic and the occult-the remarkable things which he did. Early in this fishing expedition, one of them gathered affidavits from neighbors and associates in an effort to undermine the character of Joseph Smith. This old bale of straw has been dished up again and again as if it were something new. They have raked over every available word that he spoke or wrote, and they then in turn have written long tomes and delivered long lectures trying to explain the mystery of his character and his work.
There have been cycles of this during the past 165 years. They have ebbed and flowed. Now we are in another peak era, which also will pass.
As I have already mentioned, from the beginning of this work there has been opposition. There have been apostates. There have been scholars, some with balance and others with an axe to grind, who have raked over every bit of evidence available concerning Joseph Smith, the prophet of this dispensation. I plead with you, do not let yourselves be numbered among the critics, among the dissidents, among the apostates. That does not mean that you cannot read widely. As a Church, we encourage gospel scholarship and the search to understand all truth. Fundamental to our theology is belief in individual freedom of inquiry, thought, and expression. Constructive discussion is a privilege of every Latter-day Saint.
But it is the greater obligation of every Latter-day Saint to move forward the work of the Lord, to strengthen His kingdom on the earth, to teach faith and build testimony in that which God has brought to pass in this, the dispensation of the fullness of times. Of course, there are items in our history which, when pulled out of context and highlighted, separated from the time and the circumstances in which the events took place, may raise some questions. Remember, however, that no Church leader of whom I am aware, past or present, has ever claimed perfection. They have been and are human, including those who have served as Presidents of the Church. The Lord has always used those he has found most suitable for His purposes. Notwithstanding some human weaknesses, they have accomplished great and remarkable things, and this even while enemies have been snapping at their heels. The work has moved steadily and consistently forward, and the only losers have been those who, in a spirit of criticism, which usually has begun in a very mild and innocuous way, have in some instances literally read, talked, and written themselves out of the Church because they looked only for the negative, read only the negative, and discussed only the negative.
To all Latter-day Saints, I say, keep the faith. When you study, do so with balance. Read the Book of Mormon itself. Read it again and again. Ponder its beauty. Reflect upon its many magnificent passages. Think of the complexity of the detail of its historical accounts. Pray about it, and the Holy Ghost will bear record to you, as he has to me and to millions of others, that it is the word of God, a voice crying from the dust to this generation in declaration of the divinity and the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ as the living Son of the living God."
President, Gordon B. Hinckley