Entitlement vs. Unity


On our drive home she began talking about the entitlement attitudes here in America. I’ve said before I believe that’s why Obama got elected-the entitlement generation played right into his hands. Then she went further-Sodom and Gomorrah was filled with a generation of people who had the entitlement attitude. Interestingly enough today the focus at Church was on Unity-specifically Pres. Eyring’s talk on Unity and Pres. Joseph Smith Jr. lesson on Unity. With our conversation fresh in my mind and the words pouring from the pulpits it became apparent that the societal characteristics of unity seem to be the exact opposite of the societal entitlement characteristics.

As to the entitlement attitudes, I hear one son talking about how the company he works for is raping the employee (charging the employee more for health care-HELL-O there are companies no longer offering health insurance because it’s costing them so much); students talking about how good it is in other countries and how bad the people 50+ are (cost of health care and Social Security coming out of the youth’s pay check-as if those age 50+ haven’t been paying for those older than them) and little tidbits like that. Basically the ideology is that society, mom & pop, the company-whoever else other than themselves-owes them a life, living, and ALL they want. Totally non-existent appears to be the attitude of pulling yourself up by the boot-straps and getting on with it.

As to the unity attitudes, it’s one of putting others wants and needs ahead of your own, doing things the way the Lord would do it (Golden Rule), recognizing your strengths/talents (physical, mental, financial, resource-wise) and seeking inspiration to use those resources to bless and enrich the lives of those around you who do not have the same strengths/talents and resources. End result? Hearts knit together as one. Basically a low level of understanding of unity can be found in a quote from George Albert Smith "Every kind act that we perform for one of our Father's children is but a permanent investment made by us that will bear eternal dividends." (CR, April 1914, p. 13.) I suppose this is the next phase of the sifting of tares from the wheat. I’d say and so it begins, but really it’s merely continuing.

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