Stephenson Family Ties

Some men say, "We must find God before we can love our fellow men." Is it not

 more nearly in keeping with the truth to say: "We shall find our God by living and

 loving our brethern"? I think it is. Shall we say that a man first loves God and then

 spontaneously will love his neighbor? The New Testament reverses that order.

 "For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom

 he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20) Shall we say that a man first is forgiven by God and

 then naturally overflows into magnanimous relations with his fellows? The New Test-

ament puts it the other way around. "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither 

will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matt 6:15) Shall we say that the worship of

 God comes first and love of man inevitably follows? The New Testament states the 

contrary: "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the alter, and there rememberest that thy 

brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the alter, and go thy way; first

 be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." (Matt 5:23-24) Shall we

 say that the right attitude toward Christ is the precedent condition of a right attitude to-

ward men? The New Test- ament says it is impossible to take a right attitude toward Christ

 with- out taking an unselfish attitude toward men. "Insomuch as ye have done it unto one 

of the least of these my brethern, ye have done it unto me." (Matt 25:40) We may think as

 we please, but there is no question about what the Bible thinks. In the New Testament

 there is no road to the heart of God that does not lead through the heart of man.

 -Spencer W. Kimball