Everyone is Welcome at Church!

I know that there are people who do not feel welcome at Church. There are plenty of reasons why this might be the case, but more often than not -- it is because of disappointing interactions with people. Over the years I have had contact with people that have been offended for one reason or another, and it prevents them from feeling comfortable within the walls of the Lord's house. It is a sad thing, but I have come to really empathize with those who feel this way. Who wants to go to church to be forgotten, or offended? No one does!

The thing is, when we go to church, we can all have our "blinders" on. When I enter the church building, I am usually taking a deep breath after the storm that raged while getting all 6 of us showered, dressed, and out the door on time. I am lucky if I can remember to smile after the morning tornado of church clothes, flat irons, and Cheerios. Now that I think about it, I can only remember a handful of smooth-running Sunday mornings. We love church, so we carryout our organized chaos from home to the church building. We will never stop getting ready for church, as long as we live.

My heart is always welcoming to everyone that comes through the church doors. I try to match my face to show that, but sometimes I am just trying to keep myself calm, while my children teach me the meaning of patience. But smiles, saying "Hello," and being friendly can be very important to those around us. It can mean the world to people! We all carry with us heavy burdens, and kindness and warmth can really help to lighten the load. I have found that kindness given -- and kindness received -- can work wonders for the aching soul.

There is no "one size fits all" at church. We are all different. There is not a "Mormon mold" we have to fit into. (Check out http://mormon.org/people to see how different Mormons can be!) We can be as different as apples and bananas -- but we are all still the fruit of God. We all come from a vast array of different places, perspectives, political views, and backgrounds. But despite our differences, those who come to church all have one thing in common -- we love the gospel! And by going to church we are showing our devotion to our faith, and our Heavenly Father.

Sometimes our differences can get in the way of our similarities, but it does not have to be that way. We all have so much to learn from each other -- good and bad -- and we can help each other by working together, and by working together we end up shaping ourselves into who we are meant to become.

So, regardless of whether or not people are warm and welcoming -- church is for everyone.  Church is for the saint, and the sinner. (Thank goodness!) We go to church to heal our broken spirits, and we go to help others heal too. We go to church to serve, love, and give. We do not go to church to judge, and be judged. We do not go to offend, and be offended. We go to church because we love Jesus, and His gospel, and we want to participate in the Sacrament made available by His ultimate sacrifice. We go to church to worship God, despite our imperfections, our frailties, and our differences.

Despite our differences, we all belong at church. Because we are all God's children. He loves us more than we can ever fully understand, or comprehend. His gospel is truth, and we all need it in our lives.

I loved this quote by Elder Uchtdorf:

"If you expect to find perfect people here, you will be disappointed. But if you seek the pure doctrine of Christ, the word of God “which healeth the wounded soul,” and the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost, then here you will find them. In this age of waning faith—in this age when so many feel distanced from heaven’s embrace—here you will find a people who yearn to know and draw closer to their Savior by serving God and fellowmen, just like you. Come, join with us!" (For full text go: HERE) 

To the saint and the sinner: If you feel like you are not warmly welcomed at church by the people -- come anyway! It is the house of the Lord. The people are not perfect, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is. And I can guarantee that He warmly welcomes you, with open arms, always.

No matter who you are, no matter what burdens you carry -- Jesus loves you!

Come to church for Him!