Repost! What if it was Christ's brother or sister?

I am reposting this because of it's message, and it's what I need to remember. I was getting caught up in my emotions again and needed to see things with new eyes. 

Today, as I pondered on good and evil, a thought came to me. Now this thought developed out of a three hour study this morning on the nature of people, evil vs. mentally ill, forgiveness and repentance, and personal accountability.

The question or thought that was posed to me was...."What if it was the Savior's Brother or Sister?" In relating it to my life I found the following situations applied to me. It made all other things irrelevant in the asking.

In terms of my friend and our falling out- What if it was the Savior's sister that hurt me, would I forgive her instantly? Would I find that increase of love for her and want to help her more? Would I do everything I could to build her and provide to her love and support? Or would I tear her down for hurting me, telling people my side of the story so people would not want to support her, or would I abandon the relationship and hope to never have to deal with it or take responsibility? The answer was easy, once the question was posed. She is the Savior's sister, and mine as well. Well, looking at the situation from these eyes, it came to me and impressed me that I would find and increased love for her, want to help her more, and do everything I can to build her and provide to her love and support. Because that is essentially who she is to me, a literal sister of my Savior. (redundancy here for added emphasis)

Or looking at our relationship from my inflicting hurt on her with the question posed. "What if I hurt the Savior's sister?" Would I do anything to make it right? Would I pray for forgiveness? Would I go to her seeking forgiveness and ways to make amends?  Would I build her through words? Would I pray for the hurt I inflicted on her to be minimal? Or would I choose the other path of she deserved it because she hurt me too? Or not take responsibility for my actions? Or not go to her and try and make amends? Would I try and inflict hurt back on her for hurting me? The answer here is just as easy...I would build her, pray for her, beg for forgiveness, repent of my shortcomings, serve her, make amends, and increase my love for her, because she is His sister and mine.

The question of "What if it was the Savior's brother or sister?" can be posed to any relationship. My relationship with my ex, my relationship with my kiddos, friends, ward members, and acquaintances. They are my brothers and sisters, I need to love them as they are, literal brothers and sisters to the Savior who laid down His life for me and expects me to find and increase of love for these people. Who am I not to love others more fully, forgive others more fully, serve others more fully, reach out to others more fully?

I pray that this week I can look at people from this lens and do more for others, have a change of heart, repair through amends, and love others unconditionally as the family that we are.

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”⁵