Mosiah 27:1-7
1 And now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma. And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah consulted with his priests.
2 And it came to pass that king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the land round about that there should not any unbeliever persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.
3 And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men;
4 That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support.
5 Yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God.
6 And there began to be much peace again in the land; and the people began to be very numerous, and began to scatter abroad upon the face of the earth, yea, on the north and on the south, on the east and on the west, building large cities and villages in all quarters of the land.
It is so clear reading these scripture verses that there is a lesson here for our day. We only have to look as far as an internet news banner or newscast to know that it is a time of great worry for all people of religion. The news of terror attacks here in America and abroad have everyone on edge and alert. Many are calling for very strict guidelines on who may enter American borders, who may stay, who must go. While there is no doubt some very real concern for the safety of all involved in this type of religious persecution, from these scriptures in Mosiah, we know that what we face is not new. What can we learn from these scriptures?
First we read that the persecutions concerned the people and they took it to their religious leader, Alma. He brought the concerns to the king, Mosiah and he consulted with his religious leaders. They all cooperated and came up with a peaceful solution.
Our religious leaders have counseled us in this manner:
"With people around the world, we mourn today as we consider the horrific tragedies that have occurred in Paris. We pray for those affected, for their families and loved ones, for the leaders of nations and most especially for the people of France as they struggle to recover from the violence and loss they are feeling so deeply. We have directed that flags on Temple Square be flown at half staff, and that the French Flag be flown here as an expression of our love and support for them. In these hours of uncertainty and despair, we ask members of the Church everywhere to join with us in our prayer that the peace of the Savior Jesus Christ will provide comfort, healing, understanding and hope." (First Presidency response)
(this is a link to the article and quotes World Political and Religious leader responses.)
While it is clear that we will not be able to make a law requiring that all incivility and beligerence towards others beliefs stop, (there are already laws of this type in existence), we can follow this scripture and not be a part of the hysteria that is occurring and stirring up a hatred among folks of differing religious and political beliefs. America was created as a refuge for all peoples of every ethnicity, religious and racial background. we cannot allow a radicalized and extreme faction to change that in any way. Once that door is open to be predjudicial to any religious group, who is next? Who will stand for us?
The LDS Church's response to the refugee crisis is clear and can be read in its entirety here:
Let us all resolve to keep calm heads and to decide in our hearts to follow the wise teachings of these verses in Mosiah. Let no pride or haughtiness disturb our peace. Let us esteem our neighbor as we esteem ourselves. And let there be peace upon this land.
