Let us be the hands of the Savior in embracing our fellow men.

As President Uchtdorf said, “It is unbecoming of us as Christians to think that those who are suffering deserve their misfortune,” I thought of the fact that many will dispute whether we are Christians simply because of our doctrine. My thought was that when men stand beforethe Sacior for judgement he will accept all who are Christians and they will be defined as Christians based on what they do and how they treat their fellow men rather than on what they believe or even what they claim to believe.

When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love. And He always talked with, never down to, people. He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation.

That is what He did during His mortal life; it is what He would be doing if He were living among us today; and it is what we should be doing as His disciples and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As we emulate His perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes, His eyes; our heart, His heart.

While some did leave, many stayed – they came to church, tasted the sweetness of the gospel, and felt the tender embrace of caring brothers and sisters. They discovered “home.” And now, three and four generations later, many families trace their Church membership back to these converts.

I am not suggesting that we accept sin or overlook evil, in our personal life or in the world. Nevertheless, in our zeal, we sometimes confuse sin with sinner, and we condemn too quickly and with too little compassion.

One woman who had been through years of trial and sorrow said through her tears, “I have come to realize that I am like an old 20-dollar bill – crumpled, torn, dirty, abused, and scarred. But I am still a 20-dollar bill. I am worth something. Even though I may not look like much and even though I have been battered and used, I am still worth the full 20 dollars.”

True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long – we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it – but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Without this love for God the Father and our fellowmen we are only the form of His Church – without the substance. What good is our teaching without love? What good is missionary, temple, or welfare work without love?

As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.