“Go Thy Way Unto Thy Brother and First Be Reconciled to Thy Brother”

Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet

There is an obligation mentioned here, a responsibility resting upon Christians which seems to be almost an onerous burden. It is that we are called upon to seek with all our heart to resolve and dissolve differences with people, to become a peace-maker, even when we are not directly responsible for the misunderstanding.

One would expect the Savior to be teaching something like the following: “Before you come unto me, if you should discover that you have unkind feelings toward someone, first go to that person and resolve them.” But that is not what the Master said. He said: “Before you come unto me, if you should discover that another has unkind feelings toward you, then first go to that person and resolve them.” We might be prone to respond, “But that’s his problem!” No, the Lord answers, it is our problem as well. I am my brother’s keeper and if one has aught against me (and I know about it) then I have a Christian responsibility to do what I can to humbly set things straight, to apologize if I am somehow at fault, and in general to rectify the situation. Should the offended one refuse my hand of fellowship, I have done what is expected of me.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4

References