one of the believers

The title "one of the believers" comes from one of my very favorite scriptures, 1 Tim 4:12:

"Let no nam despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

 I have loved this scripture since my early days as a Beehive. Now I love it even more. I think the plurality of the word "believers" is very important in this scripture. It doesn't say to be "an example of the believer" this scripture realizes the plurality and diversity of opinions that will be had even in a unifying faith.

It is easy to think that all members of the LDS Church think the same. And it is easy to desire that we all behave and believe the same way. But the Gospel is highly individualistic. We will not all think, believe, or behave the same even though we share the same underlying belief system. And that is okay! That is something God planned on. It is something God encourages.

This is just a voice of one believer. One believer among many. I share the same church, the same heritage, the same faith, and the same goals for the future. My personal interpretations of the Gospel and applications of it's principles may be different than yours. And that's just fine.