One of the fundamental axioms of The Church of Jesus Christ has always been to come and see. This invitation goes out to everyone everywhere. This stirring invitation has excluded no soul. Christ called upon us to invite all, yet we still deem many as unworthy because we fear the color of their skin, where they were born, or their current religious practices. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of inclusion, now more than ever.

When Jesus was here on the American Continent with the descendants of Lehi, he proclaimed,

And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation.

3 Nephi 18:25

We are commanded to invite and include all throughout the world. If not, we are breaking the commandment.

There have indeed been times that some were limited in partaking of all of the blessings, whether it was the Gentiles at the time of Christ or Blacks during the restoration. We are now living in a day when all are invited. I don’t understand why there have been times of limitation, but today we are only limited by the laws of countries and not by the Lord or His church. All are welcome to come to the table of the Lord.

This is not an act of force or compulsion but a loving invitation. Our love and concern for our neighbors do not hinge on their response to our invitation. We are to be like the Good Samaritan and not pass by on the other side.

Our invitation may be as simple as sharing a verse of scripture or more robust to attend church with us. However we invite, we never want to deny another individual right to agency. Among our beliefs, another one of the key axioms is that all of God’s children are entitled to make their own choices. We want all to be able to choose freely.

We believe that this right of agency was had with us before we were born. It was in the presence of God that we were invited to follow Jesus Christ to earth to receive a body as God has. Here, we are invited to continue following Jesus when we come and see. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we echo this invitation.

I invite each of you, no matter your current religious beliefs, gender, ethnicity, or country of origin, to come and see. I have felt the divine mercy, grace, and strength of Jesus Christ in my own life. I have chosen to Hear Him by heeding His call to come and see. It requires me to be meek, but I have been blessed as I do, and I believe that you will too.

Come and see it!