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TheDiscipleMD

We have all been taught that there are no two snowflakes that are alike. But do we internalize that every person who has ever lived or formed in the womb is unique. Every animal is created unique. Every plant is created unique. ‘Everything’ is created unique. Everything on earth is a ‘one of a kind.’ That is the genius of the creation. There is no duplication of process. No exact replica! No ‘two of a kind!’ Why is that important to remember?

For me, it stands as a stronger witness of there being intelligence behind the creation of this world and all that is upon it, including of course, us! But more importantly, it speaks to the individuality of each of us. Our ‘uniqueness’ is something to celebrate and embrace, rather than disdain. It speaks to the words spoken recently by Jeffrey R. Holland when he said:

“… I would ask us… to remember it is by divine design that not all the voices in God’s choir are the same. It takes variety—sopranos and altos, baritones and basses—to make rich music. To borrow a line quoted in the cheery correspondence of two remarkable Latter-day Saint women, “All God’s critters got a place in the choir.” When we disparage our uniqueness or try to conform to fictitious stereotypes—stereotypes driven by an insatiable consumer culture and idealized beyond any possible realization by social media—we lose the richness of tone and timbre that God intended when He created a world of diversity.” (“Songs Sung and Unsung” GC April 2017)

While all of us are unique, some in the world would use this uniqueness to justify behavior inconsistent with the commandments of our creator. Jeffrey Holland went on to clarify that:

“Now, this is not to say that everyone in this divine chorus can simply start shouting his or her own personal oratorio! Diversity is not cacophony, and choirs do require discipline…but once we have accepted divinely revealed lyrics and harmonious orchestration composed before the world was, then our Heavenly Father delights to have us sing in our own voice, not someone else’s. Believe in yourself, and believe in Him. Don’t demean your worth or denigrate your contribution. Above all, don’t abandon your role in the chorus. Why? Because you are unique; you are irreplaceable. The loss of even one voice diminishes every other singer in this great mortal choir of ours…”

The ‘genius of the creation’ is that we all have something to contribute, because no one else can add to the choir what we have. No one! We really can be on the same page while maintaining our individuality. We should never hope to be someone else. To do so would eliminate something only ‘we’ can contribute to the world. Us!