Book of Mormon Blogging Part Six. 4 Nephi 1.

"There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any matter of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God."- 4 Nephi 1:17

"And now it came to pass in this year, yea, in the two hundred and thirty and first year, there was a great division among the people. An it came to pass that in this year there arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they were true believers of Christ; and among them were those who were called by the Lamanites--Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites... And it came to pass that those who rejected the gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Zoramites..." 4 Nehpi 1:35-36,38

It is amazing to me that the people of ancient America lived in such peace for generations after Christ's visit, but that by the fourth generation they disperse into disjunct groups. It is also amazing how many "-ites", as Mormon calls them, there really are. These groups and identities are so readily available to be called upon and used, but after Christ came the whole idea of Lamanites and Lemuelites and Zoramites went away.

I think we are so prone to doing that in our own lives today. We categorize ourselves into races, religions and lifestyles, but really it doesn't matter; we are all children of God. Groups are so easily compartmentalized and formed. It is so easy to stereotype people because of their racial or cultural heritage, but we ought not do so. We need to love everyone and be one through God.

Someone may not believe what you do or dress like you or eat like you or look like you. But "all are alike unto God." May we strive less on seeing the differences, and more on the similarities of why God loves us all equally.