2 Nephi 26:33 - "For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black, white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

I like the story used in the lesson regarding friendships with many kinds of people because I think at some point in my life I have been each one of the animals – and hopefully more like the 2nd Dog than the first °Ü° How often do we see a cat and think, "we can’t play with you – you are different – you make strange noises and want to climb trees all the time – I love that part °Ü° . I think of those around us who may have a disability of some type – physical or mental. If we would take the time to get to know them, we may find we like to climb trees too.

How often do we see a turtle – a new convert or even a less active member– that may be on a slower, more difficult road than us and we think – "I can’t play with you either – you’re much too slow, you can’t keep up, and you may hold me back.

Then there’s that rabbit – remember the commercial for Tricks Cereal – "Silly rabbit – Tricks are for kids". All the rabbit wanted was what other’s around him were partaking of. If someone would have just offered him a bowl of cereal!!!

There is a catchy little tune for a cartoon my boys like to watch – "Cat Dog" I love it °Ü° Mostly because I have a cat and dog that love each other. At first our dog didn’t trust the new little kitten that had arrived because he’d had experiences with our previous cat – experiences that were not pleasant. But this new little kitten had never been around dogs before and had never been taught – "you’re a cat, HE’s a dog, and WE don’t like them!!! She would rub up against him, purr, and cuddle up in his fluffy tail to nap. At first, Jordan, (our dog) would watch her out of the corner of his eye and after she was all "comfy" he would get up and move to a new place. This never stopped her…she would get up and follow him. She needed his love and acceptance. Now they seek each other out and sleep and play together often.

Diversity – the spice of life.

Sometimes I make this jell-0 salad that my mother only made at Thanksgiving time. She added all kinds of ingredients and I loved it. The first time I made it, I forgot to stir the ingredients once it started to set, and everything sank to the bottom and there it stayed. The salad just didn't look the same and I couldn't figure out why until I started serving it and realized what I'd done.

Many times there are those around us who have talents and gifts to share but who will sink to the bottom and go unnoticed - at first - if they are left out. We need to bring those "ingredients" to the surface and enhance the flavor of our lives. Our differences should be seen as a way to strengthen each other and bring out the best in everyone.

My mother would often say, "they're fighting like Cats and Dogs". In Mosiah, Chapter 9 we can learn from Zeniff to look for the good in others. Sometimes this is hard to do when we "seek to destroy" our enemies. How different would we feel if instead of destruction we felt compassion - putting ourselves in their place and tried to understand from their point of view. We might even find a cozy place for a nap :-)

Heavenly Fathers loves us unconditionally – all of us - it doesn’t matter whether we are a cat, dog, turtle, or rabbit. "Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one…." 1 Nephi 17:35

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