Most of us want to love our neighbor. And yet, for some reason, it often seems easier to do that when the “neighbor” lives far away, perhaps in another country. But what of the neighbors who live close by, even in our own household? In many cases, that’s where our love is needed the most—and where it can do the most good.
More than a century ago, two sisters, Lucy and Anna McClelland, lived in a small pioneer settlement in the American Intermountain West. As she grew into young adulthood, Anna, who was two years younger than Lucy, determined to leave home and become a teacher. Her parents reluctantly consented, and Anna started a heavy load of classes at the academy. In her own words, she “didn’t have much fun.”
Meanwhile, Lucy stayed home and worked to help support the family, but her sister was never far from her mind. Specifically, she worried that Anna wasn’t smiling enough—and not just because of her demanding schoolwork. You see, Anna had three front teeth that were badly damaged, and her family had never had enough money for dental work. Lucy wanted her sister to have the confidence to stand in front of a classroom and not cover her mouth when she smiled. So Lucy saved her pennies for a year and sent Anna $17.50 to get her teeth fixed—a small fortune in those days!
Anna wrote: “If [Lucy] could realize how much it did for me and how I appreciate it. … I could now be with people without being so ashamed.” Anna became a teacher in their frontier town, and she never forgot her sister’s selfless gift.
As a descendant of Anna McClelland, I can tell you that Lucy’s example of love has influenced generations of her family. She has taught us that the greatest measure of joy comes from selflessly caring for someone else—especially someone near and dear to us. True, nearness sometimes creates friction. The closer someone is, the greater the chance that they might annoy us or even hurt us. But nearness also creates the greatest potential for deep and lasting love. So as we seek to do as the Lord said, “Love thy neighbour as thyself,”[1] we need not look for a neighbor in some distant land. We can start in our own home.
[1] Matthew 22:39.
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July 24, 2022
Broadcast Number 4,845
The Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductors
Mack Wilberg
Ryan Murphy
Organist
Andrew Unsworth
Host
Lloyd Newell
They, the Builders of the Nation
Alfred M. Durham; arr. Mack Wilberg
I Sing the Mighty Power of God
English Melody; arr. Mack Wilberg
Trumpet Tune in Seven
James C. Kasen
Come, Come, Ye Saints
American Folk Song; arr. Mack Wilberg
Where Love Is
Joanne Bushman Doxey & Marjorie Castleton Kjar; arr. Sam Cardon
For I Am Called by Thy Name
Crawford Gates
Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
John Goss; arr. Ryan Murphy