What Is Good About Us?

Luke 18:18-19 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

This rebuke by the Master may seem off putting to some well-wishers, who just was searching (albeit with less thought than the situated merited) for some amiable way to find entrance into a conversation with the Lord. However, Christ found it the perfect time to teach a valuable lesson.

We should not expect to find ourselves very good disciples of His, if we are not willing to walk the path He followed.

Why do we look for the good things that we do and like to praise ourselves for them when that is not what He sought?

Anything good (culturally speaking) that the church (as defined in D&C 10:67) produces derives from trying to apply the teachings of Jesus. All of the negative aspects produced by the church come from our inability to live the teachings that Jesus gave. These include but are not limited to the side effects of depression, issues surrounding human sexuality, unrighteous judgement, oppressive government in LDS areas, etc.

I have heard some people say not to blame the rank and file of the church (same definition as before) for these issues, because they are caused by the Shepherds of Israel. (see Ezekiel 33:23-34:31) To this I reply, the segregated perception of leaders and rank-and-file is a fallacy. It is similar to how I often hear people refer to 'The Church' (i.e. 'The Church doesn't like -fill in the blank-' or 'The Church teaches...' and 'That's not what The Church teaches') as if it were some real person or tangible thing that they were referring to. The Church is -as Christ, Himself explained it- everyone who repents and comes unto Christ. (see again D&C 10:67) In my belief that includes Jerald Tanner and Thomas Monson. Therefore anything that is produced within a culture in which 'The Church' exists, is negative only because some group of people, who have identified themselves with the church, have failed to live some part of the teachings of Christ. If we have anything good about us, it is purely because Christ's teachings are being lived (whether cognitively or merely as an automatic reaction stimulated by our social conditioning, the reward is the same.)