Today is the first day of the #SpeakOutChallenge, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can check it out here. It’s not too late to join! My last several blog posts have been talking about the importance of righteous women influencing the world and how we have been asked to speak out. I believe that an important aspect to remember when speaking out is to take Alma’s counsel to “use boldness but not overbearance,” (Alma 38:12).
Boldness is defined as a willingness to take risks and act innovatively; having confidence or courage. Overbearing means unpleasantly overpowering. So, how can we be bold without being overbearing?
Sometimes it can seem like there’s a fine line between the two. But don’t let fear of being overbearing silence you into not sharing light and truth. The world needs your voice!
There are plenty of times when boldness is appropriate. Abinadi spoke boldly to King Noah and his priests (Mosiah 12:19). Alma spoke boldly to the people of Ammonihah (Alma 9:7). Ammon spoke with boldness to King Lamoni (Alma 18:24). Mormon wrote with boldness to Moroni as he corrected a misunderstanding (Moroni 8:16, 21).
James E. Faust said, “I do not believe that we need to be…loud, pushy, or insensitive.” We choose to be bold when we speak up in defense of truth. A person who is filled with love and who has a sense of mission will be bold, not overbearing. We must also show respect for the people around us. The prophet Joseph Smith taught that the moment we seek “to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness,” we offend God, and we lose His Spirit and His power, (D&C 121:37).
We must also remember the importance of speaking up while showing respect for the views of other people. Dallin H. Oaks said, “We must not compromise or dilute our commitment to the truths we understand. We must not surrender our positions or our values….Followers of Christ should be examples of civility. We should love all people, be good listeners, and show concern for their sincere beliefs. Though we may disagree, we should not be disagreeable.”
When Alma counseled his son Shiblon to use boldness without overbearance, he specifically meant to teach the word of God without fear. And as we take on the same call, we can teach with that same boldness – with confidence and courage, as defined above.
Sometimes bold words are exactly what another person needs to hear to inspire them to positive action. Other times, bold words may overpower a conversation and discourage important contributions from other people. Boldness should always come from a place of love.
Let us all strive to be bold without being overbearing; to speak up with courage, and show kindness and civility toward those who may disagree with our beliefs. And don’t forget to join the #SpeakOutChallenge today!
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