"Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon."
—DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 133:14 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor, wherewith shall the earth be salted?"
—MATTHEW 5:13 1.  We are becoming an exclusionary people. In both ancient and modern scripture, the Lord has taught us to flee Babylon and to gather to Zion. In the early days of the restored Church, we fled from and gathered to specific locales. Though the time for physically fleeing and gathering is past, the mindset of separating ourselves persists. This has prompted living prophets and our communities alike to caution us against becoming an exclusionary people.

2.  Being exclusive prevents us from becoming the "salt of the earth." In understanding the nature of salt-that to sustain life, salt must be ingested, for instance-we will come to understand why becoming the "salt of the earth" requires that we not only resist separating ourselves, but also seek to include.

3.  Know Your Neighbor is an initiative that will help us become more inclusive. In its simplest form, it involves inviting one family or individual into our home with whom we have something in common, apart from religion. The long-term objective is to invite our communities into our homes, and into our hearts, thus triggering a shift from being inward-facing toward becoming outward-focused.

4.  As we seek to include, we will find that we belong. Brother Stephen L. Tanner teaches, "Our plan of happiness has always depended upon fellowship and a sense of community in the profoundest of terms."1 As we invite our communities into our lives, we will not only become "the salt of the earth," there will be "salt between us," and we will find that we belong.