Context: The Antidote to Outrage

I'm feeling a little better about things today. The world can be a tough place, but that's no cause for feeling victimized. Yesterday, during EQ, I gained a new perspective on Matthew 5:10-12:

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

My whole life, I've read these words as saying that persecution is a type of certification of one's devotion. Rejoice if you're persecuted, because it means you've joined the ranks of the devout!

Today, I see them saying something completely different: don't take persecution out of context. Yes, you might feel that you've been misunderstood, attacked, and demeaned, but don't think that makes you special. Your persecution is minimal, if you put it in context. Instead, choose to rejoice in the face of persecution, in order to avoid cultivating feelings of anger and frustration, which only distance you from the God you are trying to serve.

Along these lines, I really appreciated the context Orson Scott Card provides about this unfortunate incident:

What Mormons keep foremost in mind is this: We’re a worldwide church. We might be going through a rough patch in America right now, as we butt heads with the oppressive New Puritans of the American Left, but that has nothing to do with how the Mormon Church is growing in Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, or Taiwan.

Big Love is just an entertainment; nothing they do will diminish the sacredness of what goes on inside our temples.