We love Disney movies at our house. When my kids were little, one of our favorite films was “Lilo & Stitch”. It was there that we learned the phrase “‘Ohana.” As the movie says, “’Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten” (Lilo & Stitch). This phrase has become important in our family over the past 20 years. I believe our Savior, Jesus Christ, can help us learn how to create ‘ohana in our homes, communities, and world through unconditional love, overlooking imperfection, and belonging.
First: ‘Ohana
For native Hawaiians, ‘ohana refers to the familial bond they share. For example, a person may be part of multiple ‘ohana, including biological, work, recreational, or church families, and more.
We’re all connected, not only through our understanding of being the children of heavenly parents, but by being part of beautiful and beloved communities wherever we live. We are often brought together from all over the world to love and care for each other. One place we build community and feel ‘ohana is in our wards, where we teach about Jesus Christ and are trying to become more like Him.
When we were baptized, we promised that we would “Mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort…When the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts” (Mosiah 18:9,11).
The people were so excited to follow Jesus Christ, be baptized, and create this beloved community that they clapped their hands for joy! This is a beautiful example of ‘ohana.
I love seeing the beauty of community in the many cultures around me. When my Nigerian sisters teach me about their amazing food, or my Latino friends include me in a party and don’t laugh at my horrible dancing, or my Filipino friends invite me to a boodle fight, I see how their cultures embrace the concept of ‘ohana. I also feel that joy each week at our ward family home evening, where we gather with friends and missionaries to learn about the gospel and have fun together. It is indeed a blessing in my life to be a part of my ward ‘ohana.
Second: Unconditional Love
In the scriptures, we read, “The Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind” (Moses 7:18). Notice that we never hear of a Zion person; we always hear of a Zion people.
The love needed to build Zion is patient and kind; it is a love that does not envy or boast or is arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4,7).
Love is reciprocal: we each come with something to give and something to learn. We each bring gifts that lead us as a community nearer to God. In teaching in our families and beloved community, love and relationships are the catalyst for building ‘ohana.
As a parent, my proudest moments have been when my children trust me because they know of my unconditional love. In my younger years, my teaching looked different as I helped them create a foundation for their lives, including following Jesus Christ and loving and caring for those around them. As they are now young adults, I am here to walk beside them through their journeys. I am truly amazed at the beautiful gifts they teach me, and it is an honor to be with them along their winding roads of life. I am so proud of them.
Third: Imperfection
Our families and beloved communities aren’t perfect. Sometimes in our wards, offenses are committed, or assignments go undone. There may be leaders who are not perfect or people you don’t agree with. At home, someone forgot to take out the trash, and hurtful words were said. Sometimes in families, we may be deeply hurt by their tragic actions that cause pain for a lifetime.
But imperfections can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can seek forgiveness, and we can also forgive. We can serve others and work towards a fair and unified society. Our imperfect, yet humble, actions can be magnified as we work together. It will be through our collective efforts that we can help each other, one by one, and overcome our imperfections through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Fourth: Belonging
Belonging is a feeling of safety and knowing that you matter. I think of how Jesus tried to make everyone feel they belonged- even the sinners, the outcasts, the lepers. Jesus loved and cared for everyone, not just some of them. He fed them. He healed them. He showed pure love with His actions, culminating in the gift of His Atonement.
Our efforts to be like Him must include caring for people who are suffering and helping them to feel they belong. As long as we have people among us who are hungry, weak, downtrodden, or not being treated with dignity, we still have a great work to do.
In Elder Gong’s telling of the parable of the Good Samaritan, he explained that Jesus invites us to come to each other and to Him in His inn—His Church. He invites us to be good neighbors. The good Samaritan promises to return and recompense those who cared for the ones in His inn. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ includes making room for all in His restored Church.
On the dusty roads to Jericho, each of us has been laughed at, embarrassed and hurt, perhaps scorned or abused. And with varying degrees of intent, each of us has also disregarded others, not seen or heard them, or perhaps even deliberately hurt them. It is precisely because we have been hurt and have hurt others that Jesus Christ brings us all to His inn. In His Church and through His ordinances and covenants, we come to each other and to Jesus Christ. We love and are loved, serve and are served, forgive and are forgiven (in Conference Report, Apr. 2021, p 25).
Like the movie Lilo & Stitch reminds us, as we work to build family and community, we can be sure that no one is left behind or forgotten. How can you strive to create ‘ohana in your home, your family, your ward, and your community? By teaching and loving within our families. From this foundation, we build communities in our homes, neighborhoods, and churches.
Through Jesus Christ, we can create ‘ohana—a place of unconditional love, where we learn to overcome imperfection and help each person feel they truly belong.