Use this free LDS ministering printable featuring kindness as you teach, minister, decorate, and encourage others! This printable features Elder Wirthlin’s quote “Kindness is the essence of greatness.”

This month’s Ensign magazine features an article on the website JustServe.org.  I had no idea that this amazing community outreach program existed.  And I was really inspired as I read this article. People are doing amazing things as they serve in their communities. (You can learn more about this program and read the article by Amy Condie Guan HERE.)

And this article has some really amazing quotes from church leaders. This one from Elder Wirthlin really stood out to me. I’ve been meaning to make a new printable on kindness for awhile now and when I read this, I knew it was going on a printable!

“Kindness is the essence of greatness.”

It’s so true.

In his article, Elder Wirthlin said this:

“But,” you ask, “what if people are rude?”

Love them.

“If they are obnoxious?”

Love them.

“But what if they offend? Surely I must do something then?”

Love them.

“Wayward?”

The answer is the same. Be kind. Love them.”

(By the way, Elder Wirthlin’s entire talk on kindness is worth reading. You can find it HERE.)

Of course the greatest person of all time was our Savior. He was always kind. He was always genuinely compassionate and caring.

And I think we can all agree it’s not easy to be kind. As Elder Wirthlin pointed out, people can be irrational, arrogant, and obnoxious. But we are still required to be loving and kind. And it’s hard.

I really love an article on LDS.org titled “Whom do I chose? God or my husband?” The author, Chelsea Homer, gave some really thoughtful insights on how we sometimes forget to be kind and loving:

“To me, the Savior embodies what it is to practice perfect love. He loved when it was uncomfortable, not reciprocated, and even ridiculed. A simple yet powerful commandment He told His disciples, one that He repeated three times over, “Love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34-35). I am so glad this commandment didn’t include disclaimers. Can you imagine, “Love one another, except when someone does not believe or act as you do, then please disregard this commandment”? It sounds absurd when it’s in this context, but when life gets real and loved ones disagree on personal matters, this simple but powerful statement can get lost in translation.”

So how do we do it? How are we kind when people make us so mad, frustrated, or upset?

Well, I’m no expert. Believe me, one of the reason I made this printable (and the Kindness Collection) is because I need the reminders.

But I do have a few ideas. (And I would love to hear your ideas! Leave a comment below.)

First we need to say that accepting, tolerating, or ignoring abuse is never kindness.  We need to have healthy boundaries and establishing boundaries in not being unkind. (More about that HERE.)

That being said, I think one of the best ways to cultivate kindness is to pray. And then pray some more. After all, the Savior taught that we need to “pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44). I figure if we are to pray for people who are unkind to us, we should also pray for kindness for those who annoy, frustrate, and upset us.

Praying to see people as God sees them can change everything. And praying that we will be respectful and kind to those around us is a great prayer!

I often pray that I will see when I’m being unkind. And I can tell you that this prayer works. There have been many times when I was chatting with a friend or venting about an experience that upset me and afterward realized how judgy or unkind I was. Being aware is helping me change.

I am so, so thankful for the people who are kind to me when I don’t deserve it. People who are kind when I’m ornery, tired, impatient or have made mistakes inspire me and help me want to change and be better.

Kindness changes things. We should never underestimate the power of kindness.

And if you’re not there yet, don’t worry. I’m not there either.

Kindness is a life-long pursuit that is worth pursuing. A true disciple of Jesus Christ is kind, so that’s our goal. We can do it together.

Because kindness is so important, especially in today’s contentious world, I wanted to make several printables on kindness that can be used over and over again in a variety of settings.

This ministering printable is part of the Kindness Collection. It’s a set of inspiring printables featuring quotes from LDS leaders on kindness. There are 3 printables that come in 3 sizes each (8×10, 5×7, and 4×6).

These pretty printables are a great way to reinforce or teach kindness. Use them to decorate your home or as table decor in your next lesson. Give them as handouts, use them as bookmarks, and give them as thank you gifts for acts of kindness that have been shown to you.

And as a bonus, there’s a thank you card that says “Thank you for your kindness.” Paired with an frame, these printables make lovely, personal, and inexpensive gifts!

You can learn more about the Kindness Collection HERE.

I hope that you can use this free kindness printable as you teach and minister to your friends, neighbors, and sisters in the gospel. Or put it up in your own home or on social media as a reminder that kindness is the goal.

Click HERE to download this free 4×6 kindness printable as a jpg file.

Click HERE to download this free 4×6 kindness printable as a pdf file.

Click HERE to learn more about the Kindness Collection.

If you love this printable, or know someone who could enjoy it, please share it on social media. Thank you so much.

And check out these other free, pretty, and inspiring printables from Teepee Girl:

• Kind Words Are Sweet Tones of the Heart printable
• April 2018 General Conference Quote printables
• The Joy of Trying Again Free Printable
• Free LDS Coloring Pages
• God Needs Brave Sons Printables

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