I taught the lesson in Relief Society on Friendship last Sunday. I was struck by this quote. Never thought of friendship in this light....

"Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of ‘Mormonism’; [it is designed] to revolutionize and civilize the world, and cause wars and contentions to cease and men to become friends and brothers. … it unites the human family with its happy influence.That friendship which intelligent beings would accept as sincere must arise from love, and that love grow out of virtue, which is as much a part of religion as light is a part of Jehovah. Hence the saying of Jesus, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ [John 15:13.] -- Joseph Smith

We went around the room and introduced ourselves. There were sisters there from the Phillipines, Mongolia, Spain, Zimbabwe, Korea, Jamaica, England, France, and the US. Truly the gospel of Jesus Christ unites.