Forgotten purge

Imagine a person imprisoned for a crime. They know their guilt and that their imprisonment is just. But then somebody sets them free by making things right in ways that they could never have hoped to do on their own. This person makes arrangements for the prisoner to leave their cell and lead a happy and productive life outside.

How tragic would it be if the very next day they forgot that they had been freed and continued to live their life in prison as if nothing had changed?

In the verses leading up to this passage (see 2 Peter 1:4-8) Peter encourages us to exercise godly virtues such as diligence, temperance, patience, and kindness. He then promises that if we will do so, we will not be "unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." We are warned however that if we don't strive to develop these attributes, we can forget the light and knowledge we once possessed, reverting to living life as we hadn't been forgiven and saved from former sins.

As dire a warning as this is, it can also give one hope, for the inverse is also true. If we want to increase our knowledge and understanding of our Savior and our confidence in His ability to free us from the ills of this world as well as the negative effects of our misdeeds, we can do so by being more charitable, more patient, and more loving to those around us. For by doing these things we will be more closely modeling our life after Christ's perfect example.

Without Charity

It doesn't matter how spiritual we are or even how right we are. If we do not exercise charity--that is, the pure love of Christ--when teaching or correcting someone, it amounts to nothing. Coercion may yield immediate compliance, but will not result in long-term repentance or conversion.

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Bear another's burdens

What does it mean to "bear another's burden?" Giving them a heartfelt, "You're in our thoughts and prayers?" That's certainly not a bad thing. But to truly help bear another's burdens, we need to actually do some lifting. We need to understand the nature of the burden (if such information is volunteered) and be willing to get our hands dirty. It might be as simple as listening patiently and without judgement to what it is they are going through. Or we may be prompted to give of our time, talents, or substance. Whatever the case, let love be our motivation, and let us give even when it is difficult. After all, Christ did the same for us.

I was in prison

How do we feel about people who are in prison? Criminals, who got what was coming to them? Dangerous people who deserve to be shunned by society? Think about what the Savior said. In his story about the final judgement, when commending those on His right hand for their righteous deeds he didn't say, "Some bad men were in prison, and you went and visited them." He said "I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (emphasis added). Christ compares the compassionate act of visiting our brothers and sisters in prison to visiting Him, the Son of God!
As important as it is to not forget about those who are literally in prison, I think this can be extended to include those who may be "imprisoned" spiritually. Those who may suffer from addictions, have fallen into sinful behavior, or who may be ostracized from the fold of God. Let us be careful not to judge them, let us remember to visit them, and let us remember that it is a privilege to do so. For Christ Himself compared it to doing the very same unto Him!

Vain Prayer

It is good to pray for those who are need. But it is better to pray to know what we can do to help, and then go out and do something! We can't just sit back and wait for God to do the good that He has sent us to do.

Guard Our Brethren

I can't remember if I thought of the following comparison on my own or if I heard it from somebody else first. In the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites were enemies of the Nephites. The two groups come into conflict many times throughout the book. A group of Lamanites however, were converted to believe in Christ and repented of the many murders they had committed, vowing to never use their weapons to shed blood again. Other Lamanites became angry with them and marched to kill them, and these converted Lamanites (now called Ammonites) sought refuge among the Nephites. The Nephites could have reacted with suspicion, scorn, hatred, and fear. But instead, they gave a portion of their lands to the Ammonites and protected them.
I think the comparison to modern days is obvious. We ought to be charitable to those in need, including those seeking refuge from violence they had no part in creating. Let us look past our fears and political ideologies, and remember to see the real people--men, women, and children--that are affected, and let us extend a hand of fellowship.

https://www.lds.org/refugees

Pure Religion

Example

When striving to be righteous, don't forget to also be kind. Besides, they're kind of the same thing. :-)