Following the crowd leads to mediocrity.

I just read this quote in the September Ensign article, Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus Christ, by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge:

"Human tendency is to blend in with the crowd. “Broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat”. But we must be willing to speak up, stand up, and stand out for the truth.

"Many of us are not comfortable with attention, much less criticism. Many of us would rather go unnoticed because if we can blend in, less will be expected of us. Safety is sought in the crowd rather than in the Lord, and the crowd almost always seeks a silent consensus of mediocrity. However good the crowd, it expects less of us than what we are truly capable of giving. There is only one Light, one standard that reveals and requires the full measure of our potential and offers the power by which it can be realized. Jesus Christ is the Light and Life of the world. He alone both reveals our weaknesses and provides us with the power to change and become strong where we are weak.

"If you follow the Savior, like Paul you will stand out as a light shining in the darkness. Your light, which is His light, will shine, and whether or not you choose it or want it, you will be a city set on a hill. Your light will shine as an inevitable consequence of faithfully choosing to follow the Lord whatever the cost. You will not be able to hide, even though you may want to hide. Often you will stand alone, but you won’t really be alone. He will stand by you. He will be with you."

This really got me thinking. I think sometimes I struggle with what he describes here. It's not that I want to be like the crowd, but it seems easier to blend in rather than sticking out by "letting my light so shine." Even though I live a righteous life, sometimes it's uncomfortable to tell people about it. In those opportunities where I can share my thoughts about gospel topics, sometimes I hesitate because I know that many aspects of my testimony are different from what most people believe and I'm afraid to offend someone or to have to defend my beliefs if another person disagrees. I forget that my testimony can stand on its own and I don't need a good philosophical argument to back it up to people that don't believe me. This quote made me realize that if I hesitate, if I choose to hide in the crowd, I am not living up to my potential, and I'm settling for something less than what I should be. If I want to have the stature of character that the Lord wants of me, then I will have to stick out, and I will have to look different. Besides, if someone is looking for that light, how are they supposed to find me and then be led to Christ if they can't see that there's something different about me?