Love: True, Pure Love

I've been thinking about the subject of love for a while now. I've wanted to blog about it, but could never really articulate what was in my heart and mind. However, while studying the general conference talks from The November 2013 Ensign, the thoughts and feelings of my mind and heart came together.

The Sunday sessions of the October 2013 General conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had diverse talks given by just as diverse speakers. Yet, there was a common theme: Love.

Many quoted or referred to the two great commandments that Christ discussed in The New Testament. The first is to love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Then Christ said on these hang all the laws and the prophets.

This is how Christ lived. He loved His Heavenly Father first and foremost, and he loved his brothers and sisters. How did He show His love? He kept all of His Father's commandments and accomplished all His Father wanted Him to do. He served, blessed, helped, and taught others, eventually, giving His life for them, His willing sacrifice. He forgave the repentant, and for those who had not repented yet, he gave them time to do so.

This is what he did for the woman taken in Adultery. The leaders of the Jews wanted Him to follow the law which meant immediate death for her. Christ knew if she was to die without repentance it could mean spiritual death (eternal separation from God). When Christ asked her if any man condemned her, he was asking if there were any left desiring her life. There was none and Christ told her neither did He, but He told her to go and sin no more. Thus giving her time to repent and develop a love for God and the opportunity to keep His commandments. He wasn't giving her permission to sin more, but was giving her the needed time and chance to change. This is what God has given all of us, time to work out our salvation.

To truly love our fellow beings we need to first love the Father of us all, God. Then true love of our neighbors can be cultivated. Not permissiveness or acceptance of all that others would like to do, but the love that reaches out, teaches about the Savior's sacrifice for them and His ability to save all mankind, the love that teaches Heavenly Father's plan for them, and that teaches some things in this life will bring eternal misery and captivity, the love that teaches that no one is beyond the Savior's ability to rescue, and that all of God's children are worth the effort. This is real, true, eternal love, or as the scriptures call it: CHARITY.

Acceptance of the person is unconditional love and is essential, but we should never decide that acceptance of all that is put into the heart of man is loving them. We would never do that with our children. Most of us understand that saying “no” to some things is showing our children love. However, when it comes to society for some reason this same understanding is lost, and continually saying “yes, whatever you want” is considered love. It seems to me, essentially that we are just saying “Go, eat, drink, be merry, and do whatever you want, it makes no difference to me.”

Only, it should make every difference to us. It should make us sorrow for the struggles and the unhappiness they experience, after all “wickedness never was (is) happiness”. It should make us yearn to help them feel the love of God through His Holy Spirit. It should make us quake and tremble as it did the sons of Mosiah as we contemplate the eternal consequences. Mosiah 28:3 “Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.”

We should love them continually, we should pray for them always, we should bare testimony as the spirit admonishes, and we should mourn for them and with them as they travel down their rough, troubled, and miserable paths that lead them away from their loving Heavenly Father. Last, we should hope, with an enduring hope, that they will choose to love God and His Son Jesus Christ, obey Their commandments, and that they will be able to feel the deep and abiding love that Heavenly Father and our Savior have for them.

This is not the love the world teaches, this is a deeper, more abiding love, an eternal love. This is true love, the love God wants us to have for His children. The love that compels us to reach out and to rescue our brothers and sisters.

It is my hope and prayer that we may love God with all our hearts, might, minds, and strength, thereby making it possible for us to acquire the pure love of Christ for all men. May we always reach out and rescue those in need. May we never believe that to acquiesce to others choices is greater love than bringing them to Christ, or that anyone is beyond Christ's Redeeming power or the love of God. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.