Love Thy Neighbor
We manifest our love for Heavenly Father by keeping His commandments and serving His children. Our expressions of love for others may include being kind to them, listening to them, mourning with them, comforting them, serving them, praying for them, sharing the gospel with them, and being their friend.
Our love for those around us increases when we remember that we are all children of God—that we are spirit brothers and sisters. The love that results from this realization has the power to transcend all boundaries of nation, creed, and color.
Leviticus 19:18,
18 ¶ Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:5
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
A a choice learning experience was provided by a young son. A father returning home from his day’s work, greeted his boy with a pat on the head and said, “Son, I want you to know I love you.”
The son responded with, “Oh Dad, I don’t want you to love me, I want you to play football with me.” Here was a boy conveying a much-needed message.
The world is filled with too many of us who are inclined to indicate our love with an announcement or declaration.
True love is a process. True love requires personal action. Love must be continuing to be real. Love takes time. Too often expediency, infatuation, stimulation, persuasion, or lust are mistaken for love.
How empty if our love is no deeper than the arousal of momentary feeling or the expression in words of what is no more lasting than the time it takes to speak them.
A group of college students recently indicated their least favorite expression is, “If there is ever anything I can do to help you, please let me know.” They much prefer actions over conversation.
When were you last fed by a family member or friend? When were you last given nourishment for growth and ideas,
plans, sorting of the day, sharing of fun, recreation, sorrow, anxiety, concern, and meditation?
These ingredients can
only be shared by someone who loves and cares. Certainly the best way for us to show our love in keeping and feeding is by taking the time to prove it hour by hour and day by day.
Our expressions of love and comfort are empty if our actions don’t match.
God loves us to continue. Our neighbors and families love us if
we will but follow through with sustaining support and self-sharing. True love is as eternal as life itself.
Who is to say the joys of eternity are not wrapped up in continuous feeding, keeping, and caring?
Let me share others—a coach wanting more than a win for his boys; a mother or father willing to stay up until after date time to talk to a daughter or son when they are in the mood to visit and discuss;
a big sister helping a younger sister with her campaign plans; a family helping each other get off on a trip.
We also commend the example of fathers who daily teach their children the lesson of true love as they constantly love their mothers.
Very often a helping hand with mundane things, such as doing the dishes or even taking a turn at putting the children to bed, exhibits more true love than the sweet expressions made to sound hollow because of inadequate follow-up. Those who truly understand love know it must be basically simple, continuing, and sincere.
The opportunities for showing love for God through the home, neighborhood, mission field, community, and family are never-ending.
Some of us are inclined to terminate our love processes in the family when a member disappoints, rebels, or becomes lost. Sometimes when family members least deserve love, they need it most. Love is not appropriately expressed in threats, accusations, expressions of disappointment, or retaliation. Real love takes time, patience, help, and continuing performances.
; Matthew 22:35–40
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
; Luke 6:31–36;
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and blend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
John 13:34–35
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
;
Mosiah 4:15;
15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.
Marvin J. Ashton, Ensign, Nov. 1975, 108–10
Love demands action if it is to be continuing. Love is a process. Love is not a declaration.
Jack H. Goaslind, Ensign, May 1981, 59–60
True brotherly love is essential to our happiness and to world peace. We must love one another and unselfishly share our gifts, talents, and resources.
Robert F. Orton, Liahona, Jan. 2002, 94–95; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 81–82
Given the purpose of our existence, if we do not love God and neighbor, whatever else we do will be of little eternal consequence.
Thomas S. Monson, Liahona, Feb. 1998, 2–7; or Ensign, Jan. 1998, 2–6
As we love our God, as we love our neighbor, we can be the recipients of our Heavenly Father's love.
Gordon B. Hinckley, Tambuli, Aug. 1984, 1–6; or Ensign, Mar. 1984, 2–5
The principle of love is the basic essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without love of God and love of neighbor there is little else to commend the gospel to us as a way of life.
Love of God takes time. Love of family takes time. Love of country takes time. Love of neighbor takes time. Love of companion takes time. Love in courtship takes time. Love of self takes time.
Let us resolve to take the time to give of ourselves in putting love into appropriate action and performance.
May we take the time to show our families, our friends, the stranger, our prophet, and our God that our declarations of love are backed up by performance by our daily lives, that we know for love to be acceptable to God and man it must be continuing and originate from within.
1 John 4:
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
2 comments:
This is the talk I gave in our ward on Valentine's Day.
great talk, thanks for sharing!
Post a Comment