37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
If you think about the subject with all your heart, it is so broad that it encompasses the very reason we are here and maps a path back to our Heavenly Father. It is the single most important commandment that God has ever given His children and everything literally hangs and depends upon it. Every other commandment given finds its roots in this one thing, that we love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and minds. Therefore, all of the commandments of God, and the gospel in its entirety, are encompassed by this one commandment. And so the challenge before me is to distill something from the flurry of thoughts and feelings which this subject invokes in myself and any who seriously attempt an understanding of it. I hope you will join me in prayer that the spirit of the Lord may be with us all this day as we discuss the things of God that His will may be done.
There are many reasons to keep the commandments of God. Some do it out of fear of judgment or retribution. Some do it to acquire blessings. Others do it to fit in with a particular group of people. But, the most elevated, noble, and sustaining reason to keep the commandments of God is out of a sincere and abiding love for Him. If we base our commitment to keeping the commandments on anything other than love, I fear that a change in our situation or circumstance could affect that commitment; for all things shall pass away, but love, or charity, which is the greatest of all, will never fail (Moroni 7:45, I Corinthians 13:8).
That love would be so powerful that it would unlock our
wills from the shackles of our own narrow, selfish desires and motivate and
elevate our actions. And, I believe that
if we succeed in doing that which the Lord has asked us to do in loving Him
completely, that our struggle with sin will end. This is because a love like that implies that
we have given our hearts, souls and minds to the Lord so He can, through His
spirit, change the way we think such that we think holy thoughts, and change
our desires so that we desire those things which are righteous and good. We would literally begin to think and feel as
He does. Helaman 3:35 teaches us this when it states that
when we yield our hearts to God that they are sanctified. This is indeed the mighty change of heart
spoken of in the scriptures. And thus,
as with all commandments, the Lord offers us this blessing in return for our
Love for Him.
To begin, I would like to talk about love in very general terms as it pertains to us.
The love a child feels for his or her parents is based on
the fact that their need for love (and all else) is met so completely by them. It really is only natural for a child to love
his or her parents. Our ability to give and receive love expanded to include
others as we grew and matured and our needs and ambitions began to extend
beyond the close circles of our own immediate family.
But, I think it is important to recognize that, although the
experiences we have in this way help us to learn to love those around us with
whom we have direct interactions, and thus enable us to keep the second
commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves, the ground work necessary to
keep the first and greatest commandment, to love God with all our heart, soul,
and mind, requires further consideration.
I think it can be more difficult to develop the type of immersive love
for our Heavenly Father that he asks us to develop for Him for a couple of
reasons.
First of all, we simply do not have the direct, first hand
interactions with Him that we have with others for whom we have developed a love
in this life. And, even though we once
lived with Him before this life began, the memories of that association have
been withheld from us by the veil when we were born. When we first enter this life God is, in many
very real ways, hidden from our view. I
believe that the first commandment is nothing short of an invitation to
discover Him anew in the context of this life and is an invitation to return
home to Him. But the question remains,
how do we do that?
I find it ironic that even though we were living in His
presence before we began this life, that we were unable to truly know Him. It isn’t until we have taken upon us a
physical body as He has and have experienced the temptations and weaknesses and
abilities that this implies that we are in a position to know and understand
the Lord in these new ways. It is
further ironic that we were required to leave His presence to deepen our
knowledge of and love for Him.
The second reason that it can be hard to learn to love the
Lord is that Satan doesn’t want us to love Him.
So, he takes advantage of the fact that God is hidden from us and tries
to distort our perceptions of God into something that would make it more
difficult for us to discover our Heavenly Father or develop a love for Him. He tries to convince many that God doesn’t
even exist. Failing that, he will,
perhaps, attempt to make God unapproachable by playing on our feelings of
unworthiness before Him or by portraying Him as a strict and angry being. The sooner we can detect these deceptions and
reject them the better for they will only serve to diminish our knowledge of
God and lead us away from the Lord by closing our minds to the things He would
reveal to us otherwise.
So, how do we overcome those things which make it difficult
for us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind? I think it goes without saying that it is
prerequisite that we develop love for those around us before we will have the
maturity and experience necessary to approach the Lord in love. Therefore, the love we develop for others
builds the foundation upon which we will ultimately build a love for our
Heavenly Father. This intimate
relationship between loving our fellow man and loving the Lord is made clear in
the scriptures. King Benjamin assures us
that when we are in the service of our fellowman, we are only in the service of
our God (Mosish 2:17). And, when the Lord tells us that if we love
Him, we will keep His commandments, what He is really saying is if ye love Me,
love one another because every other commandment is a direct appeal to us to
love one another. They actually teach us
how to show love, respect and concern for each other. After all, it is the work and glory of God to
bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all men (Moses 1:39). Applied directly to ones self, this is a
great expression of love on the part of the Lord. He concerns Himself exclusively with your
eternal welfare. But, when we broaden
this statement as intended and apply it to those around us as well, it becomes
clear how we can please the Lord and show our love for Him.
I John 4:7-8 says “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” Can you begin to see how all the commandments hinge on this first and great commandment?
I John 4:7-8 says “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” Can you begin to see how all the commandments hinge on this first and great commandment?
I think it is instructive to note that the way we show our
Heavenly Father love is by showing each other, His children, love. This should come as no surprise. Those who are parents know of the great
esteem that we hold for those who treat our children with kindness and respect
as they make their way through this life and put forth efforts to achieve their
goals. Because our Heavenly Father is
literally our father, I think there is much to be learned about Him as we
examine the feelings of tenderness and love we hold for our own children.
The wisdom of the Lord in placing us in families becomes
very apparent if we take time to consider the way that families bless our
lives. We are given people to care for
and love us from the very day we are born.
Some of the most tender and emotional moments of my life
were when a new son or daughter was placed in my arms for the first time. The love I have felt at those times was so
overpowering that I burst into tears of joy in front of all of the physicians
and nurses attending the birth. Isn’t
this a marvelous lesson on the love of a father? And, isn’t this the same type of love that
another father, our Heavenly Father, must have for each one of us, His
children? In fact, I believe that the
emotions and joy that we feel at those spiritual moments in our life are
perhaps explained as our Heavenly Father allowing the great joy He feels at
those times to spill out of heaven and fill our own souls with a similar
measure of joy. And thus, families
support more than merely our physical and emotional needs in this life, but
serve to teach us in a very real way the way that our Heavenly Father loves us
and allows us to experience this same kind of love for those children He sends
into our own families. And thus, we are
instructed in the ways of the Lord if we think of the family as a template for
our interactions with Him. For family
life is the type of life that God lives.
These lessons and insights continue when we begin to
understand that the commandment to love and honor our earthly parents lays the
foundation needed to approach our Heavenly Parents as we begin to honor and
love them. For, if we are unable to
honor our father and mother in this life who are with us now, how can we
possibly develop a true love and honor for our Heavenly Parents who are hidden
from our view.
The first commandments listed in the ten commandments teach
us that we need to love and honor God. They
were placed first in the list of commandments given because they are the most
important commandments the Lord has given to His children. But, the very next commandment teaches us to
honor and love our parents. I don’t
think that this placement is insignificant either, and I interpret it to
indicate that the second most important thing we can do in this life after
loving God is to love and honor our parents.
Further, I believe that this is indeed foundational and prerequisite to obtaining
a love for our Heavenly Father.
The Lord is our great example as He always did those things
which pleased His Father in Heaven and thus honored Him in all things. The Lord has invited us all to come and
follow Him (Matthew 19:21)
and we can begin by honoring our own parents first that we might learn how to
show honor for our heavenly parents as He did.
The lessons learned from keeping the commandment to love and
honor our parents can be broadened to include others in a way which will
continue to show our love and respect for our Father in Heaven. When we accept, follow, sustain and honor the
leaders that the Lord has chosen to serve us, we accept and honor Him. And the reverse is equally true. If we choose to disregard the counsel of our
leaders or refuse to sustain them, we have surely, at some level, rejected the
Lord. You may think that I am
overstating things a bit, but I assure you that I am not. For the Lord has said “…whether by mine own
voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38) And thus, if we dishonor or fail to show them
the respect they deserve, in a very real sense, we show disrespect for the
Lord. For these are the people He has
chosen to lead us.
But, everything we have talked about so far does not necessarily
imply a love of God. A person can show
love and honor for their parents and even show love and kindness to their
fellowmen without even knowing God. But,
it does, as stated previously, certainly lay the foundations for this love. I believe that in order to develop a love for
a person, even when that person is God, there must be real access and
interaction upon which the knowledge and experience necessary to develop that
love is based.
Given the fact that our Heavenly Father is physically hidden
from us due to the effects of the fall, we must recognize the importance that
faith will play in our desires to know and love the Lord. It is literally impossible to keep the
commandments including this first and most important one without faith. For it is by faith that we are commanded to
walk in this life (2 Corinthians 5:7) and it is our faith in God which will open the doors necessary to
allow us admittance to His presence through the ministration of His Holy Spirit
(Romans 5:1-2). This is the way that God has asked us to
approach Him in this life, and He will literally reveal Himself to us if we
approach Him in faith and humility.
The way He will reveal Himself to us will be through His
Holy Spirit and it was, therefore, very appropriate that the subject of the
talks given last week were on the Holy Ghost.
Do you recall the scripture in Galations 5:22-23 which states
that one of the fruits of the spirit is love.
In fact, it is the first one mentioned.
And thus our knowledge of and love for the Lord will be based on
spiritual manifestations from the Holy Ghost.
A true knowledge of God can only help us in our desire to
give back something of value to Him.
Think back on some of the gifts you have given to people. Were all of the gifts you gave a good fit for
that person, or were some simply stabs in the dark and given hoping that the
recipient would like what was offered? A
true knowledge of a person is essential if we would give them a gift that they
will truly appreciate and love. And, even
then it is, at times, difficult because they already seem to have everything
(at least everything we can think of).
Well, knowledge of our Heavenly Father would certainly help us if we are
sincere in our desires to give Him good gifts.
And, if you think about it, can you think of anything that our Heavenly
Father doesn’t already have? So what
would you offer Him?
Well, there is one thing that we posses that our Heavenly
Father may not yet have. If we, His
children, haven’t offered Him our hearts, then this is the place to start. It is a tall order and really gets at the
heart of keeping the commandment to love the Lord. But, if you think about it, it really is the
only thing that is truly ours that we can offer to the Lord. When we see things more clearly, we will
realize that all else already belongs to Him and not us. And besides, it is the gift he desires most
from His children. Then, after we give
the Lord our own heart, we will, quite naturally desire to help others do the
same thing.
One more thing to recognize about a knowledge of the Lord is
that it is absolutely essential in our quest to love our Heavenly Father and
return to Him. The Lord has said that
this is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent (John 17:3). We’ve all heard the
expression “To know him is to love him.”
Well, this is literally true in the case of our Heavenly Father.
In our quest to know and love the Lord, let us not forget to
keep His day holy. It is a day set aside
to help us come to a knowledge of Him and to immerse ourselves in service and
devotion to Him. How can we expect to
know the Lord and develop a love for Him if we don’t keep this commandment. It is a commandment which offers great
blessings of spirituality and knowledge, and is a sign or token of the Lord’s
people and is a way that they quite literally separate themselves from the
world or worldliness. The Lord has said
in Doctrine and Covenants 59:9 “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the
world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my
holy day.”
Since our interactions with our Heavenly Father in this life
are of a spiritual nature, and the blessings of keeping this day holy are
spiritual, the importance of keeping this commandment should be obvious. The whole point to this day is worshipping
our Father in Heaven and attempting to draw closer to Him and to show Him love.
If you are feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of loving
the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind, may I suggest that you do this one
thing…sincerely attempt to keep the Lord’s day holy and receive the blessings
of this day. I promise that you will be
amazed as the Lord recognizes your efforts by magnifying them and giving you an
increased measure of His spirit.
This journey of love will require effort on our part. As with all things of real value, love requires an investment. We must approach the Lord with the sincere
desire to know Him before He will reveal Himself to us. Revelations 3:20 says “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me.” The Lord stands at
the door and knocks, but we must hear Him through the workings of His spirit
and open the door to Him through our acts of faith so that He can enter.
The Lord rarely gives us those things we do not desire and a
testimony is no exception. King Benjamin
went on to say that “For how knoweth a man the master who he has not served,
and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his
heart?” (Mosiah 5:13) We must exercise our faith in choosing the
Lord and His ways if we would ever know Him.
It is a pursuit worthy of God’s children because it will literally bring
us back into His presence both now as our eyes are opened through His spirit
and also in the not too distant future when those who have kept His commandment
to love Him will be welcomed home into His kingdom and once again enjoy the
warmth of His love in person.
For it is with this knowledge that the deceptions of Satan
will melt away and we will come to know our Heavenly Father as He really is, a
kind and caring Father who loves His children so much that He would and has
sacrificed all in their behalf. We will
find that not only is He approachable, but that He literally rushes to our side
in our defense and aid for He is the true shepherd and not a hired hand (John 10:11-15). And we will call out and He will answer here
I am as He gives us answer to our prayers.
And our eyes will literally be opened to the blessings which are
cascading down from heaven all about us as we begin to see this life as He does
and as it really is and recognize Him as the source of all good things in our
lives. And our hearts will melt before
the Lord in gratitude and in recognition of His love for us. And our hearts will change such that we will
want nothing more than to serve the Lord and show Him our love through our
actions as we offer our hearts up to Him in offering for all He does for us. And we will again through the manifestations
of His spirit begin to remember a time which now seems so distant when we
enjoyed His presence and a love which knows no bound and will look forward to
the time when we will again enter into His kingdom, His love and His rest.
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