Friday, December 11, 2009

What does it mean to love God and man?

The scriptures speak of charity, or pure love, as the supreme virtue, the ultimate spiritual gift. Where faith in Jesus Christ is the beginning of our relationship with Him, charity is its culmination. Without charity, we are nothing (Moro. 7:46, 1 Cor. 13:1).

I believe that the entire purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to make us like He is, to fashion us in His likeness. This means that we have ultimate faith in Him and in the Father, hope in His promises, trust in the Spirit, and love unlike any other. This love is the greatest healing power in the universe. Anne Pingree said, "We long to be close to the Lord, for we know that He loves each of us and desires to encircle us “eternally in the arms of his love.”1 His touch can heal ailments spiritual, emotional, or physical. He is our Advocate, Exemplar, Good Shepherd, and Redeemer. Where else would we look, where else would we reach, where else would we come but to Jesus Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith”?2" (Anne C. Pingree, “To Look, Reach, and Come unto Christ,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 113–15)

Nothing gives me greater joy than the love of God. I feel it on temple grounds. I feel it when I repent. I feel it when I recognize my weaknesses with humility and hope. I feel it whenever my wife and I show our love to each other in righteousness. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that He is the greatest power in the universe, and that His love for every one of us, and for our Father, is His greatest defining trait.