April 2018 | Pure Love: The True Sign of Every True Disciple of Jesus Christ
I love this talk!
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: “The first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life.” · True disciples love to forgive.
· True disciples are quick to forgive and quick to ask for forgiveness.
· True disciples love to submit themselves to the Lord with peace in their heart.
· True disciples know that the real blessing are not always what they want but rather what the Lord wants for them.
· True disciples love the Lord, more that the world and are steadfast and immovable in their faith.
· True disciples love to listen to the voice of the Spirit and of the prophets and are not confused by the voices of the world.
· True disciples love to “stand in holy places’ and love to make holy the places where they stand.
· True disciples love to obey and Lord’s commandments and they obey because they love the Lord.
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is centered on the love of the Father and the Savior and our love for them and for one another.”
“Being the foundation stone of our daily life, pure love is a requirement for every true disciple of Jesus Christ.”
True disciples love the Lord more than the world and are steadfast and immovable in their faith. "True disciples love to listen to the voice of the Spirit and of the prophets, and are not confused by the voice of the world. [They] love to stand in holy places and love to make holy the places where they stand."
There are some attributes that accompany the idea of pure love:
Learning to serve, forgive, submit ourselves to the Lord, remain steadfast and immovable in our faith, listen to the Spirit and the voice of the prophets, stand in holy places, and obey the commandments of the Lord are all key parts of becoming true disciples.. Through such acts of humility and love for the Savior, we can come to understand what pure love really is.
Sharing an example of his mother, Elder De Feo explained how he recognized the pure love she had for him when she prayed for him and his well being, even while she suffered in great pain from cancer.
“How can someone who is in such great pain, pray for someone else?” “Then, the answer came clearly to my mind: Pure love. … She loved me more than herself.”
That type of love is the same love that our Savior has for each of us. Elder De Feo said, speaking of the suffering Christ experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane.
“He was the one who needed help, suffering in a way that we cannot even imagine or comprehend but, in the end, He forgot about Himself and prayed for us until He paid the full price.” “He loved the Father and us more than Himself.”
Trusting in the Atonement and recognizing the pure love that Christ has for each of us is key to becoming a true disciple, and recognizing that forgiveness can be difficult at times. “If you are struggling to find the strength to forgive … think of what the Lord has done for you, and you will find peace in the redemptive blessings of His Atonement.”
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of love, Christ is the ultimate example of pure love.”
