Love One Another AS I Have Loved You..

AS I have loved you.

To start off my blog post today I want to share a video to "set the scene" for the rest of my post. Click here to watch a video to the popular hymn "Love One Another".

Recently in my life I have been trying to figure out what I can do to be a better sister, daughter, friend, niece, cousin, and peer. Something that I have been focusing on in my life is trying to see and love others the way Christ would. This has not been an easy task for me. One day I decided I was going to find out what love really meant. I didn't want to look it up in the dictionary, or just anywhere on the internet: rather I wanted to look it up on lds.org where I would see what the Latter Day Saint's definition of love was, because this is the kind of love I want to give to all those around me. I wanted to know how my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ view love; not the world.

As I was looking over suggested talks on lds.org, to help me with this challenge of mine, I stumbled across a talk entitled "The Meaning of Love" * given by Clark Swain in March of 1972 (a marriage professor at Montana State University). I liked his definition of love, where he states: 

"Real love is basically the same in all human relationships, whether between a grandfather and a grandmother, a newly married couple, or a mother and her child. It involves caring, respecting, responding, empathizing, having concern, giving, receiving, sharing, forgiving. Notice that these words we are using are verbs, and verbs denote action. Loving requires action." 

I really like how he makes sure we know that love is an action word. Love is something you have to do something about. Then I thought, "But how do I love everyone? How do I put my 'good intentions' to be a better me into action?" Then I stumbled across a talk given by Jeffery R Holland (quorum of the 12 apostles) in October 2003 entitled: "How Do I Love Thee?" ^ (Click Here to watch a highlight video of this talk)

How? I wondered while I read/watched this talk. Not when, where or why/why not: but how can I be a better sister, friend, daughter, etc. I wondered how because how is asking "in what manner, or what way, do I do this thing I am about to do?" Elder Holland gives us that answer. "Think the best of [others]... Assume the good and doubt the bad." True love for others means that I bear burdens with them, I believe in them, I hope for the best for them, and I endure trials with them. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7)*^ This is how Christ loves us. This is HOW. He said unto us: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.." (John 13:34) So how should I, and you, be a better sister, brother, daughter, son, friend, etc? and love others? As He does. He wants us and needs us to see and love others as HE does. Not similar to the way he does, but AS He does. For if we can learn to love and see others as He does: we will never fail. We will help others realize their great individual worth, and we will be able to become more like Him. 

In closing I want to share my testimony that I know that these things are true. I know that if we can learn to see others as Heavenly Father and Christ see them, we will love them without doubt. And that by loving all, and doing our best to show that love: we will be a better us, and we will be closer to our Heavenly Father and He will be able to use each of us to be powerful tools in His hands. I know that He lives. I know that He loves you, He knows you, He is always there, and He hears you. I know He hears my prayers, for without Him hearing my prayers, my asking and begging for help to be more like Him; to see and love others as He does: I would never have found these talks, and I wouldn't be able to share this message with you. I KNOW He is listening, all you have to do is talk. He loves you. I know it's true. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, 

Amen 

Love, 

Samantha 

* "The Meaning of Love" By Clark Swain - Click here to read the whole talk

^ "How Do I Love Thee?" By Jeffery R. Holland - Click here to read the whole talk 

Both of these talks are amazing and I highly suggest reading them completely. :) 

*^ This reference is found in the King James version of the Holy Bible, which the LDS church uses along with the Book of Mormon. This is in the New Testament. 

1 Corinthians Chapter 13 verses 4-7: 

   

 "4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."