followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 29]

Hi guys.

Here's the other half of the talk I gave for Valentine's Day four years ago.

To love our neighbor is the second great commandment.  Elder Wirthlin told a story of Joseph Smith, who "possess[ed] the principle of love." 

The story is told of a 14-year-old boy who had come to Nauvoo in search of his brother who lived near there. The young boy had arrived in winter with no money and no friends. When he inquired about his brother, the boy was taken to a large house that looked like a hotel. There he met a man who said, “Come in, son, we’ll take care of you.”

The boy accepted and was brought into the house, where he was fed, warmed, and was given a bed to sleep in.

The next day it was bitter cold, but in spite of that, the boy prepared himself to walk the eight miles to where his brother was staying.

When the man of the house saw this, he told the young boy to stay for a while. He said there would be a team coming soon and that he could ride back with them.

When the boy protested, saying that he had no money, the man told him not to worry about that, that they would take care of him.

Later the boy learned that the man of the house was none other than Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet. This boy remembered this act of charity for the rest of his life.

President Monson often tells a story of President George Albert Smith.  Says he: "following the carnage of World War II, Elder Ezra Taft Benson led Church response in providing food, medicine, and clothing—totaling two million in 1940s dollars and requiring 133 boxcars to transport it—to the cold and starving members in Europe. This desperately needed aid saved lives, rescued the dispirited, and brought a newness of hope and quickened prayers of thanksgiving and expressions of profound gratitude from one and all. “Charity never faileth.” 5

During a drive to amass warm clothing to ship to suffering Saints, Elder Harold B. Lee and Elder Marion G. Romney took President George Albert Smith to Welfare Square in Salt Lake City. They were impressed by the generous response of the membership of the Church to the clothing drive and the preparations for sending the goods overseas. They watched President Smith observing the workers as they packaged this great volume of donated clothing and shoes. They saw tears running down his face. After a few moments, President Smith removed a new overcoat that he had on and said, “Please ship this also.”

The Brethren said to him, “No, President, no; don’t send that; it’s cold and you need your coat.”

But President Smith would not take it back."

President Monson himself is an incredible example of love and charity for us today.  We have heard how he cared for the widows in his ward when he was a bishop.  He once gave his friend his pet rabbits because the friend had no Christmas dinner.  I heard a story of when he was in East Germany many years ago.  He saw a man had shabby clothes and was similar to his size, so he gave him his suit and shoes and flew back to America in his house slippers.  He sent the man clothes until he died in the late 1990's.  In the most recent General Conference, President Monson urged us to do a good turn for someone each day.  Is it any wonder that under this prophet we are adding to our threefold mission the emphasis on "caring for the poor and needy"?  He is a great example of loving our neighbors.

I was in class the other day and my teacher had a really great insight about God's Law of Love that I'd like to share with you.  It ties in pretty well.  The most base form of love, the world's form, is pretty selfish, with people only doing nice things insofar as it benefits them, and so on.  In the Law of Moses, we learn that we must "love thy neighbor as thyself" -- you know, the second great commandment.  This means that we wouldn't do anything to others we wouldn't want ourselves.  (He also mentioned that since we don't love ourselves perfectly, we can't love others perfectly but we all give each other the benefit of the doubt.)  When Christ gave the parable of the Good Samaritan, we learned that we should love everyone.  And finally, when He was near death, Christ exhorted his disciples to love one another "As I have loved you."  As we grow in our love for our neighbors and everyone, we can progress and become more like Christ to the point where we actually love others as He does.

Elder Wirthlin said, "The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.

The means of this refinement is our Christlike love. There is no pain it cannot soften, no bitterness it cannot remove, no hatred it cannot alter."  Love is the means through which we become more like Christ and worthy for eternal glory.  Love is the reason that Christ suffered the Atonement for us.

I read in a book a letter by a Brother Howard, who wrote his old missionary companion the following: "I have been spending most of my time now caring for Sister Howard.  Since her stroke nearly three years ago she is like a rag doll.  She can barely see.  I am her 24-hour-a-day nurse.  Because I love her it has been no great sacrifice.  I often think love is what made the Lord's sacrifice somehow bearable for Him."  Although Brother Howard could not work in a career, or play golf with his buddies, he realized what Elder Wirthlin meant when he stated that the development of soul-enriching, joy-bringing love is the measure of true success in this life.

In conclusion, I'd like to read one more quote from Elder Wirthlin's great talk.  "Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship. It comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles. It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life."  I know that what he said is true, and that Christ's statement of the two great commandments is true, and if we can keep them and grow more Christlike in our love, we will be happy!