Love is a universal expression that transcends all languages, cultures, nationalities, and religions. Without love, we often find chaos, suffering, hatred, sorrow, and death. Christ foretold and forewarned that “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold,” [1] which is contrary to His divine nature.
The plan of salvation allows us to repent so the atonement of Jesus Christ can bring about “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” [2] Such a state of being brings forth the pure love of Christ in us. It helps us see each human being, be they good or bad, through the eyes of our Savior for “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” [3]
To be exalted, we must become Christlike in nature. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments. [4] We will hearken “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and [put] off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us].” [5] We shall then “be found blameless before God.” [6]
Elder Russell M. Nelson once taught, “Are we not all children of God? In truth, not one of us can ever stop being a child of God.” [7]
Not for a single moment will Christ stop loving us. Likewise, we should strive to develop a love for all men, while also keeping our baptismal and temple covenants.
“Are we not all children of God? In truth, not one of us can ever stop being a child of God.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson
When Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He wrought an infinite atonement for every human soul—past, present and future. It was complete and perfect. He “denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.” [8]
Christ exemplified perfection and charity:
1. He was full of compassion when He healed a woman with an “issue of blood twelve years.” [9]
2. He extended mercy to a woman caught in adultery. [10]
3. He saw Matthew not as a tax collector but as an apostle and a special witness for Him. [11]
4. He healed ten lepers, even though only one would return to give thanks unto Him. [12]
5. On the cruel cross of Calvary, despite His own suffering, He magnanimously pleaded, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” [13]
Nephi gave good advice on how to develop this pure love of Christ. He counseled us to “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” [14]
We learn to feast on the word of Christ by first saying a prayer each day. We thus invite the Spirit to help us to enjoy the word of Christ which is “desirable above all other fruit.” [15] We shall then be able to prioritize the day with scripture reading over other matters.
The hope of President Russell M. Nelson is that we will feel the cleansing effect of Christ when we are willing to repent and anxious to hear Him.
“I have thought about the need for each of us to remove, with the Savior’s help, the old debris in our lives. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of repentance. Because of the Savior’s Atonement, His gospel provides an invitation to keep changing, growing, and become more pure. It is a gospel of hope, of healing, and of progress. Thus, the gospel is a message of joy! Our spirits rejoice with every small step forward we take.” [16]
Love of all men and forgiveness are inextricably linked. Because of His great love for us, Heavenly Father never ceases to forgive us as we repent of our wrong doings and accept Christ’s atonement and His advocacy to The Father in our behalf. Although we owe our Savior an eternal debt which can never be repaid, all He asks of us is that we love God, keep His commandments, and develop a love for all men.
To help us, Christ commanded us to repent and that “of you it is required to forgive all men” [17] As we seek to “Hear Him!” [18] and genuinely seek to develop the pure love of Christ, we humbly develop a spirit of repentance for our own sins and forgiveness of others’ sins. May we do so, that we “may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.” [19]
References
[1] Matthew 24:12
[2] Mosiah 5:2
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 18:10
[4] John 14:15
[5] Mosiah 3:19
[6] Mosiah 3:21
[7] Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Decisions for Eternity,” October 2013 General Conference
[8] 2 Nephi 26:33
[9] Matthew 9:20
[10] John 8:11
[11] Matthew 9:9
[12] Luke 17:17
[13] Luke 23:34
[14] 2 Nephi 31:20
[15] 1 Nephi 8:15
[16] President Russell M. Nelson, “Welcome Message,” April 2021 General Conference
[17] Doctrine and Covenants 64:10
[18] Joseph Smith—History 1:17
[19] Moroni 7:48