Sarah G. led us in a very timely discussion on "Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself".
George Albert Smith was a man of great charity and love. J Reuban Clark said on President's Smith's death that "his real name was love." He taught for tenets of love:
1. All people are brothers and sisters - children of our heavenly father.
2. The Gospel of Christ teaches us to love all people.
3. Show charity reach out to those who need help and encouragement.
4. True happiness comes from loving and serving others.
President Smith said, "Our ministry is one of love. Our service is one which enriches our lives. … If we are living as God intends that we should live, if we are ministering as he desires that we should minister, every day of our lives is enriched by the influence of his Spirit, our love of our fellowmen increases and our souls are enlarged until we feel that we could take into our arms all of God’s children, with a desire to bless them and bring them to an understanding of the truth."
Sarah asked us how living with such a conviction would affect our relationships. Sisters felt that it would increase kindness and compassion, help us to hold our tongues and to look for the good in others, and it would enrich our lives in a way that would encourage others to emulate us.
Sarah then noted that with Mormons in the spotlight lately, one blogger had posed the question "Why are Mormons so happy?" Sarah posed the same question, and responses included, "I have truth know who I am" "This time is a spiritual adolescence where we are learning. We need to learn to love and everyone will do that in their own way. We need to encourage that in everyone without judgement" "I have eternal perspective." "We are commanded to be happy and this encourages us to look at life with gratitude" "No matter the pain, there is healing and internal peace through Jesus Christ."
At the end of WWII, President Smith approached President Truman to donate surplus supplies to Germany. President Truman was very surprised at the gift for which no remuneration was expected, given to a country with which we had just been at war. At that time the chuch was not a worldwide church. However, now the world is much closer together. Now we can easily have relationships with people from all backgrounds. Love is an especially important tenet for us now.
"Brethren and sisters, if the gospel of Jesus Christ, as delivered to you, has not planted that feeling of love in your hearts for your fellow men, then I want to say that you have not enjoyed the full fruition of that wonderful gift that came to earth when this Church was organized." - President George Albert Smith
Sarah told a story that took place while her daughter served as a missionary in Argentina. She had one companion that she didn't get along with, but she knew she wouldn't be released until she loved her. At same time at home they were having enormous difficulties with a supervisor at work. Her daughter asked how they dealt with this difficulty and Sarah's husband noted, "I tried to understand what created this person. And through this I could gain empathy and love." Her daughter tried to learn more and learned this companion had an abusive background. Then her companion's aunt died and she through that she could show compassion. Each night she would say "I love you." One night the usually cold response turned to "I love you too."
Sisters noted that it is important to look for grumpy people to cheer up, to try to help those that are hard to love, to remember that here is always a source of healing through the Atonement, to not force to live up to ideals, but that we should love people into understanding the truth, and that people need to hear five positives to every one negative.
"You cannot drive people to do things which are right, but you can love them into doing them, if your example is of such a character that they can see you mean what you say." - President George Albert Smith
President Smith was truly loving, even to strangers. One cold winter in a difficult economic time he passed a construction worker that was wearing only a worn sweater. He stopped, removed his coat and gave it to the man.
… Let us evidence our appreciation of what the Lord has given us by serving Him, and we are serving Him when we do good to His children. Freely we have received, now freely give [see Matthew 10:8]. With hearts warmed with love and kindness for our fellow men, let us press steadily on until the final summons shall come, and we shall meet our record. Then, if we have improved our talents, if we have been honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and charitable, and have sought to uplift every soul with whom we have associated, if we have lived up to the light we have received, and disseminated that light whenever opportunity has presented, how happy we will be and how our hearts will swell with gratitude when we receive from the Maker of heaven and earth that welcome plaudit: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” - President George Albert Smith
Sarah closed by recalling the words recently spoken at her daughters wedding. The most beautiful and succinct summary of what true love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. Love suffereth long, is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, never faileth.
"What attribute should define us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?Let us be known as a people who love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and who love our neighbor as ourselves." - President Uchtdorf, October 2009 General Conference
What attribute should define us as members. .uchdof.
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