When a Pharisee asked Jesus which was the greatest of the commandments, the Savior established once and for all; what our priorities as individuals and as a church should be:

Loving God

Loving our neighbor

This is the center of the gospel. It should be the center of our every effort as a Church and as disciples of Jesus Christ. The heart and soul of the gospel of Jesus Christ is love- love of God and love of mankind. 

We read in Matthew…. Thou shalt love thy Lord thy god with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. 

And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

In Mark we read - there is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:31)

We cannot fully love God if we do not love our neighbors.

Likewise, we cannot fully love our neighbors if we do not love God. 

1 John 4:21 reads - And this commandment have we from him, that he who Loveth god loves his brother also.

Elder James E. Talmage has commented that these two commandments “are so closely related as to be virtually one: … ‘Thou shalt love.’ He who abideth one of the two will abide both; for without love for our fellows, it is impossible to please God.” 

Love truly is the very essence of the gospel. 

In my studies and preparation for this talk the topic of love is top three for conference talk topics. It’s one of those gospel principles that we need to hear over and over again. 

Love is a verb - it requires doing - not just saying and thinking. Love is a feeling of deep devotion, concern and affection. 

Love is expressed in many recognizable ways- a smile, a wave, a kind comment, a compliment. Other expressions may be more subtle, such as showing interest in another’s activities, teaching a principle with kindness and patience, visiting one who is ill or homebound. These words and actions and many others can communicate love. 

Love is a gift of god, and as we obey his laws and genuinely learn to serve others, we develop Gods love in our lives… From Christlike love comes all that is good. With it every commandment becomes easier to live and our lives become enriched by the abundance of others who teach and influence us. Only love will bring peace to the earth. 

As we approach what seems like insurmountable problems facing mankind today, there has never been a greater need for love in the world. 

An element of the parable of the good Samaritan that has been meaningful to me is the way in which the Samaritan served the injured man: he physically rescued him. We read in Luke that he “bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The Samaritan then stayed the night in the inn before leaving money for the injured man’s care and promising to repay any additional expenses required. The Samaritan made space in his life, both physically and mentally, for the injured man and got close to him. This was not abstract compassion. It was concrete. This was not arm’s-length love. This was an embrace.

Having a Christlike love requires more than a pleasant response to those who enter our lives. God’s love requires reaching out to others and enfolding them into our hearts and lives. 

Enfold- to cover with, to surround with a covering, to clasp within the arms, to embrace.

Example: Jack’s Kindness

I love how President Uchtdorf explained it-

“When we wonder where we should put our focus as parents, siblings, church leaders, ministering brothers and sisters, and members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is already decided:

Love God

Love your neighbor.

He goes on to say - This is the bullseye of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the foundation of who we are as his followers.  

(Define bullseye - used to refer to something that achieves exactly the intended effect. Usually the highest-valued area)

Loving God- 

Elder Matthew L. Carpenter - To love God with all of our hearts, we use our time, energy, talents and resources to keep His commandments.

I invite you to reflect on how you use your time, energy, talents and resources. Are you using your time to learn what God’s commandments are, so that you can keep them?

How do you spend your energy? While it is important to work and provide for your needs and for the needs of those you love, do you reserve enough energy to keep the commandments of God—to regularly attend Church on the Sabbath and to serve your fellow man? Are you using the talents and resources God has given you to keep His commandments, and to help others to do the same? As you consider all that God has done for you and the love He has shown you, I urge you to reflect upon how you are showing your love for Him in return.

Love for God and fellow men is the defining characteristic of a discipline of Jesus Christ. 

We show our love to God by keeping his commandments and serving his children. 

Loving your neighbor

Sister D. Carolina Nunez – Loving our Neighbors 9/1/2018.

Our neighbors are not the people who are most like us; rather, our neighbors are those who are different from us. They are the people whom our own social circles have rejected. They are our brothers and sisters who worship differently than we do, who come from different backgrounds, who look different from us, who make different choices than we do, who have dreams and goals that differ from ours, who disagree with us, or who have despised us. This, of course, is not to say that the people who are most like us aren’t our neighbors. But our love for others cannot be conditioned on their similarities to us. We must love others understanding that they are individuals separate and distinct from us. The differences that separate us in this life make us each other’s neighbors, and, just as the Samaritan did, we must reach out to love and serve those who are different.

This can be extremely difficult. Much of our life is devoted to surrounding ourselves with people who are like us. We become friends with people who share common interests. We attend church each week in part to join with a community of people who have beliefs similar to ours. We even curate our social media feeds to feature individuals who think like we do and block or unfollow people whose opinions bother or offend us. This is a natural human inclination. We want to feel that we belong, that we are respected and understood, and that we are loved for who we are.

But what might it be like to be an outsider—unwanted and uninvited? 

We must find our brothers and sisters who feel marginalized and out of place. They are not far. They sit next to us in sacrament meeting, stand behind us in line at the grocery store, attend our classes and quorum meetings. 

Example: Soccer Team Testimony Meeting – Come as you Are

Brothers and sisters, our leaders are calling on us to lead out – to be the examples of how to treat and love others.  I believe that you and I have got to try harder to be the answers to the prayers of parents that their son or daughter, who is away from home and is here among us, will be accepted, looked out for, and loved.

We have been called to love all of God’s children.  Let us help our Heavenly Father by being the instrument through which the prayers for loved ones are answered.”

President Nelson – Giving help to others – making a conscientious effort to care about others as much as or more than we care about ourselves – is our joy.  Especially, I might add, when it is not convenient and when it takes us out of our comfort zone.  Living that second great commandment is key to becoming true disciple of Jesus Christ. 

Dale G Renlund  - Let us fully mirror his love and love each other so openly and completely that no one feels abandoned, alone or helpless. 

President Uchtdorf

How can we be better parents:

Love God

Love our Neighbor.

How can we be happier?

Love God

Love our Neighbor.

How can we better magnify our callings in the church?

Love God

Love our Neighbor.

Sister Hada recently shared this message in our sacrament meeting, and it was so good and has stuck with me as I’ve been preparing for this talk, back to the basics with a Favorite Primary Hymn:

If you don’t walk as most people do,

Some people walk away from you,

But I won’t! I won’t!

If you don’t talk as most people do,

Some people talk and laugh at you,

But I won’t! I won’t!

I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.

That’s how I’ll show my love for you.

Jesus walked away from none.

He gave his love to ev’ryone.

So I will! I will!