Hi
All – photo program is not working – have been unable to install another –
c/ork
“Are We Listening?”
cji
9/1/16
We’ve been Commanded
‘If we love the Lord
---
we keep his
Commandments!’
love is the key word
of life
obedience enforces
our love
within our homes and
ourselves
with our children and
parents
siblings and
especially others
so after love –
compassion
but without obedience
nothing
and our Heavenly
Father
expects us to be
obedient
always and in
everything
are we listening or
not
now to read this
message!
Copyright
© 2016 – cji
After
Love, Then What?
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Detail from He Healed Many, by J. Kirk Richards, courtesy of
Illume Gallery
Our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has taught that “love is the
very essence of the gospel.”1
Love is so important that Jesus called it “the first and great
commandment” and said that every other particle of the law and words
of the prophets hang upon it.2
Love is the central motive for all we do in the Church. Every
program, every meeting, every action we are part of as disciples of Jesus
Christ should spring
from this attribute—for without charity, “the pure love of Christ,” we are
nothing.3
Once we understand this with our mind
and heart, once we declare our love for God and for our fellowman—what then?
Is feeling compassion and love for
others enough? Does declaring our love for God and our neighbor satisfy our
obligation to God?
The Parable of the Two Sons
At the temple in Jerusalem, the chief
priests and elders of the Jews approached Jesus to trap Him in His words. The
Savior, however, turned the tables on them by telling a story.
“A certain man had two sons,” He began.
The father went to the first and asked him to go work in the vineyard. But the
son refused. Later that son “repented, and went.”
The father then went to his second son
and asked him to go work in the vineyard. The second son assured him that he
would go, but he never went.
Then the Savior turned to the priests
and elders and asked, “Which one of these two sons did the will of his father?”
They had to admit that it was the first son—the one who said he
would not go but later repented and went to work in the vineyard.4
The Savior used this story to emphasize
an important principle—it is those who obey the commandments who truly love
God.
Perhaps this is why Jesus asked the people to listen to and
follow the words of the Pharisees and scribes but not to follow their example.5 These religious teachers did not walk
the talk. They loved to talk about religion, but sadly they missed its essence.
Actions and Our Salvation
In one of the Savior’s final lessons to
His disciples, He spoke to them of the final Judgment. The wicked and the righteous
would be separated. The good would inherit eternal life; the wicked would be
delivered to eternal punishment.
What was the difference between the two
groups?
Those who demonstrated their love through action were saved.
Those who did not were condemned.6 True conversion to the gospel of Jesus
Christ and its values and principles will be witnessed by our actions in our
daily lives.
In the end, mere declaration of love for God and fellowmen will
not qualify us for exaltation. For, as Jesus taught, “not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven.”7
What Comes after Love?
The answer to the question “After love, then what?” can be
simple and straightforward. If we truly love the Savior, we incline our hearts
to Him and then we walk in the path of discipleship. When we love God, we will
strive to keep His commandments.8
If we truly love our fellowmen, we extend ourselves to help “the
poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.”9 For they who do these selfless acts of
compassion and service,10 the same are disciples of Jesus Christ.
This is what comes after love.
This is the essence of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Teaching from This Message
President Uchtdorf defines true disciples of Jesus
Christ as those who
show their love for Him and for others through their actions. He teaches us
that “if we truly love the Savior, we incline our hearts to Him and then we
walk in the path of discipleship.” Consider asking those you teach in what ways
love has motivated them to walk in the path of discipleship. You could share
your experiences with them as well. You might consider inviting them to pray
for more charity and strength to act out of love.
Youth
Keeping the Commandments and Loving Others
When we think of love, often the first things that come to mind
are romantic movies, chocolate, and flowers. But love—true love—is
a lot deeper and a lot more selfless than that. Jesus Christ lived for us and
died for us because of His love for us. In fact, the two great commandments are
to love God and love everyone else (seeMatthew 22:36–40). But how can we show others
that we love them?
President Uchtdorf shares Christ’s parable
of the two sons, one who works for his father and one who does not. The Savior
makes the point that only the son who obeyed his father truly loved him.
Similarly, when we obey God’s commands, we show that we love Him and want to
return to Him.
But how do we show we love everyone
else? President Uchtdorf explains that too: “If we truly love our fellowmen, we
extend ourselves to help ‘the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.’
For they who do these selfless acts of compassion and service, the same are
disciples of Jesus Christ.”
So the next time you see your parent, a
sibling, or a friend, think about serving them to show your affection for them.
Not only will it make them and you happy, but it will make your Father in
Heaven happy too.
Children
Showing Love
Jesus shared a story of a father and
his two sons. The father worked in a vineyard and asked his two sons to help.
The first son said no at first but later came to help in the vineyard. The
second son said that he would help, but then he never did. Jesus taught that
the first son showed more love for his father by being obedient.
Act out this story! Then write or draw
three things you can do to show your love for Heavenly Father.
