Hey family and friends, this week has been amazing we have
two new investigators on the baptismal date the work is moving great I love all
of you!
"Love"
"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded
him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a
certain priest (teacher) that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the
other side. And likewise a Levite (Priesthood holder), when he was at the
place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain
Samaritan (our really odd neighbor down the street), as he journeyed, came
where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him,
and 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. And on the morrow when he
departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him,
Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will
repay thee." (1) What did this Good Samaritan show to this poor and
stricken Jewish man?
A scribe once confronted Jesus and
"asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him,
The first of all the commandments is,... thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all
thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely
this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment
greater than these." (2) What do you notice about these two commandments?
What is a key similarity that they both share? The greatest commandments that
God has given us both include love. So what is love? Love is a deep devotion
and affection for somebody or something. Love is a very powerful and real force
in our lives. "Everything the Savior did throughout His earthly ministry
was motivated by love--His love for His Father and His love for all of us."
(3) Love is what motivates us to do most if not almost every action or decision
we make in life. Love," like faith, leads to action." (4) Love causes
us to feed our children, to sacrifice for others, to go one way instead of
another. Love can even cause us to change who we are and how will act and
react. Our love for others in indescribable. The love a man has for his
beautiful wife, the love a mother has for her children, and the love our
Heavenly Father has for us. I want you all to think back to an experience in
your life when your very being was overflowing with love. When you did a great
act of service for someone, when you were first married, or when you had your
first baby. Take a few minuets and ponder on this. How did you feel?
We, "are free to choose liberty and
eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and
death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that
all men might be miserable like unto himself." (5) Love is a choice. We
can choose how to act, how we will treat ourselves, others, and God.
But
why would we want love? When we love someone don't we feel happy? Lehi once
told us that, "men are, that they might have joy." (6) When you
increase in love, "you will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal
welfare and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God
with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father, and you will labor in
their behalf. You will avoid negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or
covetousness. You will avoid judging others, criticizing them, or saying
negative things about them. You will try to understand them and their points of
view. You will be patient with them and try to help them when they are
struggling or discouraged." (7) We want to love other because that is were
true happiness and joy are found. And aren't those two thing what we are all
looking for in life? You can make a million dollars a month, but if you
"have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth." (8)
Satan is real, and he will do
anything and everything, to keep love out of our hearts. He will try and
replace it with anger and frustration. I remember only about over a year ago,
you couldn't pay me $100 to tell the people I cared about most the words "
I love you." I just couldn't say it now matter how hard I tried. It was
like trying to talk while clenching my teeth on a rock. I loved them so much
but I never told them. They would tell me they loved me, but I wouldn't say it
back. Until I realized that if I could just let go of my pride, and tell those
I cared about how I truly felt about them, that those 3 words bring so much joy
to not only them but to me.
I urge you to follow Lehi's final
council to his sons when he said, "Shake off the chains with which ye are
bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust." (9) Let
go of anything that is keeping others from feeling how much you really care
about them! Whether it be through words, gifts, quality time, service, or a
hug. Show them you love them! Notice what the Good Samaritan did to somebody he
didn't even know, who in a normal circumstance would have probably mocked him
and made fun of him, just because of what he was born into. Have love and peace
in your hearts, forgive them, they are not perfect and neither are you. The
Savior counciled us after this parable by asking us, "Which now of these
three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And
he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou
likewise." (10) Go and do thou likewise, that is all he asked us to do is
to show love and mercy to all those around us. Show those around you,
especially those closest to you that you are eternally grateful for them in
your life!
Jesus Christ is our perfect example.
He has showed us how to show those around us that we appreciate them. When he
suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, and rose from the dead
the third day; He demonstrated that perfect love for us! The greatest example
of God's love for His children is found in the infinite Atonement of Jesus
Christ. I know that it is because of Him that we can be able to feel that love
at all! Show somebody today, just one person, that you genuinely care about
them. Your day will turn right around and you will be the happiest person in
the room! I promise you that blessing and many many more! I say these things in
the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder
Philip R. Bredsguard
Thermopolis,
Wyoming
Notes
1.
Luke 10:30-35
2.
Mark 12:28-31
3.
Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], 5.5.4
4.
Preach My Gospel pg. 118
5. 2
Nephi 2:27
6. 2
Nephi 2:25
7.
Preach My Gospel pg. 118
8.
Moroni 7:46
9. 2
Nephi 1:23
10.
Luke 10:36-37
Administrator/Mom's
Note: I just received the pictures below from another missionary mom,
Hayley Huefner, from the MTC, Provo, UT. Thanks!
