FIRST AND SECOND GREAT COMMANDMENTS

Listening to Elder Uchtdorf's talk during the 2009 General Conference on The First and Second great commandments my mind was once again stimulated to ponder, as it had done many times in the past, the significance of these words spoken by the Savior to the lawyer who had come to tempt Him, or as we would say, ensnare Him.

My thoughts have often gone along the line of thinking: "Why was there a need for two commandments when if we were to fulfill the first with all our hearts, souls and minds we would surely fulfill all the laws and the words of the prophets since one who loves God will keep his commandments". Right away I was left with the problem of why a perfect Being would give two commandments if only one were needed. Therefore I needed to concentrate my pondering upon why the necessity of the First and Second Great Commandments.

It didn't take much pondering and self introspection to realize that the task of Loving God with all ones heart, soul and mind was not an easy first step and in reality it was probably the result of many attempts and failures and a few successful mini advancements toward a quest that will probably take one well past the mortal probationary period to accomplish. I have become acquainted sufficiently with the words of the Lord and the prophets to know that to be able to have this complete and unwavering love for God one would have to have completely turned away from all selfish motivations and needs.

When the Savior told us that the Second Commandment was 'like unto' the First he thereby linked them into an eternal cycle of progression. I think the understanding of this linkage comes in the fact that in telling us to love our neighbors He gives us the key to our being able to understand how to do this by making reference to how we love ourselves. I'm certain that many who heard Him speak these words were reminded of the often repeated teachings of Moses; that to know how to love others all you had to do was identify your personal feelings and emotions when others did loving acts for you.

Isn't it interesting that the Savior links the pathway to selfless, total and complete love of God to the love of neighbors which always is based on a degree of self-satisfaction, self-recognition, or some other manifestation of selfishness? Could the Savior have really said that the road to Selflessness is over stepping stones of selfishness? Reason doesn't allow us to make much sense of the proposition. Maybe a clue to greater understanding comes from the Apostle John when he taught that the man who says he loves God and hates his brother is a liar.

Could it be possible that the Lord gave us the Second Commandment as path toward achieving loving God with all our heart, soul and mind? Is it possible that in Loving others we are suppose to be learning how to discard the need for reciprocal demonstrations and be moving toward learning to love others with no expectation of something coming back to fulfill some sort of self-gratification.

As I ponder these great commandments I am left, at least for myself, to understand that my ability to love God unconditionally with all my heart, soul and mind with no selfish anticipations will only come as a result of my learning step after faltering step how to love others unconditionally with no selfish anticipations. As the Savior said the Second is indeed like unto the First of the Two Great Commandments.