THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 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. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40)

It is difficult for me to remember a time when my body’s temperature wasn’t affected to some degree by tales of those who treated others as the Lord had indicated in these defining words of how life’s relationships were to be comprised. For example, now as when I first heard the story of Damon and Pythias I feel a bit of a chill running the length of my spine. It is indeed touching to read about how one man would place his neck beneath the ax rather than see a friend die. It is no wonder to me that he who held both lives in his hands was so touched by the love offered sacrifice, he could not help but join in with his own act of love when he issued pardon to both.

As I have attempted to understand and inculcate this all-encompassing attribute upon my being I have found the journey to be long and difficult with many twists, turns and deadends. I have come to realize the almost overwhelming challenge which attends one’s efforts to go from knowing about God and coming to know God because I have moved a tiny bit closer to possessing this amazing attribute which in its perfection separates the Supreme Being from His children. As we search the scriptures we continually find the Lord admonishing us to move forward in gaining greater love for God and our neighbors.

Wherefore, the Lord, God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is LOVE. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish. (2 Nephi 26:30)

And behold it is written also, that thou shalt LOVE thy neighbor and hate thy enemy; but I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you. (3 Nephi 12:43, 44)

But you will teach them (your children) to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to LOVE one another, and to serve one another. (Mosiah 4:15)

And he commanded them that there should be no contentions one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in LOVE one towards another. (Mosiah18:21)

Searching the scriptures makes even clearer the feebleness of my efforts as I strive to make minute movements in my efforts to increase my love quotient. More often than not I seem to leave off my reading feeling further from the goal rather than closer.

Truly, the Atonement which was given by our Savior has to be considered the ultimate expression of love for God and neighbor, but He also lived his life so that we might know in some way how to tread toward acquiring eternal attributes while yet mortal.

For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done… (John13:15)

It seems we are also to give appreciation and fulfill the purposes of our existence by attempting to do as He did and to live as He lived. The evidence accumulates that He lived so that we might know how to live. He has promised us not merely a pleasant philosophy of life leading to happiness, but He has also promised that assimilating His proffered way of life we will be moving ever closer to Heavenly Father and therein begin to be filled with joy. During His earthly mission Jesus the Christ seemed to be continually about His Father’s business, wherein He was working to bring about the immortality and eternal lives of His brothers and sisters. Verse after verse we see Him extending love by providing what others lacked, healing when illness lingered, forgiving when offended, restoring hope when lost, showing kindness to those who despitefully used him and finally taking all the ills and sins of mankind upon Him.

And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his LOVING kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men. (1 Nephi 19:9)

Somehow the Prophet Nephi came to have a significant and personal realization of what the Lord would do for him through His condescending act of coming into mortality and becoming the ultimate guide for all mankind.

But behold the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell: I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of His LOVE. (2 Nephi 1:15)

The thought strikes me that, the more I move to where I allow the arms of His love to encircle me, the more I will be desirous of encircling others with my own weak limbs.

TO BE CONTINUED: