THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS (Part 4)

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)

Having determined to walk upon the path of happiness the Lord had mapped out in His teachings, having desired to adhere to His admonition of making love the foundation of his life, having found a degree of success in gaining a righteous self-love by peeling some of the sin laden layers of deception which cloud his understanding, having begun the journey leading to a greater understanding of his true identity, having been touched with the compelling love of the Savior moving him to desire the eternal welfare of his neighbor, the disciple of Christ is suddenly impacted with the understanding that as yet he had only been climbing small hills and was now faced with a seemingly insurmountable mountain.

The Lord points out the mini steps we have taken thus far in our journey in the following words:

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same. (Matthew 5:46)

The mighty challenge which yet faces us is given in His overwhelming proclamation:

And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy; but behold 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; that ye may be the children of your Father who is in Heaven…But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. (3 Nephi 12:43-45, Luke 6:35, 36)

As we immediately begin to excuse ourselves out of striving to be obedient to this mountainous command, believing that for humans the possibility of obedience to such an attribute as ‘loving one’s enemies’ is beyond comprehension let alone being able to actually relate to enemies in such an exalted manner, we are stopped in our rationalization when we encounter in the pages of the Book of Mormon an example of actual mere mortals fulfilling the call to this higher form of love.

Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni, the four sons of King Mosiah, who with Alma the Son of Alma experienced that wonderful transforming moment which led them to find their own righteous self-love, which drove them to love those who love them, one by one they denied to be anointed king by their father choosing instead to go among their enemies the Lamanites to preach the Savior’s Plan of Happiness.

After spending 14 years inviting the Lamanites to come unto Christ, after suffering threats to their lives, imprisonment, and every kind of difficulty Ammon gives us the following report about the mission of these four brothers.

I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice? Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell. Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled with the matchless bounty of his love; yea and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work. (Alma 26:11-15)

As we ponder this remarkable account we discover that as we venture forth upon the mountain, haltingly gaining ground on our ability to love those of our brothers and sisters who have been propagandized into being identified as our enemies, we gain clarity on three principles. First, as we attempt to help those who have been labeled as our enemies, our circle of love will grow and remarkably turn enemies into neighbors. Second, the strength of the Lord will come upon us as we begin to take a portion of His yoke, of bringing others closer to their eternal potential, upon our feeble shoulders. Third, The preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God. (Alma 31:5)

Herein perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (1 John 3:16-23)

I believe if I will but begin to put one foot in front of the other moving ever upward, this monstrous mountain of loving my enemies can also be conquered.

Scripture: Alma 16-26