"If the world is to be improved, the process of love must make a change in the hearts of men. It can do so when we look beyond self to give our love to God and others, and do so with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.
"The Lord has declared in modern revelation, 'If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you.' (D&C 88:67.)
"As we look with love and gratitude to God, as we serve him with an eye single to his glory, there goes from us the darkness of sin, the darkness of selfishness, the darkness of pride. There will come an increased love for our Eternal Father and for his Beloved Son, our Savior and our Redeemer. There will come a greater sense of service toward our fellowmen, less of thinking of self and more of reaching out to others.
"This principle of love is the basic essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without love of God and love of neighbor there is little else to commend the gospel to us as a way of life....
"Each of us can, with effort, successfully root the principle of love deep in our being so that we may be nourished by its great power all our lives. For as we tap into the power of love, we will come to understand the great truth written by John: 'God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God.' (1 Jn. 4:16.)"
- Gordon B. Hinckley, "And the Greatest of These Is Love," Ensign, May 1984, p. 3
Click here to read the full article
In many ways, we live in a time that is becoming increasingly selfish and self-focused. President Hinckley understood the world's challenges, and the need to develop real love as we "look beyond self" to sincerely serve God and bless those around us.
The passage from D&C 88:67 has always intrigued me; President Hinckley teaches that our love for God and for our fellowman drives darkness from our lives and facilitates that process of becoming filled with light. Love truly is the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment