Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf on showing our love in our deeds

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (born November 6, 1940) served as a Seventy from 1994-2004, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve.  He served as second counselor in the First Presidency from 2008 to 2018.

"True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but 'sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.' (1 Corinthians 13:1.)

"Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life. He did not remove Himself from the crowd. Being amidst the people, Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn’t just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how to 'succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.' (D&C 81:5.)

"Christ knows how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result.

"If we are His hands, should we not do the same?"

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “You Are My Hands," General Conference April 2010
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Perhaps the greatest message shared by Jesus of Nazareth during his mortal ministry was the importance of showing love through actions and deeds. The so-called Golden Rule states, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12.) Perhaps even more pointedly, this reminder from the Savior: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40.) Certainly we must recognize the power in demonstrating our love through our actions:

Jesus showed us perfectly how to minister to one another. President Uchtdorf spoke clearly: "He didn’t just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how." We should strive continually to understand that example, and then to follow it.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)