The love of God is the central quality of his character.5 But what does it mean to love others as God loves you? As with other aspects of his character, people are too quick to reduce God’s love to their present understanding of what it might mean. God’s love is not just difficult to attain—it is difficult to perceive and learn.
How can you know that your understanding of love differs from God’s?
- Do you keep all of God’s commandments all of the time?6
- Do you follow God’s example completely, all of the time, as far as you understand him to be?7
- Do you find it difficult or onerous to keep God’s commandments?8
- Do you treat the needs of other people as equally important to your own?9
- Would you die for a family member,10 friend,11 stranger,12 or enemy?13
- How do you respond to correction? Those who invite you to improve are inviting you to draw nearer to God,14 and your response to them indicates the love you have for God.15
Those who know God love one another as God loves them.16 If you fall short in any of the above-mentioned qualities, you should consider it as evidence that there is more about God’s character that you need to learn and live in order to obtain eternal life.17
Footnotes
- 1. And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it; Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God. But if it be defiled I will not come into it, and my glory shall not be there; for I will not come into unholy temples. (D&C 97:15-17) ↩
- 2. For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God. Neither can any natural man abide the presence of God, neither after the carnal mind. (D&C 67:11-12) ↩
- 3. For the devious are an abomination to the Lord; But He is intimate with the upright. (Proverbs 3:32, NASB) ↩
- 4. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God...And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:10-11, 27) ↩
- 5. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8) ↩
- 6. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (1 John 5:2) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (1 John 2:5) ↩
- 7. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. (2 John 1:6) ↩
- 8. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3) ↩
- 9. Hereby 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. (1 John 3:16) 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? (1 John 3:17) ↩
- 10. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. (Mark 3:35) ↩
- 11. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) ↩
- 12. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? (Luke 10:29) ↩
- 13. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44) ↩
- 14. And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good— yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. (D&C 11:12) ↩
- 15. He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. (Luke 10:16) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6) ↩
- 16. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (1 John 4:7) 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 3:23) ↩
- 17. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (1 John 3:14) ↩