In 2016, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shared a remarkable insight:
The first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that's the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.
"Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You," General Conference, April 2016, italics in original
This insight mirrors the words of John the Beloved: "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.... We love him, because he first loved us" (1 John 4:16, 19).
This makes sense to me. How do we learn to love except by being loved? When we feel God's love, we naturally love Him in return, and by extension, we love His children. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4:11).
Sister Susan H. Porter expounded on this truth:
When you know and understand how completely you are loved as a child of God, it changes everything. It changes the way you feel about yourself when you make mistakes. It changes how you feel when difficult things happen. It changes your view of God's commandments. It changes your view of others and of your capacity to make a difference.
"God's Love: The Most Joyous to the Soul," General Conference, October 2021
She reminded us that the tree in Lehi's dream represents the love of God. Lehi described the fruit of that tree as "most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted" and said that "it filled [his] soul with exceedingly great joy" (1 Nephi 8:11-12). Sister Porter explained that even in this dream, where the love of God appears to be the reward for our efforts, it also predates those efforts:
Sometimes we mistakenly think that we can feel God's love only after we have followed the iron rod and partaken of the fruit. God's love, however, not only is received by those who come to the tree but is the very power that motivates us to seek that tree.
"God's Love: The Most Joyous to the Soul," General Conference, October 2021, italics in original
As I've pondered these truths today, I've had the following questions:
- How much more resilient would I be if I more fully sensed the constancy of God's love for me?
- How can I better emulate God's love as I love Him and His children?
- What can I do to help other people, including my own children, feel the love that God has for them?
Today, I will remember that God's love came first. I will be grateful that His love motivates me to persist through difficult experiences, to move forward with confidence, and to love Him and other people.
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