

While you are young, build good friendships with many people. When and how should I get to know members of the opposite sex? The best way to get to know others is through genuine friendship. If you are being bullied or abused-or if you know this is happening to someone else-talk to a trustworthy adult.

Set healthy boundaries to keep yourself safe. However, that does not mean you should stay in a situation that causes you emotional, physical, or spiritual harm. Spend time in places and activities where His Spirit is present.ĭoes the Lord expect me to love everyone, even those who treat me badly? The Lord expects you to love your enemies and pray for those who mistreat you. Think about all that He has done for you. Share your feelings with Him, and listen for impressions from Him. How can I feel God’s love? Heavenly Father’s love is always available. Help them feel Heavenly Father’s love through you. Reach out to those who feel lonely, isolated, or helpless. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you can lead out in treating people of all races and religions and any other groups with love, respect, and inclusion-especially those who are sometimes victims of hurtful words and actions. When you use the names of God and Christ with reverence, never in a vain or casual way, you show you are grateful for all They have done for you. As you fast and pay tithes and offerings, you show God that His work is more important to you than material things. For example, by keeping the Sabbath day holy, including by faithfully preparing for and partaking of the sacrament, you show God that you are willing to dedicate one day a week to Him. Show love for God by keeping His commandments. When you serve His children, you are serving Him. Heavenly Father wants His children to love each other. And who is your neighbor? Everyone! Everything else taught in the scriptures and by the prophets is connected to these two commandments.Īll people are your brothers and sisters-including, of course, people who are different from you or disagree with you. The two greatest of all commandments, Jesus taught, are to love God and love your neighbor. When your love for Heavenly Father is the most important influence in your life, many decisions become easier. His perfect love can inspire you to love Him. All of us are imperfect, yet we all desire to be treated kindly despite our shortcomings.God loves you. The Savior’s teaching called the Golden Rule can guide our actions: “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” ( Matthew 7:12). Life is the perfect laboratory to develop charity. It is the “more excellent way” ( 1 Corinthians 12:31) spoken of by the Apostle Paul and includes being kind, patient, humble, meek, hopeful, and generous (see 1 Corinthians 13). Charity is a spiritual gift that we can pray for and live for it is “bestowed upon all who are true followers of … Jesus Christ” ( Moroni 7:48). As we keep this truth in mind, loving all of God’s children will become easier” (“Love-the Essence of the Gospel,” Ensign, May 2014, 91).ĭeveloping charity-Christlike love for others-will improve our relationships, help us serve willingly, and fit us for eternal life (see Moroni 10:21). … We are all spirit children of our Heavenly Father and, as such, are brothers and sisters. Likewise, we cannot fully love our fellowmen if we do not love God, the Father of us all. Monson taught last general conference, keeping one commandment helps us keep the other: “We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey. “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” ( Matthew 22:37–39).Īs President Thomas S. “This is the first and great commandment. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Instead, He summarized all of the commandments in these two: When a lawyer asked Jesus which of the commandments was the greatest, He could have chosen any of the many commandments from the Old Testament, from the law of Moses, or from the Ten Commandments. From “Love-the Essence of the Gospel,” Ensign, May 2014, 91–94.
