The First Great Commandment

 

 This week was a good one it was a little hectic but altogether good. I got a call on Wednesday evening from a member of the bishopbric asking if I would be willing to speak on Sunday I had already been slotted to teach Relief Society but I had seen Jaden's mom and another one of the teachers double book and speak and then turn around and teach so with them as my examples I figured I'd do it and apologize to the women in the ward that they had to hear from me so much in one day!

Preparing my talk was actually such an awesome experience for me. The topic was the First Great Commandment to love God and I was asked to try to stick to that as much as possible because the speaker after me would be talking about the Second Great Commandment to love thy neighbor as thyself. That was probably the trickiest part of the whole thing was not straying into loving your neighbor because the two commandments are so intertwined. When you love God you show that love by loving those around you.

 What I decided to do was reach out via text, phone calls, Marcopolo, & Facebook messenger and ask some of my friends and family members the following question: "Who in your life has shown you what loving God looks like?" And then I listened to and read through the responses and pulled out four common themes of what people who love God do. 

I put all of the responses I got into a quote note in my phone so I can keep them forever. It was so inspiring to ponder about the people who have influenced some of my closest friends and family, people who love God and show that love through their actions. 

A few of my favorite responses I want to share are below:

 

"I think my mom has set the best example to me of what it looks like to love God. When my dad was 53 years old, he was killed in a car accident. My mom, 52 was left with six children. The oldest being 29 and the youngest being 16 (I was 25). Five out of six of them lived at home. The thing I remember the most was five days after she sat the six of us down, and said, "We have a choice here. We can be angry at God, or we can take this and learn from it. We can become stronger and more faithful. We can love and support each other through this." What a difference that has made in my life I will forever be grateful of the example of my mom during this difficult time in our family's life."

"The answer to your question is my preacher He is such a holy man that loves our God. He puts God first in his life and it shows. He always asks about us and if we need anything. He is like that with everyone. He shows everyone empathy and compassion. He witnesses to us how God has been in his life and blesses him and his family and also how God uses him to reach out to other people's hearts so they too can show love."

"I thought of someone I know who recently joined the YSA. When she first started investigating she quit her job so she could go to church on Sundays. She just quit another job because they weren't willing to work with the new demands on her schedule since she was just called as relief society secretary. So often people, including myself, schedule the gospel around their professional life. It's inspiring to see someone schedule their professional life around the gospel for a change."

"Another additional thought I've had is that I feel that the more we love God, the more we want to nourish our personal relationship with Him, to make the effort to talk with Him and share with Him both our triumphs and our sorrows. I like to imagine Him laughing and crying right along with me. A great way to honor and love Him is to make our relationship with Him one of our greatest priorities."

"My mom has definitely set an example to me of what loving God looks like! In all she does she remembers God. She does everything with a purpose. There are many times I get annoyed with her telling me "churchy things" instead of just wallowing and having a pity party with me but I've learned it's really because of the love she has for God and the strong relationship she has built with Him. She has put in the time to really get to know God which has made her love Him. She helps me put things into a godly perspective. She dedicates LOTS of time in the scriptures and surrounding herself with uplifiting and meaningful things. This has allowed her mind to be open and learn so much from Him."

 

 

After pulling out themes from these responses and many others I did my studying and bore my testimony in the following talk:

 

The First Great Commandment


Imagine standing in front of the Savior and being able to ask Him any question you could possibly think of. What would you ask Him? For me, two questions come immediately to mind: What do you want me to know? And What do I need to do better?


Your questions might be deeper than that, more longing, yearning, maybe even troubling, but imagine being able to sit down with our Savior and speak to Him about the questions of your soul.


One of my favorite parts of the New Testament is that it is a record of Christ’s ministry on the Earth. The people in the gospels and other books of scripture really were able to stand in front of Him and sit with Him, to ask Him questions, learn from Him, and be healed by Him. And yet some of the questions He was asked were not asked out of a sincere desire to know Him and love Him. They were asked to try to trick Him and try to prove that He wasn’t who He said He was. That He wasn’t the Savior of the world. One of these times was in a gathering.

 Christ was constantly in them, people surrounding Him as he taught and healed. In the midst of these crowds, you would find His most humble followers as well as His most contemptuous enemies. Among the enemies were two groups, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. When I think of the Pharisees in particular, I think of the scripture in Jacob in the Book of Mormon that says that blindness can come from “looking beyond the mark,” failing to see something for what it is because you are focused on something else. The Pharisees were too caught up in laws that they completely lost the meaning. They were so caught up in the logistics to realize they stood in the presence of the Lord.


In Matthew we read about a day when one of the Pharisees decided to take advantage of the opportunity to stand in front of Christ and ask Him a question. And the question he asked was, “Master which is the great commandment in the law?” He was hoping to trick the Savior into choosing a law that would ignite an argument and prove Christ to be false.


However, you can’t trick deity. Christ responded with the following, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might.”


It is this first portion of His reply that I want to focus my remarks today. As I pondered this verse, I thought about what it really means to love God. I turned to my family and friends and asked them the following question, “Who in your life has shown you what it looks like to love God?” And then as I read their replies, I drew out some common themes:


Of the experiences shared about friends, siblings, spouses, parents, aunts, grandparents, great grandparents, and church leaders there are four themes that I want to highlight that show what loving God looks like.


First when we love God, we do what we are called to do.


My grandma told me a story about her own mother who, when called upon by the Stake President to type up some documents for him, took it upon herself to attend the local college and take typing lessons in order to serve in the church. My great grandma was a dairy farmer who had never touched a typewriter in her life. But she believed that she was called by the Lord to help, and she was willing to stretch beyond her current skillset to serve. This same great grandma served faithfully as a Sunday School teacher for 25 years. She helped reactivate her husband to full church participation in the process as she would get up early on Sunday mornings, set up the cows for milking, make him breakfast, lay out his perfectly pressed suit pants and freshly polished shoes and finally clean up the barn leaving him with no excuses as to why he couldn’t attend church with the family. My great grandma left a legacy of loving God by putting Him first, doing what she was called to do and helping others to do the same in the process. My great grandma has taught me what loving God looks like.


Second, when we love God, we trust Him even in the midst of uncertainty.


I have a friend who has absolutely changed my life for the better. She entered my life at a time in high school when I needed a good and loyal friend. She was my car DJ, my smoothie pal, gym buddy and overall go to. She is the one who set Jaden and I up. She has a good eye, but she has an even better perspective. Morgann has suffered with a variety of health challenges throughout her life. Many of them have gone undiagnosed and she has learned to live with random somewhat disjointed symptoms for years. Within the past couple of years some dots have been able to connect, and doctors have confirmed one of her diagnoses as ankylosing spondylitis. It is a rare genetic disease that begins with inflammation of pelvic bones and spine and ultimately causes the vertebrae to fuse together creating immense pain and limiting if not completely restricting movement. Watching her grapple with this diagnosis has both broken and strengthened my heart. I know there are hard days, days when she literally barely has strength to walk, days when she struggles to pick up her young daughter. I know there are days when she is filled with questions she longs to have answered by the Savior. But beyond that Morgann trusts God. She knows that there are things she will learn and grow and experience because of her health challenges. She knows that though we came to earth to gain a body we were not guaranteed that those bodies would be flawless. She knows that her pain and suffering tie her even closer to her Savior who suffered for her. For each one of us. Though Morgann does not know what the future looks like she trusts that God does. She loves Him. Morg has taught me what loving God looks like.


Third when we love God, we talk to Him.


While serving my mission in TN one of my favorite experiences was praying with others. Because Tennessee is considered the buckle of the Bible belt most of the people I spoke to were more than willing to pray with us. Those prayers varied in their wording, their enthusiasm, and their praise but I always felt a love of God and a faith in Him no matter how different our beliefs were. There were a few very special instances where I had the privilege of being in the same room the same porch, or the same front yard as someone who was praying for the first time. Teaching someone how to pray has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done. One of these instances was with my friend named John. My companion and I knocked on his door one day and we got the special opportunity to teach him how to pray. I don’t think I fully understood the magnitude of the moment at the time. It was a simple principle of the gospel that we taught him testified of the power of prayer and then left him with a challenge to continue to pray every day and that we’d come back in a week and teach him more. He later told us he was surprised when we actually did come back. But that’s what missionaries do right? John has told me several times since that he has prayed every day since that day we met him. He says that prayer changed his life. He relies on prayer, He talks to God every day. Imagine praying for the first time, maybe it has been a while since you have prayed so it might be the first time in a long time. But think of how the joy that must fill God’s heart when we reach out in prayer to Him. When you love someone, you communicate with them. John knows this. John teaches me how to love God.


Fourth when we love God, we give Him the glory.


It is so easy in this world to focus inwardly and seek praise and recognition for ourselves when we accomplish something. Someone who has taught me to do the opposite is my husband Jaden. Jaden recognizes that the blessings and accomplishments in our life have not come just because of a hard work ethic and grit. He has plenty of both of those to be sure, but he is always quick to recognize the hand of God in his accomplishments. The path that led us here to Pittsburgh has been full of hard work and tender mercies and Jaden truly helps me see the good in both things and people. Even more importantly he helps me see God in the goodness. I firmly believe that many of the opportunities that have been granted to us have resulted from us choosing to see God in the process and follow Him, giving Him the glory. Jaden is someone who can say with Ammon in the Book of Mormon, “I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in His strength I can do all things.” Jaden has taught me what loving God looks like.


To close I want to share another section of scripture that details an experience where Christ was not asked a question but instead where He asked His disciple a question. It was a few days after He had been crucified. With the life of their beloved leader tragically taken by His enemies, Christ’s apostles were doing what they had always done: fishing.


And as they labored in the bay pulling in their nets and finding little in them, a figure appeared on the banks of the seashore. A figure who called out to them with the recommendation that they cast the nets on the opposite side. And all at once recognition dawned. They had been in this exact situation years before. They knew who was calling to them from the beach. It was Christ. It was the leader they thought they had lost; it was their Savior.


We know Peter couldn’t wait to row to shore, he jumped off the side of the boat and swam. As soon as He got to the banks where Christ was, I can only imagine the loving but piercing gaze Christ must have given Him as He asked Him the simple question, “Peter lovest thou me?” to put it in our modern way of speaking the question was just as simple, “Peter, do you love me?” This question was repeated three times with each time Peter answering “Yea, Lord; thou knowest I love thee” “Yes Lord, you know I love you.”


Of this same account Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:


Quote: “My beloved brothers and sisters, I am not certain just what our experience will be on Judgment Day, but I will be very surprised if at some point in that conversation, God does not ask us exactly what Christ asked Peter: “Did you love me?” I think He will want to know if in our very mortal, very inadequate, and sometimes childish grasp of things, did we at least understand one commandment, the first and greatest commandment of them all— “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” And if at such a moment we can stammer out, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,” then He may remind us that the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty.


“If ye love me, keep my commandments,” Jesus said. So, we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before. The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it. It was this truth, this reality, that allowed a handful of Galilean fishermen-turned-again-Apostles without “a single synagogue or sword” to leave those nets a second time and go on to shape the history of the world in which we now live.” End quote.


And so, brothers and sisters. I echo the words of an apostle of the Lord with my own testimony that I know that God lives, I know that He loves us, and I know that we are here to show Him that we love Him. By following Him every single day doing what we were called to do, trusting Him no matter what, talking to Him through prayer and giving Him the glory.


At the beginning I asked what question you would ask the Savior and I shared two I would ask. What do you want me to know? And what should I do better? I think I know the answers, they come from the same answer that was given to the Pharisee that day. The Savior would want all of us to know that God loves us, and He would want all of us to follow His footsteps in showing God that we love Him.


I do love my Savior and my Heavenly Father, and I pray that I can show them that in all that I do and say.


In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

 

Peaches

• Reading so many thoughtful responses from friends and family willing to help me with my talk
• Being part of customer facing calls at work and getting to know our client's and their products better
• Getting a random sweet text from a young woman I got really close to in our last ward
• Found some pots and pans in our basement when I went down to do laundry and although it may sound disgusting to some they seriously just needed some baking soda and vinegar TLC and they look brand new! Left a note downstairs in case they were one of our current neighbors' but I'm pretty sure they were just left by former renters and free for the taking
• Getting a fun valentines package from mom, I had already bought a heart banner at Target and then she sent me one but if you know my mom then you know you can never have too many banners
• Hearing from Kennedy that baby Mack LOVES the blanket Jaden and I gave him, seriously just the sweetest boy'!
  
• Watching the super bowl and eating good food with friends. We brought sliders, bacon water chestnuts & cookie butter cookies and had quite a spread with other sweets and treats contributions from the rest of the Carnegie Crew
• Seeing a funny misspelling on a sign at Target, I'm guessing SPATJLA = SPATULA. I mean that is how it sounds so A for effort 
• Hearing someone tell me and Jaden that we are "well matched."
  
• The Relief Society lesson after I gave my talk was honestly really awesome because of the involvement and participation of the class. Although it can be really intimidating to know how to respond to people when you don't know what they are going to say it is really cool to just put your faith and trust in the Spirit and let the lesson go where it needs to go. We went over President Oaks' talk "The Need for a Church" and ultimately had a candid and spirit led discussion. I was inspired
  
   by the comments that were shared as we discussed why we all need the church, each other and most importantly the Savior. I pray that everyone there left feeling inspired to strive to be good church members and disciples of Christ that prevent offensive situations as we show true charity: the love of Christ, to all those our paths cross with both in church and out.
  The invitations I left for the group were to choose one (or more) of the following to work on:
• Invite someone to church
• Talk about Sunday when someone asks about your weekend
• Say hi to someone new at church 
  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pits

• Missing a friend's birthday even after I had it written down on my calendar on my phone, the one above my desk and even in my school planner!
• Wanted to take some Valentines themed rice krispies to some ladies in the ward and learned there is a widespread shortage of rice krispies cereal due to worker strikes
• Feeling so nervous about a potential new client call my boss wanted me to lead. Turns out they already have an agency they work with to manage their Amazon business but it was still a really good opportunity to be in some higher level conversations and I learned a lot even if I felt like a total deer in the headlights the whole time