Over the past two weeks, we have seen an outpouring
of love on the Brigham Young University campus.
When we learned of the death of President
Gordon B. Hinckley, students set up spontaneous
memorials expressing their love for him.
And when the reorganization of the First Presidency
was announced last week, our hearts reached
out in love to President Thomas S. Monson
and his counselors.
Love is a central principle in the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Often asked why people who joined the Church
remained loyal to him, the Prophet Joseph
Smith explained, “It is because I possess
the principle of love.
All I can offer the world is a good heart
and a good hand."
A young man who knew the Prophet Joseph Smith
later recalled an occasion when
Joseph and some of the young men were playing
various out-door games, among which was a
game of ball.
By and by they began to get weary.
He saw it, and calling them together he said:
“Let us build a log cabin.”
So off they went, Joseph and the young men,
to build a log cabin for a widow woman.
On other occasions after playing ball with
the boys, the Prophet gathered up the players
and sent them out to chop and deliver wood
to the needy.
This kind love for others is a gift from God
called charity.
It is the love of the Savior.
In the worldwide leadership training meeting
this past Saturday, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
shared what he called the parable of the homemade
shirt.
When he was young his mother would sometimes
sew shirts for him.
She did her best work when she followed a
pattern.
Without a pattern, a shirt might end up with
errors.
Elder Holland drew from this story the parallel
that the gospel of Jesus Christ provides essential
patterns for our lives to follow.
Deviation from the gospel pattern is likely
to result in error.
For example, romantic love is wonderful, but
our society distorts romance beyond proportion.
It is as if a clean, white shirt has been
tie-dyed and tailored to the point of immodesty.
It ends up fitting no one.
No wonder so many end up disappointed!
When it comes to love, we can take our measurements
from a higher standard.
The perfect pattern of love was taught by
the Lord Jesus Christ: “Love one another;
as I have loved you."
There are countless patterns in the holy scriptures
that can teach us about the love of the Savior,
but today we will focus on only one pattern:
That pattern is that first, God loves us.
We then turn to Him for healing and instruction.
He then sends us to love and serve others.
Not specific to romantic love, this pattern
applies to a variety of circumstances that
range from missionary service to marriage.
Let’s turn to the scriptures for three examples
of this pattern.
Enos, Lehi, and the sons of Mosiah.
First, consider the story of the prophet Enos.
He said, “I went to hunt beasts in the forests;
and the words which I had often heard my father
speak concerning eternal life, and the joy
of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.”
First, Enos recognized God’s love for him
and his people and opened his heart to God.
Next, Enos turned to God and was healed.
Enos said:
And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before
my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer
and supplication for mine own soul; and all
the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and
when the night came I did still raise my voice
high that it reached the heavens.
And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos,
thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt
be blessed.
Enos prayed for his own soul and received
remission of his sins.
As soon as he was healed, Enos turned his
thoughts to others.
He said:
Now, it came to pass that when I had heard
these words I began to feel a desire for the
welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore,
I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them.
. . . And I prayed unto him with many long
strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.
First, Enos opened his heart to God. Then, he turned to God and received healing forgiveness.
When he was healed, Enos turned to serve others.
A second example of the pattern is found in
the prophet Lehi’s vision of the tree of
life.
Here are Lehi’s own words:
I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary
waste.
And after I had traveled for the space of
many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto
the Lord that he would have mercy on me.
First, Lehi was alone, until he remembered
the Lord and His loving mercy.
Next, Lehi turned to God and received of His
love, which is represented by the tree of
life.
Lehi said, “After I had prayed unto the
Lord . . . I beheld a tree, whose fruit was
desirable to make one happy.
And it came to pass that I did go forth and
partake of the fruit thereof."
Lehi came to the tree of life and was filled
with joy.
This healing prompted him to remember his
family.
He said:
Wherefore, I began to be desirous that my
family should partake of it also.
. . .
And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them;
and I also did say unto them with a loud voice
that they should come unto me, and partake
of the fruit.
Lehi and his family were in darkness.
They were brought to the tree of life, which
represents the love of God.
Those who partook of the fruit were filled
with joy, and they consecrated their lives
to the Lord.
A third example of this pattern comes from
the mission of the four sons of Mosiah who
left their homes to preach the gospel of Jesus
Christ among their enemies, the Lamanites.
As a result of this mission, many Lamanites
received the Lord’s love, turned to Him,
were healed, and then consecrated themselves
to lives of service and peace.
Whether individual (as in the case of Enos), family (as in the case of Lehi),
or a whole group of people (as in the case of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's),
the pattern is the same.
In a way, the pattern also follows Elder Oaks’ pattern of "good, better, and best."
It is good to believe that the Savior Jesus
Christ loves us.
It is better to turn to Him and be healed.
It is best to love as He loves, giving all
we have to others.
In the scriptures, the term heart sometimes
refers to love, but the term hand is also used.
Whereas heart refers to a feeling, hand refers
to an act of giving—putting into action
our feelings of love.
In that sense, the image of an outreached
hand symbolizes a type of love spoken of in
the scriptures.
Using His hands, the Lord reaches out to us
in love, heals us, and then sets us apart
in His service.
For example, the Apostle John recorded that
after the Resurrection, the Savior appeared
to the Apostles, “shewed unto them his hands,”
and then set them apart, saying, “As my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
The same pattern occurred when the Savior
appeared to the Nephites.
First, He showed them His hands, then He healed
their sick, and then He ordained disciples
to minister unto others.
We face many challenges in life.
You have experienced heartache and struggles
known only to you and God.
Says the Lord, “As the clay is in the potter’s
hand, so are ye in mine hand."
For you it might be the darkest night, but
“his arm of mercy is extended towards you
in the light of the day.”
No matter what your struggle, you can seek
His love.
No matter what your heartache, you can feel
His love right now, for “he healeth the
broken in heart."
And when we are healed, we say, “But now,
O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay,
and thou our potter; and we all are the work
of thy hand.”
When we receive God’s love, we become willing
to submit to His will.
It is immediately after we say to our Father
“Into thine hand I commit my spirit” that
we are taken from the pain of this world and
transformed by Him in a “mighty change”
of heart.
In heartache I have cried out for Him.
And I have felt the love of the Savior.
I know of His grace.
He is love.
“The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting
to everlasting."
Through His Atonement, we are healed.
And when we are healed, He turns our hearts
to others.
That is how the Savior works.
It is His work and His glory.
When we submit our will to Him, we receive
the greatest gift of all.
We do struggle in this life, but the pattern
of our Savior’s love accounts for our limitations
and growth over time.
He works with us according to our abilities
and needs, which change across every stage
of life.
As children, we need to receive—we need
to be loved.
As we grow older we gain a personal witness
of God, and we need forgiveness as we hurt
ourselves and others.
As adults, we shoulder responsibilities in
our families and communities.
The pattern reflects our own progression—when we are healed,
we give.
Our Father in Heaven invites us, His children,
to give: “Give, and it shall be given unto
you”; “Freely ye have received, freely
give."
Said the Psalmist, “Because thy lovingkindness
is better than life, . . . I will lift up
my hands in thy name."
Our hands become His when we labor in His
name.
You can lift up your hands to serve.
You have gifts to give.
What are they?
As President Thomas S. Monson has done, you
might follow the Savior’s pattern of love
by visiting “the sick and the afflicted”
and “the fatherless and widows."
Whatever your inclinations might be, the BYU
Center for Service and Learning offers dozens
of service opportunities, at least one of
which will be suited to your needs.
I hope we overwhelm them with requests!
Chances are you already know someone in your
family who needs you or someone who needs
the truths of the gospel.
Both missionary service and marriage also
qualify as service-learning opportunities!
Because marriage and missionary service might
be on the mind of at least one person here,
they deserve further consideration.
First, missionary service.
A member of our ward, Sister Sharon Paulsen, joined the church 13 years ago,
and the gospel transformed her
life.
She sought to do all she could to further
missionary work.
So for 10 years she has served as a cook at
the Missionary Training Center—chances are,
many of you have been blessed by her service.
Although her offering may have begun as the
equivalent of five loaves and two fishes,
her hands have become His in feeding the thousands.
Like the four sons of Mosiah, once we have
been healed by the Savior, our desire is for
others to receive that same love.
When the love of the Savior is our motive,
we become missionaries, full-time or not.
Said Elder M. Russell Ballard:
Some members say, “I’m afraid to share
the gospel because I might offend someone.”
Experience has shown that people are not offended
when the sharing is motivated by the spirit
of love and concern.
How could anyone be offended when we say something
like this: “I love the way my church helps
me” and then add whatever the Spirit directs.
It’s when we appear only to be fulfilling
an assignment and we fail to express real
interest and love that we offend others.
Our niece, who is currently serving in the
North Carolina Raleigh Mission, recently shared
with us that her goal is to see everyone she
meets as her literal brother or sister.
Such love is motivated by the love of the Savior.
She said that perspective has made all the
difference.
Missionary service “requires genuine love."
We may be called to serve, but we cannot truly
serve without that qualification.
Charity and love qualify us for the service of our Heavenly Father.
Having that qualification, missionaries fulfill
the Lord’s request: “Let them lift up
their voice and declare my word . . . , lifting
up holy hands upon them.
For I am able to make you holy."
Missionaries follow the pattern of the Lord.
They help others first to receive His love,
then to turn to Him and be healed, and then
to commit the remainder of their lives to
His service.
For the person still thinking about marriage,
it’s now your turn to listen.
The thirteenth article of faith makes the
claim “If there is anything virtuous, lovely,
or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek
after these things.”
We seek after marriage!
But what kind of marriage?
We often hear people speak of “eternal marriage”
or “temple marriage,” but what kind of
marriage is that?
Said Elder Marlin K. Jensen:
Eternal marriage is godlike marriage.
The term eternal describes the quality of
marriage as much as its duration.
What type of marriage would our God have?
If we have this perspective in mind when we
speak of temple marriage, then we will worry
less about the reception decorations and focus
more on core values, such as those concluding
the Young Women theme: “[Being] prepared
to strengthen home and family, make and keep
sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of
the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.”
Let me tell you about a young couple who lived
that way.
Amy met her sweetheart, Curtis, in the Clyde
Building on campus, where they both took engineering
classes.
Curtis was a returned missionary who was serving
in his elders quorum.
He loved the Savior, and Amy knew it because
of the ways he served others and how he lived
his life.
They were sealed in the Mount Timpanogos Temple,
and Curtis continued to serve Amy, and later
their daughter, in countless little ways.
Family came first, balanced with responsibilities
as a student, a counselor in a BYU freshman
ward bishopric, and a member of the BYU Ultimate
Frisbee team.
As Curtis was traveling to Canada with the
BYU team, there was an accident and he was
killed.
Amy and Curtis’ marriage is eternal: not
because he died but because of how he lived—serving
others and honoring his temple covenants.
Regarding his own marriage, President Gordon
B. Hinckley said:
In our long life together I cannot remember
a serious quarrel.
If every husband and every wife would constantly
do whatever might be possible to ensure the
comfort and happiness of his or her companion,
there would be very little, if any, divorce.
Another example of such dedication in marriage
comes from a woman I know who was an English
major at BYU.
She met her sweetheart in Provo and corresponded
with him throughout his mission to Germany
and then throughout her own mission, also
to Germany—three and a half years of writing letters!
They were sealed in the Provo Temple a few
months before their graduation from BYU.
Even though they would be attending graduate
school, they desired to have children immediately,
but they were unable to do so.
The wife later lamented, “My poor husband!
For six years he thought marriage meant hearing
me cry every night!”
Eventually they were able to adopt a baby
boy.
Two years later they adopted a baby girl,
then another boy, and later another girl.
After so many years of heartache, they were
constantly caring for children, but that was
not the end.
After undergoing additional treatments, they
learned they were going to have triplets!
Months of bed rest to prevent premature delivery
were followed by months of constant devotion
to the needs of the tiny infants.
The couple then had seven children eight years
old and younger!
Through years of heartache, this sister had
actively sought the love of the Lord.
Eventually she was healed, and she dedicated
her life to serving her family.
That dedication did not begin when she first
held a child in her arms.
It began when, as BYU students, she and her
future husband determined their life’s priorities
and then went forward, no matter the cost.
Anciently, devotion to God was demonstrated
through daily sacrifices performed in the
temple upon a holy altar.
Today, eternal devotion in marriage begins
within the temple across a holy altar—and
sacrifices are still a daily requirement.
Marriage “is ordained of God", perfectly
designed for us to increase in our capacity
to love because marriage requires sacrifice.
President Howard W. Hunter said, “We need
to love one another with the pure love of
Christ, . . . and, if necessary, shared suffering,
for that is the way God loves us."
There is joy in marriage, joy in missionary
service, and joy whenever we reach out with
the hand of the Lord to serve others.
The pattern of love presented today is but
one of many found in the holy scriptures,
and, like most patterns, it points us to Christ.
On the left is the pattern we've already seen, and on the right are the first principles and ordinances
of the gospel.
The points are arranged in a type of Hebraic chiasmus.
As we receive God’s love, our faith motivates
us to repent.
The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes healing
possible, and when we are born again—born of
the water and of the Spirit through baptism
and the gift of the Holy Ghost—
the Holy Ghost prompts us to give to others
by consecrating our talents and time for their
benefit.
Priesthood—“the perfect plan of service”—and
temple covenants enable eventual sanctification.
Christ is at the center of the pattern.
He is at the beginning and at the end.
He is the pattern of love we follow.
Whether missionary, single, or married, we can apply His pattern
to our lives through active planning.
Think about your schedule this week.
When will you make time to serve others?
Many people can be blessed by your service.
Who can you help?
So what if you receive no valentines?
How many will you give?
Like the Prophet Joseph Smith, when we possess
the principle of love, what we offer is a
good heart and a good hand.
To my way of thinking, Brigham Young University
embodies the pattern of Christ’s love.
Members of the Church who love the Savior
give their tithes at some sacrifice so that
our lives will be blessed.
Through their giving and through the direction
of Christ’s servants who administer this
institution, we are enabled to serve for a
lifetime.
This university exists through giving and
love.
Said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “We love
you and measure that love as we measure the
greatness of this school—by the profundity
and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ”.
We faculty and staff love you students.
We seek to turn you to Christ so that you
will give of yourselves to others across your
lifetime.
That is what we all entered BYU to learn—to
“go forth to serve.”
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
