what does it mean to love god with all your strength
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May 23, 2019
KnoWhy #517
"Whom Do Men Say That I the Son of Man Am?" via Gospel Media Library
"Yea, come up unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and dearest God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."
Moroni ten:32
The Know
When asked past a lawyer, "which is the great commandment in the police?" (Matthew 22:36), Christ recited part of the daily Jewish prayer, the Shema: love God with all one'south centre, soul, and mind (5. 37). The Shema is part of Jewish tradition, with its content originating from at least the reign of King Josiah and perhaps even earlier.1 Moses is stated to have originally presented the commandment to Israel.2 God had commanded that they "teach [these words] diligently unto thy children…and talk of them…in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and…liest down…and risest upward" (Deuteronomy 6:7). Thus, the Shema is recited twice daily, once in the morning and once at nighttime.3
Christ's response to the publican was non revelatory in the sense that this commandment was new. What was revelatory was his classification of exactly how important information technology was; "This is the beginning and great commandment" (Matthew 22:38; Mark 12:30). To further establish its importance, this commandment was also revealed to the Nephites in the Volume of Mormon (1 Nephi 17:55)four and was again revealed in this dispensation by modern prophets (D&C four:two; D&C 59:5). All of God's children are to know and empathize this first and great commandment: to dearest God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
The Volume of Mormon, like the New Testament, powerfully commands united states to "love God with all your might, mind and strength" (Moroni 10:32), and modern revelation tin can help us know how to fulfill this commandment.
What Does it Hateful to Love God?
In the Bible the discussion love is not necessarily referring to an emotional response. In biblical times, dearest was frequently used to describe a kind of devoted loyalty, a loyalty of action, a "covenantal devotion."five Some scholars accept attributed this great commandment as an early on directive for the police force of induction. To be loyal and take "covenantal devotion" is to give of oneself impartially to God. "In brusk, i who 'loves the Lord God' will be 'true-blue and true in all things,'" and keep His commandments.6 Elderberry Dieter F. Uchtdorf wrote that "love is the measure of our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of our discipleship."7 To be a follower of God is to love Him.
Modern prophetic revelation has farther taught us that "[we] can speak with tongues, have the gift of prophecy, empathize all mysteries, and possess all knowledge…[merely] without charity it won't profit [us] at all."8 The charge to dearest God get-go has been given and as President Ezra Taft Benson explained, "he knew that if we truly love Him we would want to continue all of His other commandments."9
What Does it Mean to Love God with All Our Listen?
One way we can dear God is by "aligning our thoughts and actions with God's word."10 Doing so requires organized religion, humility, and respect. Sometimes it tin can exist hard to commit with our mind "without reservation" or "competing interests."11 Competing interests could be work, a good book, self-preservation, aspirations, or family.12 Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught that essentially anything can be a competing interest if we place it above our dear of God and our loyalty to Him.xiii One way to combat competing interests and plow one's volition to serve God is the exercise of gratitude: "he loves God with all his mind who … sees God in all things and acknowledges him in all means."14
Learning to intently listen to Him and His voice through His appointed leaders is another way nosotros can requite of our mind to God and place Him first amidst our priorities.fifteen Simply as focusing our thoughts and listen to a conversation with a loved one tin bring usa closer, doing so with the Lord, by listening to His promptings and direction, can likewise bring us closer to Him.
As nosotros mind, we can also acquire to care about the things God cares about. We can and so deepen our love past applying and consecrating our talents and intelligence to help His work. Religious scholar and lawyer John W. Welch once said, "nosotros dear God with our listen by caring about the problems He cares about [and]… by embracing His piece of work, giving information technology the best of our planning, enquiry, and problem solving."16 Elderberry Oaks stated that as we adhere to and defend the principles of God laid out in the Plan of Salvation, nosotros are in turn demonstrating our love for God.17
An additional way to love God with one'due south mind is to study the Savior. Elderberry Holland beautifully testified, "afterward generations of prophets had tried to teach the family of man the will and the way of the Father, usually with little success, God in His ultimate endeavor to have united states of america know Him, sent to globe His Only Begotten and perfect Son, created in His very likeness and image, to live and serve amidst mortals in the everyday rigors of life."18 Every bit nosotros study the Savior'south life and learn of Him, we are likewise learning the ways of the Father and farther developing our trust in and honey of Him.
Painting of woman washing Jesus' feet with tears. Epitome via Wikimedia Commons.
The Why
In a world that is constantly competing for our attention, we are asked by God to cull Him past giving of our entire listen—our will, intelligence, talents, gratitude, trust, humility, and loyalty—to Him. God loves us perfectly, and our eternal welfare is at the superlative of His agenda.19 If we are His priority, why shouldn't He as well be ours?
Christ's entire mission here on earth was to teach us of the love that Heavenly Begetter has for us, His children. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught, "Information technology is the chiliad truth that in all that Jesus came to say and do, including and particularly in His atoning suffering and sacrifice, He was showing us who and what God our Eternal Father is like, how completely devoted He is to His children in every age and nation."20 He continues on, "In word and in deed Jesus was trying to reveal and brand personal to us the true nature of His Father, our Father in Sky. He did this at least in part considering then and now all of united states of america need to know God more fully in order to dear Him more deeply and obey Him more completely."21
Knowing that Christ'due south mission was to assistance us know our Father and His dear can assist move u.s.a. to repentance and become more like Him. Non merely this only "in the face of any type of inconclusive doubtfulness, love gives the do good of the doubt."22 When uncertainty hits, we can find shelter in the dearest we accept for our God and trust in His love for u.s.. Nosotros can practise maxim, as Nephi did to his father, "I will get and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments…salve he shall set a way" (1 Nephi iii:7). We have been promised that equally nosotros put God offset "all else will fall into place."23
As nosotros learn to dearest God with all our mind, nosotros abound closer to Him and learn of His perfect love for usa. Elder Uchtdorf states that God's love "directs and encourages us to get more pure and holy. It inspires united states of america to walk in righteousness—not out of fear or obligation only out of an earnest want to become even more than like Him considering we honey Him. Past doing and then we tin can become 'born again.'"24
When we are built-in again, He will "lite upward [our] mind, every bit He did King Lamoni's. He volition crusade [our] heed to aggrandize, equally Alma promised. He volition write His covenants upon [our] mind, as Jeremiah guaranteed… He will bless [our] heart and mind with peace that passes all understanding, as Paul assured."25 As Jacob testified "elevator up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his dearest; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever" (Jacob 3:2).
This KnoWhy was made possible by the generous contributions of Arlo and Jackie Luke.
Farther Readings
Jeffrey One thousand. Bradshaw, "What are the well-nigh Cited, Recited, and Misunderstood Verses in Deuteronomy?" FairMormon, May 1, 2018, online at fairmormon.org.
Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Showtime Swell Commandment," Ensign, Nov 2012, online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
John W. Welch, "And with All Thy Mind," BYU Speeches (September 30, 2003) accessed online at speeches.byu.edu.
- 1. Encounter Book of Mormon Central, "How is the Apply of Deuteronomy in the Book of Mormon Evidence for its Actuality?" KnoWhy 428 (April 27, 2018).
- 2. Come across Jeffrey Thou. Bradshaw, "What are the most Cited, Recited, and Misunderstood Verses in Deuteronomy?" FairMormon, May 1, 2018, online at fairmormon.org.
- iii. See Bradshaw, "What are the most Cited, Recited, and Misunderstood Verses in Deuteronomy?" online at fairmormon.org.
- 4. For additional scriptures, see Jacob 3:1–2; Mosiah four:viii–12; Mosiah 5:13–xv.
- 5. See David E. Bokovoy and John A. Tvedtnes, "Love vs. Hate," in Testaments: Links between the Book of Mormon and the Hebrew Bible (Toelle, UT: Heritage Printing, 2003), 193–195. See also Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Commencement Great Commandment," Ensign, Nov 2012, online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- half dozen. See Bradshaw, "What are the well-nigh Cited, Recited, and Misunderstood Verses in Deuteronomy?" online at fairmormon.org.
- 7. Run into Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, Nov 2009, online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- viii. Encounter Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Great Commandment," Ensign, Nov 2007, online at churchofjesuschrist.org.
- 9. See Ezra Taft Benson, "The Great Commandment—Love the Lord," LDS General Conference April 1988.
- 10. See Uchtdorf, "The Honey of God," online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- xi. See Bradshaw, "What are the most Cited, Recited, and Misunderstood Verses in Deuteronomy?" online at fairmormon.org.
- 12. For another listing of competing interests, run into Dallin H. Oaks, "No Other Gods," Ensign, November 2013, online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- thirteen. See Oaks, "No Other Gods," online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- 14. Encounter John W. Welch, "And with All Thy Mind," BYU Speeches (September 30, 2003), online at speeches.byu.edu.
- xv. Come across Welch, "And with All Thy Mind," online at speeches.byu.edu.
- xvi. See Welch, "And with All Thy Heed," online at speeches.byu.edu.
- 17. Meet Oaks, "No Other Gods," online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- eighteen. See Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Grandeur of God," Ensign, November 2003, online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- 19. See Benson, "The Bully Commandment—Love the Lord," online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- 20. See Holland, "The Grandeur of God," online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- 21. See Holland, "The Grandeur of God," online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- 22. See Welch, "And with All Thy Mind," online at speeches.byu.edu.
- 23. See Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," online atchurchofjesuschrist.org.
- 24. Run across Uchtdorf, "The Dearest of God," online atchurchofjesuschrist.org. For more information on what it ways to exist "built-in again," read Book of Mormon Fundamental, "What Does it Mean to be 'Born Again'?" KnoWhy 501 (Feb 7, 2019).
- 25. Run into Welch, "And with All Thy Mind," online at speeches.byu.edu.
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Source: https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/what-does-it-mean-to-love-god-with-all-thy-mind
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