"In the Council in Heaven God presented his plan of salvation. Its purpose was to make it possible for his sons and daughters to become like their Heavenly Parents, immortal, exalted and perfect. They would have to experience a period mortality and separation from God. They would experience birth, physical abilities and limitations, death and a resurrection. The plan would require a savior, a redeemer who would also experience these mortal things including temptation, pain and death. He would be required to suffer all things and to overcome them all. (Mosiah 14:4-6 and Alma 7:11). When the Father asked “Whom shall I send?” He had already chosen His First Born, but it had to be Christ’s choice also. He came forward and said, “Here am I. Send me.” Why did He do it? What would motivate one to serve and suffer as he knew he would? I submit that his supreme motivation was love. Of course he was courageous and wise; he was caring and good, probably self-confident. But He volunteered to become the Savior of the World because He loved. He loved his father and He loved his spirit brothers and sisters. He wanted to become like his Father, not to gain glory but because He loved Him. He volunteered to do all that could be done for us because he loved us. His first task was to create a world whereon we could live. Can you imagine the work that went into creating this earth? I heard a report recently that scientists, through some means that I didn’t understand at all, have concluded that the universe was created to accommodate us and not the other way around, as they had believed. When I see the beauty, the grandeur of this earth, it helps me feel his love. When I read the scriptures, I feel his love. When I listen to general conference and hear other inspired words, I realize that mortals too, are motivated by Christ’s love. So, while I do not understand fully the infinite nature of Christ’s love, I do know that he loves me. If I can comprehend and know that Christ loves me, and if He loves me then I know that the Father also loves me, (John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.) Is that understanding of divine love enough? If I am correct in believing that Christ was motivated by love to be our savior, our redeemer, our exemplar, and if our purpose is to become like him, to be exalted and have eternal life, then our motivation must also be love. As I feel encircled in that love, I can return it. If I can love them with all my might, mind and soul, is that enough? No it is not. To be like him, we must learn to love all that he loves. Nephi tells us that we must “press forward, with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and all men”. D & C 20:31. How can we learn to love God and all men as commanded? How can we serve an all knowing, all-powerful God? What does He need from us? There are almost as many scriptures telling us to serve God as there are telling us to love him. Obviously, he wants us to serve him but how? King Benjamin explained it best when he said, Mosiah 2:16-18. I have struggled all my life with learning to love all mankind. But this much I have learned about it. It becomes easy to love those I serve. I also feel increased love for those who serve me. In addition bonds of love tie me to those with whom I serve. I have concluded that love is a verb. It is not just a feeling but also an action. God said that His purpose is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children. He needs our help! We help him by loving and serving each other. Most of us have made a sacred covenant to do that. And so as Nephi said, (1 Nephi 3:7) I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments… save he shall prepare a way [to] accomplish the thing which he commandeth…” May we all follow that example as we strive to become like Christ and through his grace, achieve eternal life in his kingdom."
To this I add my testimony of the love that Heavenly Father and our Savior has for each of us. How they must love us, to agree to go through (Heavenly Father to allow His son to suffer for us and for our Savior to agree to suffer for us) must be a love we can only try everyday to understand. How blessed we are to know them and how we owe them so much!
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