I learned to love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, through profound spiritual experiences related to my participation in the LDS Church. Some of these experiences occurred as I prayed, worshipped the Lord, and served others. God’s love is revealed in the world that He created, in the life of His Son, and in the Christlike lives of others. When it follows the Savior’s example, the Church can do much good and bless many lives. Many fast to feed the hungry. Many also sacrifice much to serve others. The Church inspires its members to minister to one another and many bless others through their service.
As we evaluate the choices the Church makes, we can also ask, Do its decisions promote love? Does it follow the example of the Savior? There are some areas in which the Church can improve. It is unloving to silence abuse victims, to exclude children from being blessed and baptized, and to devalue women and our LGTQI brothers and sisters. The Church can do better.
As we seek to become more loving, we need to ask ourselves:
• Do I feel better than others because of my race, sex, or sexual preference?
• Do I ignore or silence those who are suffering?
• Do I give generously of my time and money to help those in need?
• Do I forgive others so that I can be forgiven?
As we seek to love others, we can also expect the Church—that represents the collective body of its members—to do the same. We can ask our Church to:
• Eliminate any policies or practices that encourage misogyny, racism, or discrimination.
• Refrain from ignoring or silencing survivors of abuse, including those who have been abused by lay leaders.
• Give generously of its tithes to help the poor and those who are in need.
• Forgive others as it expects to be forgiven.
Our Church should radiate the love of the Savior and that love should be foundational to our talks, meetings, actions, and policies.
We pray that our Church will develop practices and procedures that reflect the love of God. We ask our Church to be honest, merciful, and compassionate. The Church should set an example which is worthy of its members to emulate.
Jesus said, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” –John 13:34-35