In the church we teach that before we were born here on the earth, we were together as spirits with our Heavenly Father (Pre-Existence or Pre-Earth Life). There, we were born spiritually and lived with our Heavenly Father & Mother. Because of our Heavenly Parents love for us, they wanted us to become like them. So we were presented a plan that would help us become like our Heavenly Parents. We would be sent to earth to gain a body and to learn to become like Them, receive a fullness of joy.
Now we are here on this earth and our purpose is to become like our Heavenly Parents. To do so we need to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ for he is the true example. The Savoir taught us how to become a disciple in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
So this sounds simple enough, obeying his commandments help us to become like Him. But, in the October 2009 Session of Conference President Utchforf explains:
“…this may present a problem for some because there are so many “shoulds” and “should nots” that merely keeping track of them can be a challenge. Sometimes, well-meaning amplifications of divine principles—many coming from uninspired sources—complicate matters further, diluting the purity of divine truth with man-made addenda. One person’s good idea—something that may work for him or her—takes root and becomes an expectation. And gradually, eternal principles can get lost within the labyrinth of “good ideas.”
He goes on to explain that this was one of the Christ’s criticisms of the religious “experts” of His day. They focused more on the letter of the law then the spirit. A person could easily become obsessed with the Law/commandments in an attempt to not offend God and be an obedient disciple. This is a very easy trap to get into, the perfectionist mentality. I know many who take the idea of “Obedience with Exactness” and seem to interpret it to mean obeying every single commandment exactly to the letter. Yet we know that there are higher Laws and lower laws. Some of those laws conflict, ex: Nephi being commanded to kill Laban, Adam and Eve being commanded to not partake of the fruit, of course the higher law should be the one we follow. But, which are the higher laws and which are the lower laws? Luckily the Savior clarifies this conflict for us. President Utchdorf continues to explain:
So how do we stay aligned with these weightier matters? Is there a constant compass that can help us prioritize our lives, thoughts, and actions?
Once again the Savior revealed the way. When asked to name the greatest commandment, He did not hesitate. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” He said. “This is the first and great commandment.” Coupled with the second great commandment—to love our neighbor as ourselves—we have a compass that provides direction not only for our lives but also for the Lord’s Church on both sides of the veil.
But why love? Why is love the greatest commandment? Love is how we become like our Heavenly Parents. The Savior clearly explains that love is what all the commandments are based on (Mattew 22:40). I also love that President Utchdorf explains that this is the focus on both sides of the veil. Our eternal progression is based on the principle of Love. President Utchdorf further explains:
Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk.
When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden.
Heavenly Father’s love for His children is the core message of the plan of happiness, which plan is made active through the Atonement of Jesus Christ—the greatest expression of love the world has ever known.
In the March 1984 Ensign article entitled, "And the Greatest of These Is Love" President Hinkley also explains:
He who most beautifully taught this everlasting truth was the Son of God, the one perfect exemplar and teacher of love. His coming to earth was an expression of his Father’s love.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16–17.)
It is so nice to know that our Loving Heavenly Father’s plan is not to condemn us but save us. No loving Father would condemn His children, only we can condemn ourselves by not loving. When we love our Heavenly Parents, we want to please them and become like them. When we love our neighbor, we have no desire to judge, do harm or evil to them. We are filled with compassion towards them (Romans 13:8-10). When we love ourselves our actions reflect a confidence in our true potential causing the desire of sin to become less. The choice is entirely in our hands.
Christ is the exemplar of this love. When we love as He did and does, we no longer need to worry about which commandment to obey or what principle to work on (Romans 13:10). We no longer work toward achieving a “level of perfection” because when we love, we are in the state of perfection. Obedience with exactness is this state of loving God and our neighbor as ourselves.
We truly become like our Heavenly Father and Savior. Upon the realization of this, our focus now shifts from trying to obey all the commandments, to practicing love so that we remain in this state for longer and longer periods of time. We continue with this one purpose (on both sides of the veil) until we become like Him, Constant and Eternal, never wavering in love for His Children.
