The first and great commandment

March 24, 2013

The Savior, Jesus Christ, gave us the first and second commandments; “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind and strength; and the second to love our neighbors as ourselves. I have seen mighty evidences of people loving God and loving each other; however, there is a third part of these commandments with which many of us struggle. Many of us find it very difficult to love ourselves. We often feel that we have sinned beyond the abilities of the atonement’s saving blessing. We feel that we are not smart enough, have not done enough, have not shared our blessings with others in sufficient quantities, or qualities; thus, are not very good people.

To this I boldly declare – NONSENSE! Make every moment count. If you are feeling like you are unworthy of your life and the blessings surrounding you; get out of your pity party and find ways of assisting others. A beautiful young Hispanic sister shared her experience of being down and out, sitting in her car crying when two young LDS missionaries came to her window and asked if they could help her. First they helped her with her temporal needs and made sure she was okay in that department. Then they shared their testimonies of the Savior and his love for each of us. The experience changed her life and blessed her and her family with a beautiful, bright future.

Over the past two years I have shared many wonderful stories about people helping people. I have experienced the glow of your spirits as you have gone out of your way to bless the lives of others. You have used the spirit of the Holy Ghost lead you to situations in which you could serve as a mortal messenger; as a ministering angel; to bless in every conceivable way. We are God’s earthly conduit through which he can share with each of us as we journey through our temporal lives. Think back as you have experienced car crashes, deaths, financial collapses, marital disasters, wayward children, wayward adults, illness of all kinds, and just plain “feeling down”. If you were an observer, you no doubt reached out and gave a much appreciated gesture of understanding, an assist to the next point in their journey, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, a suggestion leading to resolution, or some other simple opportunity to assist.

Flip the table and now you are the person with the disaster. This is when you seek for the spirit of Christ; then ponder and listen for the Holy Ghost to minister to you. Your prayers will be answered and you will be able to continue on your journey because God loves you and wants you to find great joy in life. I can’t begin to count the times I have been to the very end of my rope. Over the years I have learned to stay closer to the spirit; thus, avoiding the ghastly silence that comes with having to start over each time. I find that the spirit (I believe through the Holy Ghost and ministering angels) is constantly available to me as I move closer to the end of my mortal journey. I believe that by participating in gospel worship, in taking the sacrament, in participating in LDS temple ordinances, in honoring and supporting my sweetheart and family, I receive more satisfaction, joy, and earthly pleasure than I can begin to understand. I find myself going around with a goofy smile on my face and in my heart thinking of the wonderful people with whom I associate.

This week I was going to follow up logic with Knowledge, but I got carried away in the beautiful lessons on the first and great commandment.

God bless each of you as you search out and bless the lives of those around you.

Duane Jacobs, Grandfather, father, uncle, cousin, and fond friend