Love of God

Imagine that you are engaged. . . . and then have made sacred covenants in
the temple. You and your spouse have expressed your deep and abiding
love for one another often and you have a happy marriage. You return one
day to find your spouse gone without knowing where. When they return
you inquire where they have been. On a date.
What are you talking about! You may ask.
Oh, it wasnt a big deal, nothing is going on, I just thought it would be
fun to go out with this person I met.
How would you feel?
How did the Lord feel?
REJOICE not, O Israel, for joy, as [other] people: for thou hast gone a
whoring from thy God (Hosea 9:1).
They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus
judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field (10:4).
What did Israel lack in her relationship to Jehovah?
Israel was a fickle woman, lacking steadfastness and the trustworthiness of
true covenant love. In such behavior the Lord condemned the outward
signs of devotion that were not representative of true internal commitment.
We have made covenants by coming into the church. . .
As Joshua said, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the
gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my
house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).
A pharisee tempted the Lord by asking him, Master, which [is] the great
commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment (matt 22:35-7).
To what extent must we Love the Lord?
He must be first and foremost in our lives.
Moroni exhorts us to come unto Christ, . . . and love God with all your
might mind and strength (Moroni 10:32).
Charity is the greatest of all.

President Benson, in perhaps the greatest talk on this subject said,

(Quote) To love God with all your heart, mind, and strength is allconsuming and all-encompassing, It is no lukewarm endeavor.-It is total
commitment of our very being - physically , mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
- to a love of the Lord.
The breadth, depth, and height of this love of God extend into every facet
of one's life. Our desires, be they spiritual or temporal, should be rooted in a love
of the Lord. Our thoughts and affections should be centered on the Lord. "Let all
thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord," said Alma, yea, let the affections of thy
heart be placed upon the Lord forever" (Alma 37:36).
Why did God put the first commandment first? Because He knew that if
we truly loved Him we would want to keep all of His other commandments. "For
this is the love of God-," says john,"that we keep his commandments" (I John 5:3;
see also 2 John 1:6). (End quote)
Even back to the days of Israel we have the command Thou shalt have no other Gods before
me.
Examples of those who put the Lord first.
Joseph of Egypt
!
put God ahead of employers wife
!
put God ahead of job
!
How can I sin against God
When put to the test who are we more interested in pleasing?
!
God
!
our boss
!
teacher
!
neighbor
!
our date
Job
!

maintained his integrity after his wife told him to curse God and die.

Abraham/ Isaac
The savior said, He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that
loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37), but we are also
commanded to, Honour . . . Father and . . . mother. (Ex 20:12).
Sometimes we must choose to honor our heavenly father above a mortal father.
What motivates us to action? We are commanded in many things. Why do we do them?

President Benson said, (quote) When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper
place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the
demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities. (End quote)
As Job, sometimes all we have to motivate us is what is right.
CS Lewis said Satans cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring,
but still intending to do [Gods] will, looks around upon a universe from which every trace of
Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys (Screwtape
p.42).
What could possibly motivate us more fully or more simply than a love for our Father, our
Eternal Father, and Jesus Christ, the Father of our salvation?
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth
me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John
14:21).
And further,
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will
love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not
keepeth not my sayings (John 14:23).
And in that same phrasing The Lord leaves his great blessing saying,
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27).
An anonymous poet wrote,
Who does Gods work will get Gods pay,
However long may seem the day,
However weary be the way.
No mortal hand, Gods hand can stay,
He may not pay as others pay,
In gold, or lands, or raiments gay,
In goods that perish and decay;
But Gods high wisdom knows a way,
And this is sure, let come what may
Who does Gods work will get
Gods pay.
Testify.