Before Peter lived a life of devoted discipleship, he had an encounter with the Savior that changed his life, which Elder Holland considers to be the crucial turning point in Peter’s apostolic ministry. Here are two principles I learned from Elder Holland that taught me what it truly means to love God.

Love for God is Loyalty to Him

After the resurrected Savior left Jerusalem, Peter, together with other apostles, decided to go fishing. The scripture reads “Simon Peter saith unto them, I go fishing. They say unto him, we also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately.” Then Jesus Christ once more showed himself to them and tested Peter’s loyalty by asking him “Lovest thou me?” three times.

Elder Holland taught that when Judgement Day comes, God will ask us the same question Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” And though we might answer yes, Elder Holland said that our love for God will always be measured by our loyalty, because it is the “crowning characteristic of love.”

This made me ponder how loyal I am to God. I knew that because of the natural man within me, my loyalty sometimes tends to shift toward things that make me happier temporarily. There were times when I felt like the prodigal son who left his father to spend his inheritance elsewhere, or even like Peter who went back to fishing after the Savior’s resurrection.

I was more susceptible to these feelings after my mission because I was afraid that serving God would become second priority due to other temporal goals. But knowing that I can choose to be happy and loyal to Him, the One to whom I owe everything, I accepted callings that I knew would bless the lives of others. By doing so, my love and loyalty to God increased. This taught me that loving God and staying loyal to Him are not consequences of receiving blessings but a choice I can make.

Love of God is discipleship.

In this same talk, Elder Holland taught, “…we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord.” And we do this through the service we render to others.

For some, like myself, a life of devoted discipleship seems like an enormous task to take on. But if we truly love God, we can do all things for Christ who will strengthen us. As the saying goes, “love is the most powerful force,” and our love for God will be the force that turns us into disciples.

Listening to Elder Holland speak, I learned that Peter did not immediately became a great apostle. He went back to fishing immediately after the Savior left. But because he was reminded to love God, he went back to his duties with full purpose of heart. He led the apostles, preached the gospel, and greatly influenced the world in which we now live. The Savior could have done anything to encourage the apostles to do their duties, but He knew that reminding them to love God is the key.

It is the same for us, and it is truly the same for me. My love for God motivated me to become a better disciple. My progress was not at all immediate for I fell short repeatedly during my mission. Nevertheless, I served God willfully, making small and consistent steps, steps I knew I could surely make. Through those steps, my love for Him grew steadily and it allowed me to serve others in greater ways than before. And I believe this is the true essence of discipleship: serving God by serving other people.

Our call to become a loyal disciple.

Elder Holland concluded by testifying, “The call is to come back, to stay true, to love God, and to lend a hand.” There is a great weakness in all of us: the weakness of forgetting the miracles and blessings we have been given. Because of this universal weakness, God has provided prophets and apostles so that we can return to loving God and be reminded of our call to discipleship. May we love Him by showing loyalty and keeping His commandments so we can all stand before God on judgement day and honestly reply, “Yea, Lord, we do love thee.”

The post The Talk that Helped Me Understand the First Great Commandment appeared first on morefaith.ph.

But aside from keeping the commandments and staying away from sin, what else are you actively doing to receive guidance from the Holy Ghost? Here are three ideas to consider.

Do every good thing.

We can exert a bit of extra effort to try and do every good thing, even if it seems mundane. Prophet Moroni taught “All things which are good cometh of God”. When we’re prompted to do good, we can be sure that it is an errand from Heavenly Father. When you are prompted to greet a particular person at church, do it. When you are prompted to bring home snacks for your little sister or brother, do it.

It does not matter how ordinary or subtle the impression, because many promptings come that way. What is ordinary for us may not be so for Heavenly Father. As taught by Elder Rasband, we should not doubt an impression whether it seems to come from our own thoughts or from God. He also taught that we must act on the first prompting. Consistently acting on the first impression will enhance our capability to listen to the still small voice because we are actively tuning our spiritual ears.

Surround ourselves with good.

President Thomas S. Monson declared, “[The] Spirit cannot be present at the kinds of activities in which so much of the world participates.” He also taught that we must be alert in our world that has moved so far from spirituality and “reject anything that does not conform to our standards.”

When we stand in holy places, no worldly frequency can block out the Spirit. We do this by befriending people that share our standards, listening to uplifting messages, joining in church activities, performing community service with different faiths and basically staying in a positive environment.

The Apostle Paul taught that “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” We become a natural man if we choose “to be influenced by the passions, desires, appetites, and senses of the flesh rather than by the promptings of the Holy Spirit.” So remember that the power to decide who or what influences us is also the power to gain the Spirit.

Seek the Spirit’s guidance and then act on it.

President Monson, while relating a childhood experience with prayer, said “Not a day has gone by that I have not communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer, … as you do so, you will be entitled to His inspiration and guidance in your life”

Note how he chose to use the word “entitled.” Being entitled means having a right to something, but maintaining that right means doing something else. In how many instances, do we only pray for guidance because it has become part of our daily prayer script, or as part of a rote prayer in class. Praying for guidance is by all means good, but what do we do afterwards? Do we rely on it during the course of our day? Do we ponder and seek for what Heavenly Father is trying to tell us?

Jesus Christ taught “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” This verse contains three actions words; ask, seek, and knock. Praying for guidance doesn’t mean that all things will automatically be put into place. The guidance of the Spirit requires action and work, sometimes even hard work, which is sometimes described in the scriptures as “wrestling” with God.

Are your spiritual ears still listening?

The world is changing rapidly and many of those changes are harmful for our spirituality. Temptations are everywhere, even in the mobile phones we carry in our pocket. The Internet, which we use every day, is filled with misleading concepts and the philosophies of men. The guidance of the Holy Ghost had never been more vital. Through conscious effort, we can filter out the unwanted noise, and allow the still small voice of the Spirit to guide us safely back to our heavenly home.

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As lifetime missionaries, we are encouraged to find people who are willing to be taught by the full-time missionaries. This was taught by Elder David A. Bednar when he said, “[Full-time] missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders.” Here are some ideas for making missionary work a part of your life.

Share an amazing story from the Book of Mormon.

Sharing stories with a co-worker or classmate is already a part of our daily life. Everyone loves a good story and the Book of Mormon is full of them. We can share Nephi’s struggles with his brothers, Lehi’s dream, Teancum’s fearless battles, or even Ammon defending the Lamanite king’s flock. These stories are good even without introducing the Book of Mormon. But telling them that it came from golden plates might make them even more interested.

Invite friends to activities.

When it comes to having fun, our friends are first on our invitation list. One of the purposes of church activities is to have fun, and it is also a great missionary opportunity. If you’re afraid of inviting your non-member friends to devotionals and ward home evenings, try inviting them to Institute activities. Institute has dance nights, sports activities, movie nights and many other fun casual activities.

Share family history.

Family is important for every individual, member or non-member. The Family History program is an amazing missionary opportunity because it connects everyone, both the living and those who have passed away. You can let your friends see old pictures of your ancestors on our Church’s “Memories” app or show them your lineage on the “Family Tree” app. These are interesting conversation topics and a way to introduce the church and the gospel.

Post on social media.

Sharing content on social media apps like Facebook is a great way to spread the gospel. Over a billion people worldwide use social media sharing a massive amount of information between them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has plenty of shareable content. This gives us a nice opportunity to share our beliefs without even talking to anyone. Though this is subtle way of doing missionary work, it is surely a good way. Because of websites like Mormons.ph, people are starting to notice the gospel and some have already been baptized.

Share a Mormon message that fits someone’s circumstances.

“The Mormon Messages video series contain short inspirational messages regarding principles and values that are important to the world”. If you know someone who is struggling to find peace, share with him or her “The Hope of God’s Light”. If you know a father who feels incompetent protecting and guiding his family, share with him “Earthly Father, Heavenly Father”. These short messages will surely motivate and inspire. They’re insightful, entertaining, emotional and a loving way to share gospel truths.

Share a comforting verse from the Book of Mormon.

There are lots of simple verses that teach principles we need every day of our lives. By sharing few verses with a friend or co-worker, we can brighten their day. 1 Nephi 20:10 can easily comfort and make someone stronger in their times of trial. Mosiah 4:27 can motivate those who think their best isn’t good enough. The scriptures contains power and truth. As you share verses, the Holy Ghost will prepare your friends, perhaps prompting them to want to know more about the Book of Mormon or be taught by the missionaries.

What the Lord needs.

Elder Quentin L. Cook said, “What we desperately need is for member-missionary work to become a way of life—for the Savior’s mandate to share the gospel to become part of who we are.” By making missionary work a part of our lives, our friends will know the truth, we will become true disciples of Christ, and the work of God in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man will be accomplished.

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As we contemplate our dating efforts, let us keep in mind small and simple steps Heavenly Father would have us take in order to achieve the ultimate goal of having a family.

Here is a list of things you can do to improve for this year:

1. Pray for guidance. This will help us see the direction God has prepared.
2. Join Institute activities. This is a way to meet people from other stakes.
3. Find simple ways to be together. Sit together during activities, or walk her home.
4. Repent. Our spirituality is reflected in our appearance.
5. Present our goals to God. This shows Heavenly Father that we are sincere with our desires.
6. Don’t use titles. Titles such as “Ate” and “Kuya” can block a dating opportunity.
7. Find ways to be in his or her presence. Sometimes, a little effort is needed.
8. Move on. We can’t find “the one” with only one person.
9. Ask for referrals. Our friends might have someone in mind who is perfect for us.
10. Do meaningful things together. This brings happiness in a relationship and not regret.
11. Remember the true purpose of dating. Inspiration comes with real intent.
12. Become spiritually mature. This is attractive for people who plans to marry in the temple.
13. Don’t use cellphones so often. Using cellphones create a barrier for communication in person.
14. Don’t just chat online. We can never truly know a person by only chatting online.
15. Accept date invitations. First dates are meant to build friendship and not commitments.
16. Stop hoping and start doing. Just like faith, nothing will happen without work.
17. Hold activities with other wards. There are many unfamiliar single adults within the stake.
18. Smile at him or her. Smiling at someone shows that you’re happy to see that person.
19. Brothers, act like a proper Priesthood holder. Be humble and full of virtue.
20. Sisters, become an elect lady. Modesty is attractive.
21. Be of good cheer. People would more likely spend time with you when you’re happy.
22. Be engaged in a good cause. Idleness is unattractive.
23. Learn new skills together. This is a great opportunity to build a relationship.
24. Make new friends. The person we’re looking for might not be in our circle of friends.
25. Set activities outside the church. This will help you get to know people in a different environment.

Dating could be exhausting and emotionally draining but whether we achieve our hopes for this year or not, these things will surely improve our overall capacity to do good.

God loves us and he wants us to find our eternal companion. As we make consistent efforts in fulfilling His commandment, our actions will become consecrated. Our divine purpose here on earth is to build our own family and achieve exaltation. Though these efforts may seem small and insignificant, this is God’s way for accomplishing great things(Alma 37:6).

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Unfortunately, some of us may decide to stop attending church. This happens when our faith is weakened by overwhelming challenges. Whenever we feel discouraged about attending church, remember that the Sacrament has the power to lift our hearts through the Holy Ghost and our Savior’s atonement.

Below are some of the most common reasons why we may stop attending church and also the reasons why we should attend anyway.

When you feel you’re not worthy enough.

“There’s no path so deep that the light of the gospel can’t reach”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of the Lord, stated “It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.”

Whenever we feel we have strayed from the path for far too long, the atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to come back. “There is room for you here,” President Uchtdorf said. The Lord is calling us back. If you think you’ve committed sins beyond repentance, the Lord has provided Bishops and Branch Presidents that will give you proper counsel and help you know what actions to take to fully come back to the light.

When you have been mistreated in some way.

“What an opportune time to set my anger aside and forgive!”

Remembering the Savior’s Atonement during sacrament enables us to ponder his example of forgiveness. The Savior pleaded with Heavenly Father on the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” The sabbath is a wonderful day for forgiveness because it is one of the times when we are forgiven of our sins as well.

When your spouse is not attending  Sacrament meeting.

“I love my spouse enough not to let him/her see my example of not attending church.”

The reason why loving God is the first greatest commandment is because if we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, He will enable us to radiate His love towards our fellowmen. If you truly love your spouse, you would not deprive him or her of the infinite love of God that they can feel from your example.

When you don’t have friends at church.

“I found friends at work and at school, I think I can find one at the church.”

At church, we share the same faith, we live near each other, within area boundaries, and members believe that we are all brothers and sisters. This is why it’s easy to make friends. All it takes is a smile and a handshake, and they’ll soon ask you where you’re from.

Here we are taught to “Show genuine interest in others; smile and let them know you care about them.” (“For The Strength of Youth, Friends”). We all strive to love each other. After all, it is God’s second great commandment. By obeying this commandment, we take courage in making friends with both members and non-members of the church.

When you feel there are too many distractions at church.

“There are distractions. But why am I the only one distracted?”

In Alma 32:38 of the Book of Mormon, it reads: “But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.”

Like the tree, our faith and focus on the sacrament will “wither away” if we “take no thought” in preparing for this holy ordinance. So how do we prepare? We can read the scriptures, pray for guidance and focus, and we can fast. There are so many things we can do to make our Sabbath day uplifting and spiritual.

When you’re caught up in worldly things.

“I will never find my life if not for the sake of Christ.”

In Matthew 16:25 it says, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

The reason why most people spend their life searching for other means of happiness is because they have never found the eternal happiness that comes through Jesus Christ. If we partake of the sacrament consistently, we will be more contented with the spiritual blessings God will pour out upon us. Worldly things can never replace the happiness that comes from eternal families, personal blessings promised by God, salvation for our deceased love ones, and many other supernal gifts.

When you think you can still worship and pray in your house.

“It’s the sacrament. I go to church because of the sacrament.”

A son asked his 96-year-old father: “Dad, why do you go to church? You can’t see, you can’t hear, it’s hard for you to get around. Why do you go to church?” The father replied, “It’s the sacrament. I go to partake of the sacrament.” We can only partake of the sacrament through the power of the priesthood that is used to administer in the church. Because of this power, we can renew our covenants with God.

The Sacrament is a wonderful experience. Its meaning is eternal and the blessings therein are not found in worldly things. Through our obedience and diligent effort to partake of the sacrament weekly, we will have the Holy Ghost’s infinite guidance in our lives, and be refined through the cleansing power of Jesus Christ’s atonement.

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