Love Conquers All by: Ashley Wilson

Love is essential and the most fundamental virtue that someone can posses. Christ did everything through love. It is through the love we feel from him, that we are able to become better disciples of Christ and conquer everything that is thrown in our way.

We are able to show our love by serving others. As stated in Mosiah 4:15, “But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.[1]” Service is one thing you can do to get rid of the stress you feel in your life. If you are serving others, you always get the feel-good feeling and are focusing on someone else instead of yourself. When I was in young women’s’, I’ll admit that I didn’t want to have to do service projects for mutual. They never sounded as fun as other things such as cooking or doing crafts, or anything of that sort. I shortly learned that service was the best way to gain an appreciation for the things I have. In the end it always made me feel so good to help someone else out. On the other end of service, I know it is always so nice when someone does something for me. It just takes a lot of pressure off and lets me know that someone really does care. I remember when I was having a really bad day and it seemed nothing was going right, right before I got home I remembered that I forgot to take all of my sheets out of the dryer and make my bed. I was so tired and really didn’t want to have one more thing to do before I could just go to bed. I got home, went in my room, and noticed that my sister had taken my sheets out of the dryer, made my bed, and had made me cookies. I know that it wasn’t even that big of a deal but it was just awesome that she would take the time out to do something for that like me. Little acts of service can make a world of difference to someone.

Love increases the power of unity. In Mosiah 18:21 it says, “And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.”[2] When you love others, there isn’t going to be any contention and you can be way more productive in the things you are trying to accomplish. I know that in high school when I played volleyball, you could always tell if there were girls on the team who were in a fight. Our team just didn’t mesh as well as it normally did. Once they would get over their differences, we would all be united and work with each other to perform the way we were expected to perform. Unity is also increased if you treat others the same way you would want to be treated. Mosiah 23:15 says “Thus did Alma teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them [3].” Having love for yourself and your neighbors creates unity and understanding.

Love strengthens families. Families make up our society and in broken homes where no love is shown, multiple problems can come about. Loving our family members is essential because no matter what, they are our family and we will be with them for eternity. If you learn to love them at all times, it will make your life and theirs a whole lot easier. In Jacob 3:7, we learn “Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children…”[4] The end of this story shows that when they finally turned to each other and loved each other, they received the love of God for changing the way they were doing things. I am so lucky to have a really close family. They are all my best friends and I know they have my back through thick and thin. When I moved to Florida right after I graduated from high school, I would get so homesick because my family would always be out doing multiple things without me. It is such a privilege to have the family that I do and am so blessed. Having a love for everyone in your family truly does strengthen it.

The ultimate love that was shown was through the Atonement. You can see that that took so much love for someone to go and do that for us. It just amazes me the sacrifices he made for me and every individual in this world. Mosiah 4:11 states “And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel[5].” No matter who you are, he loves you and shows it to us every day with the world and beautiful creations that he has given us. I love the song “I Stand All Amazed which states,”

1. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
[Chorus]Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for meEnough to die for me!Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
2. I marvel that he would descend from his throne divineTo rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,That he should extend his great love unto such as I,Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
3. I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.[6]

To close I would just like to bear my testimony. I know this church is true and know that everything is really for our good. I know that love is one of the most powerful feelings that we will ever have. Love really does conquer all of our fears and allows us to truly become better disciples of Jesus Christ. I know this church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that he truly did see our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that our prayers are heard and answered and that he does know what’s best for us even though we might not see his plan at the time. I love this gospel and know that it has blessed me in too many ways to count. I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Works Cited
[1] Mosiah 4:15
[2] Mosiah 18:21
[3] Mosiah 23:15
[4] Jacob 3:7
[5] Mosiah 4:11
[6] Hymn 193 “I Stand All Amazed”