Love Like Jesus

Elder Ronald A. Rasband is an Apostle. He spoke to everyone who feels sad because someone they love has stopped following Jesus. Maybe it is a brother, a sister, a cousin, or a friend.

Elder Rasband said he and Sister Rasband have felt that sadness too. Sometimes we try very hard to make our loved ones come back. We talk and talk, we argue, or we make them watch general conference. But that usually doesn’t work. Everyone has to choose for themselves to follow Jesus.

In the Book of Mormon, Lehi had a dream. He saw people walking toward a beautiful tree. The tree stands for the love of God. But a dark mist came, and some people wandered away to a great and spacious building.

Elder Rasband shared a scripture: “Be not afraid nor dismayed … ; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” We can’t change someone’s heart, but Jesus can. Heavenly Father loves our family and friends even more than we do. Because of Jesus, there is always a way back. Elder Rasband said Jesus says to us, “I’ve got this!”

So what can we do? We can love! Jesus taught us to love God and to love our neighbor. Love means being interested in people’s lives, being there with open arms, and being kind, patient, and forgiving.

We can also pray for them. In the Book of Mormon, Alma the Younger made bad choices. But his father, Alma, prayed for him again and again. An angel came and said the Lord had heard his father’s prayers. Alma the Younger remembered what his father taught him about Jesus. He prayed, “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me.” He changed and became a great prophet!

Jesus told a story about a son who ran away and wasted all his money. When he came home, his father saw him far away and ran to hug him. What brought the son home? Love.

Elder Rasband gave three ideas. First, don’t feel guilty, and never, never give up on people you love. Second, President Thomas S. Monson taught that a person is more important than a problem. Third, remember that Jesus is the answer. Read the scriptures and pray.

Elder Rasband promised that if we build on Jesus, our strong rock, storms can’t knock us down. He said, “Trust Him. He’s got this!”

A scripture for this talk: Matthew 22:37–39. Jesus said to love God and love our neighbor. That is how we love like Jesus.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke to everyone whose heart aches for loved ones who’ve turned away from the Lord. Like Paul, we may feel “pressed out of measure.” If he asked for a show of hands, he said, hands would shoot up everywhere. He and Sister Rasband have felt this grief too, pondering the what-ifs and losing sleep.

Sometimes, he said, “We preach, cajole, argue, demand, lecture, ignore, sit them down to watch general conference, and even send them links to the talks, like this one, but to no avail.” Those efforts can even widen the gap. By design, everyone must choose for themselves to follow Jesus Christ.

In Lehi’s dream, multitudes pressed toward the tree of life, the love of God. But a mist of darkness came, and some wandered into the great and spacious building. Satan’s deceit leads to confusion and misery. He can promise no life eternal, no life with God the Father, and no peace. Not now, not ever.

The answer is in the Old Testament: “Be not afraid nor dismayed … ; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Elder Rasband asked us to turn our despair over to Jesus Christ. “We cannot change their hearts, but He can; He is a God of miracles.” Our loved ones are first of all children of our Father in Heaven, who loves them even more than we do. Through the Atonement, there is always a way back. Jesus says to all who grieve, “I’ve got this!”

Love is the heart of His gospel. Elder Rasband taught, “Love can positively influence those who have strayed.” Love isn’t approving of every choice. He said, “Love is being interested in their lives, their successes, and their challenges. Love is being there with arms outstretched and a cheerful countenance.” President Dallin H. Oaks counseled, “Let us avoid what is harsh and hateful.” Holiness comes as we are charitable, patient, forgiving, and kind.

Love is also expressed in prayer. Alma the Younger rebelled, until an angel declared that the Lord had heard the prayers of his servant Alma, who is thy father. Alma had prayed for years. During three days of torment, young Alma remembered his father’s teachings about Jesus and cried, “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me.” He became a mighty prophet.

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me,” our Savior says, “and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” He has already paid for the sins of all God’s children, including those we worry about. “He knows them. He knows their hearts; He loves them. He gave His very life to bring them home, all the way home.” When the prodigal son was still far off, his father ran to him. What brought him back? “It was love. He knew where to find it.”

Elder Rasband offered three suggestions. First, Let go of any guilt. We fail only when we give up, so never, never give up on those you love. Second, follow President Thomas S. Monson: “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.” “Third, remember Jesus Christ is the answer.” Seek Him through scriptures and prophets, and pray mightily.

He promised as an Apostle that when the devil’s storms pull loved ones off course, they shall have no power to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless woe because of the rock upon which ye are built. If that rock is Jesus Christ, trust him. He’s got this.

Scripture to look up: Matthew 22:37–39. The two great commandments, love God and love our neighbor, guide how we reach out to loved ones who have stepped away.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed everyone whose heart aches for loved ones who’ve turned away from the Lord, stepped away from obedience to God’s laws, breached their covenants, and left behind a string of broken hearts, becoming “tossed to and fro” (Ephesians 4:14). Like Paul, we may feel “pressed out of measure,” burdened beyond our strength (2 Corinthians 1:8). A show of hands, he said, would bring hands up across the hall and the world. He and Sister Rasband know the feeling: in grief we continuously ponder the whys, hows and whatifs. We feel we have failed.

He described familiar, well-meant tactics with a touch of humor: “We preach, cajole, argue, demand, lecture, ignore, sit them down to watch general conference, and even send them links to the talks, like this one, but to no avail. If anything, these efforts can cause a greater rift.” The reason is doctrinal: “By divine design, brothers and sisters, everyone must choose for themselves to follow Jesus Christ.”

In Lehi’s dream, numberless concourses pressed toward the tree of life, the love of God, but a mist of darkness arose and some wandered off into the growing skyline of great and spacious buildings (1 Nephi 8). The adversary’s deceit leads to confusion and misery, and “He can promise no life eternal, no life with God the Father, and no peace. Not now. Not ever!”

How do we respond while the adversary works overtime? The answer is in the Old Testament: “Be not afraid nor dismayed … ; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15). “Listen carefully. I ask you to turn over to Jesus Christ your despair for those wayward souls. We cannot change their hearts, but He can; He is a God of miracles.” We love them profoundly, but they are foremost children of our father in heaven who knows and loves them even more than we do. The Father gave His Son power to heal all His children: “That is the good news of the gospel. By the power of Jesus Christ’s Atonement, there is always a way back!” He paid for their sins and bore the disappointments that wrack their souls and ours. “In the vernacular, Jesus Christ says to all who grieve, ‘I’ve got this!’”

Our part is love. “Jesus Christ is the perfect embodiment of love,” and “Love can positively influence those who have strayed.” He cited the two great commandments (Matthew 22:37–39) and the Primary song “Love One Another.” Then he defined love carefully: “Love is not stepping back or sanctioning others’ decisions and actions. Love is being interested in their lives, their successes, and their challenges. Love is being there with arms outstretched and a cheerful countenance.” Love lifts with faith and hope and relies on the calming influence of the Holy Ghost. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding … , and he [will] direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6); the path is marked by love. President Dallin H. Oaks counseled, “Let us avoid what is harsh and hateful. Let us seek to be holy, like our Savior,” and holiness comes when we are charitable, patient, forgiving, and kind.

“Love is expressed in prayer.” Alma the Younger, talented and smoothtalking, rebelled against God until an angel declared that the Lord had heard the prayers of His people and also the prayers of Alma’s father, who had prayed with much faith for his son (Mosiah 27:14). His father had prayed for weeks, months, years, maybe decades. During three days and nights of torment, young Alma remembered his father’s teachings of Jesus Christ and cried in his heart, “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me” (Alma 36:18). He was filled with joy and became a mighty prophet.

The Savior invites, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me,” our Savior says, “and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Jesus Christ pulls much more than his weight. His Atonement, brutal as it was for him, witnesses His love: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). He has already paid for the errant choices of those we pray for. “He knows them. He knows their hearts; He loves them. He gave His very life to bring them home, all the way home.” When the prodigal was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran to him (Luke 15:20). “What brought him back? It was love. He knew where to find it.”

He closed with three suggestions for finding rest. “First, let go of any guilt. We fail only when we give up and stop trying, so never, never give up on those you love,” remembering Alma praying for his son. Second, President Thomas S. Monson’s counsel: “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.” “Third, remember Jesus Christ is the answer. He is, always has been, and always will be.” Seek Him through scripture and the words of prophets and devoted leaders, and pray mightily. His apostolic promise, echoing Helaman 5:12: when the devil sends forth his mighty winds, they shall have no power to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless woe because of the rock upon which ye are built. If that rock is Jesus Christ, trust him. He’s got this.