The Heart of the Gospel: Love God and Neighbor

ELDER GARY E. STEVENSON: Recently, a conference assignment took me to California

where I once again crossed the iconic Golden Gate Bridge,

regarded as an engineering wonder of the world.

It is a classical suspension bridge with bookend towers supported by massive piers.

Today, I invite you to look at this stately bridge with

its ascending twin towers built on a strong foundation through a gospel lens.

A Pharisee, who was a lawyer, asked the Savior a question,

"Master, what 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,

hearkening to our bridge analogy, the first tower.

The second is like unto it,

thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

This is the second tower.

On these two commandments hang all the law on the prophets,

the remaining elements of the bridge.

For any suspension bridge to do what it was built to do,

its towers must function together in complete harmony.

Likewise, our ability to follow Jesus Christ depends upon our strength and power

to live the first and second commandments with balance and equal devotion to both.

Some are so focused on keeping the commandments that they

show little tolerance of those they see as less righteous.

Some find it difficult to love those who are choosing their lives

outside of the covenant or even away from any religious participation.

Alternatively, there are those who emphasize the importance of

loving others without acknowledgment that we're all accountable to God.

Some refuse entirely the notion that there is such a thing

as absolute truth or right and wrong,

and that the only thing required of us is

complete tolerance and acceptance of the choices of others.

Either of these imbalances could cause your spiritual bridge to tip or even fall.

We build our personal spiritual bridge with hearts and

minds devoted to Heavenly Father and His only begotten Son,

as well as to our brothers and sisters with whom we work, play, and live.

May the Lord's instructions inspire us.

May our hearts and minds be lifted upward to love

the Lord and turned outward to love our neighbor.