Love Experiment

[Zathura]

I want to invite everyone to experiment something, if they are willing.

Think of people you often disagree with. Perhaps it's someone on the forum, someone you think must have the worst intentions. Someone who always contradicts you. Someone who is "obviously" *whatever adjective you want*.

Maybe it's someone at work, family. Anybody.

Take time to think about them. Really think about what they say, why would they say it. Why would they have such an opinion? Why would they possibly be so angry/sad/nonresponsive/judgemental/whatever. What could be going on in their life? What are their intentions? Really, what are their intentions? Do they REALLY want to tear someone or something down? Are they really sincere? Are they loved? Are they alone?

This pattern of thought may lead you somewhere you may not have been before. At the end of this experiment , maybe it takes a few minutes, a few weeks or months, but you may find yourself TRULY LOVING that person every bit as much as you love your close ones. You may find that the same joy and love you feel when thinking of Jesus Christ, you now feel when thinking of this person you may have despised before.

I can personally testify that this experiment can result in something you will cherish and remember for the rest of your lives.

[marc]

Been doing this for years on a daily basis. If genuine, one must truly be prepared to have their heart broken over and over again. One must be willing to be hurt. Because going where you may not want to go means gently breaking down their walls and loving them. People don't like their walls broken. But if you're patient and persistent, you might make some best friends forever. Along the way, Jesus Christ heals your heart as often as others break it. Sometimes He just picks you up when you got nothing left to give and gives you a reason to find more to keep giving.

[True]

Been doing this for years on a daily basis. If genuine, one must truly be prepared to have their heart broken over and over again. One must be willing to be hurt. Because going where you may not want to go means gently breaking down their walls and loving them. People don't like their walls broken. But if you're patient and persistent, you might make some best friends forever. Along the way, Jesus Christ heals your heart as often as others break it. Sometimes He just picks you up when you got nothing left to give and gives you a reason to find more to keep giving.

I’m trying to understand for practical application, what do you mean by gently breaking down their walls?

[marc]

There are all kinds of people who won't let you in, whether in your family or at work or your next door neighbor. Or maybe you're a mentor or a scoutmaster or a teacher who's trying to reach out to youth. Gently breaking down their walls just means finding ways to relate to them and to befriend them and to love them. This is how you make friends of strangers and enemies.

[Durzan]

Gonna bump this thread; this is great!

[Zathura]

"Three Sisters" - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
October 2017

"When someone opposes or disagrees with us, it’s tempting to assume that there must be something wrong with them. And from there it’s a small step to attach the worst of motives to their words and actions.

Of course, we must always stand for what is right, and there are times when we must raise our voices for that cause. However, when we do so with anger or hate in our hearts—when we lash out at others to hurt, shame, or silence them—chances are we are not doing so in righteousness.

What did the Savior teach?

“I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.”4

This is the Savior’s way. It is the first step in breaking down the barriers that create so much anger, hatred, division, and violence in the world.

“Yes,” you might say, “I would be willing to love my enemies—if only they were willing to do the same.”

But that doesn’t really matter, does it? We are responsible for our own discipleship, and it has little—if anything—to do with the way others treat us. We obviously hope that they will be understanding and charitable in return, but our love for them is independent of their feelings toward us.

Perhaps our effort to love our enemies will soften their hearts and influence them for good. Perhaps it will not. But that does not change our commitment to follow Jesus Christ.

So, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we will love our enemies.

We will overcome anger or hate.

We will fill our hearts with love for all of God’s children.

We will reach out to bless others and minister to them—even those who might “despitefully use [us] and persecute [us].”

[Rand]

I want to invite everyone to experiment something, if they are willing.

Think of people you often disagree with. Perhaps it's someone on the forum, someone you think must have the worst intentions. Someone who always contradicts you. Someone who is "obviously" *whatever adjective you want*.

Maybe it's someone at work, family. Anybody.

Take time to think about them. Really think about what they say, why would they say it. Why would they have such an opinion? Why would they possibly be so angry/sad/nonresponsive/judgemental/whatever. What could be going on in their life? What are their intentions? Really, what are their intentions? Do they REALLY want to tear someone or something down? Are they really sincere? Are they loved? Are they alone?

This pattern of thought may lead you somewhere you may not have been before. At the end of this experiment , maybe it takes a few minutes, a few weeks or months, but you may find yourself TRULY LOVING that person every bit as much as you love your close ones. You may find that the same joy and love you feel when thinking of Jesus Christ, you now feel when thinking of this person you may have despised before.

I can personally testify that this experiment can result in something you will cherish and remember for the rest of your lives.

This is wonderful! Now, do this experiment with the man in the mirror...

Elder De Feo: "Now, dear brothers and sisters, isn’t this what the Savior did? Of course, in an eternal and much broader perspective. But in the midst of His greatest pain, in the garden that night, He was the one who needed help, suffering in a way that we cannot even imagine or comprehend. But in the end, He forgot about Himself and prayed for us until He paid the full price. How was He able to do it? Because of His pure love for the Father, who sent Him, and for us. He loved the Father and us more than Himself.

He paid for something that He had not done. He paid for sins that He had not committed. Why? Pure love. Having paid the full price, He was in the position to offer us the blessings of what He paid for if we would repent. Why did He offer this? Again, and always, pure love.

Pure love is the true sign of every true disciple of Jesus Christ.

President Thomas S. Monson said: “May we begin now, this very day, to express love to all of God’s children, whether they be our family members, our friends, mere acquaintances, or total strangers. As we arise each morning, let us determine to respond with love and kindness to whatever might come our way.”5

Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of love. The greatest commandment is about love. For me, it’s all about love. The love of the Father, who sacrificed His Son for us. The love of the Savior, who sacrificed all for us. The love of a mother or a father who would give anything for his or her children. The love of those who serve silently and are not known to most of us but are well known to the Lord. The love of those who forgive all and always. The love of the ones who give more than they receive.

I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior. I love the gospel. I love this Church. I love my family. I love this wonderful life. For me, it’s all about love.

May this day of remembrance of the Resurrection of the Savior be a day of spiritual renewal for each one of us. May this day be the beginning of a life full of love, “the foundation stone of our daily life.”

May our hearts be filled with the pure love of Christ, the true sign of every true disciple of Jesus Christ."

[David13]

Yes, but love without works is dead. So if there is soneone new in the neighborhood, go and visit them, and ask them questions about themselves, and tell them about you and the town. And go back to follow up later.
In other words, the best way to show love is by action, not by words.
dc

[Rand]

Love is not shown by action. Actions that stem from pure love demonstrate pure love. Actions that are motivated by some other motive are not demonstrable of love.
So the real questions is what does pure love look like? How do you know you are possessed of it?
1 Cor 13: 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."

Even though prophesying is a noble action, it doesn't necessarily indicate there is love in the action, the same is true of gaining knowledge, speaking in tongues etc.

[Thinker]

Good idea!
Lately, I’ve felt really humbled & impressed to consider my response-ability in certain conflicts I’ve had. As mentioned, there’s a tendency to see others as the only one erring, when none of us are perfect. And yet, I’ve learned often the hard way, that love is not the same as trust. I can love - strive for what is best for another. Yet because of past experiences with them, I may not trust them to want what’s best for me. The greatest commandments are to love God & love others as ourselves. For many years I felt like I had to sacrifice and subjugate myself to love others but all that did was make me feel resentful. I love others better when I love myself, and that includes striving for what’s best as in being honest with myself and focusing on what I’m responsible for.