Latest / MIDDLE GROUND - Real Conversations on Faith, Identity & Becoming — Through Brynne's LDS Lens of Curiosity, Love and Doubt / What Happened When I Let Love Make Every Decision — A Faith Talk on Choosing Christ Over Fear
Transcript
- Brynne Erickson (00:29) I have a talk that I wrote in November of 2023 after I was called to be Young Women's President that I would like to share with you today. I entitled it, Love Like Jesus. So here we go. Hi, I'm Bryn Erickson. I was recently set apart as Young Women's President and was asked to share what we as a presidency want our theme and are working with these amazing, beautiful girls to be. So I asked my counselors. If there was any message these girls could take with them off into the world, what would it be? And as I was pondering our collective responses, there was a common theme. And it was the simple and powerful virtue of love. And coincidentally, this theme of love has been my guiding star the last few years as I've grown spiritually. When things don't make sense or I'm confused or angry, I found that focusing on the great commandments of love has been enough to keep me grounded in the gospel. Matthew 22 verses 36 through 39 it reads, which 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 and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. I consider there to be a third commandment or three commandments in total. Love God, love others and love yourself. Christ and our heavenly parents are love. God sent Christ as a manifestation of his love to show us how to love and teach us why Christ-like love matters. So how do we love? Christ is always the answer. So let's look to him. So what's your favorite story of Nativity, his baptism, raising Lazarus from the dead. What about the Last Supper and washing the feet of the apostles? Appearing to Mary that Easter morning, his blessing the children and appearing to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon as he as his resurrected self. Calming the storm, healing the man with palsy, meeting the woman at the well, saving the woman caught in adultery. Get Semeny. In every one of these stories, the motive was love, pure love, which is charity. As I was thinking about what pure love really is, I concluded that it is love without conditions, bounds, or limitations. It is free of judgment. It is open and big and inclusive and great. Christ ate with... sat with, walked with, listened to, healed, served and saw all people. But so many of his stories are about those on the margins, or those whom seem least important, the least desirable to be around. Christ wanted them to know they were seen and loved. He broke down walls and eliminated divisions. There were no bounds to his love. Pure love has no conditions. Does your love of God? toward others and yourself have conditions? Do we see each other as equals even when we disagree? When we vote differently, when we identify differently, when you parent or dress differently? What about at school? Do you see the girl who talks weird as your equal? What about the guy who picks his nose in class? Or even the kid that's always bullying the same ninth grader at lunch. Or the most popular kid in your school. Did you know that you're all equals and our heavenly parents in Christ love you all the same? Do we love ourselves no matter our weight, how fast we can read, or the mistakes we make? Do we love God even when things just don't make sense? and seem unfair. Do you see all of God's children, including yourself, as equals or are there some bounds set that need to be examined? Choose love. Choose Christ. It really does matter. I'm going to tell you why. In 2nd Nephi, chapter 2, verse 25 of the Book of Mormon, it reads, Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy. Happiness comes and goes, but joy is lasting. And in Christ, we find that joy. In fact, in Sunday school, we learned that joy is a perfect acronym for loving Jesus, others, and yourself, which is so perfect because when we choose love, we find joy. Parenting is hard, maybe for you it's a piece of cake, but for me it's been rough. I love it, but it's been so hard. And I came to a point where there was so much time out and tears and frustration and something just needed to change. And after listening to a book about God's grace, I thought, I wonder what love would do if it dictated every decision in my parenting. And... I found that when I ask that question in the heat of the moment, it results in me using a calmer voice, asking clarifying questions rather than making assumptions, saying sorry to my toddlers, snuggling together rather than sending them to time out. And this question now guides most of the decisions in my life. And when I lean into love, over all other emotions to drive my actions. ⁓ I feel more empowered and calmer even with some anxiety or fear and I feel more proud of how I handle a situation because it's true to who I want to be and if I mess up and let another emotion dictate my initial reaction I try to let love help better the situation. In Matthew 11 28 through 30 it reads come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Way too often we try to do this life on our own. Yes, talking to a friend, loved one, or your therapist is awesome, but we'll only get you so far. I know this personally. The scripture came to me in a bathroom stall at the temple. God finds you anywhere. I realized I'd been trying to answer my questions solely on my own with good resources and people with great insight and perspective, but I wasn't including them, the ones who love me unconditionally and know me completely and know all things. And for me, including my parents and savior as my intentional necessary part of my life has made all the difference for me. I now have an intimate relationship with them. I feel guided. I feel peace. Even when I ask hard questions that don't really have answers. I believe everything is going to work out even without the answers I seek. I can sit with what I don't know or understand or disagree with and it's okay. And I feel so much love. It's expansive. and powerful and they wouldn't want to live any other way. How do we partake of this love? You create a relationship with your heavenly parents and savior. You choose their love and in faith you ask for their help, guidance, strength, wisdom, insight, direction, compassion, whatever it is. They want to help you, but you have to do your part. James 1.5 reads, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not. and it shall be given him." Joseph Smith, the prophet, as a teenager, he understood this. He had faith to take this scripture literally. In Matthew 7, 7 through 8, it reads, ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. God is good. Work on your relationship with Him and be ready for the flow of love in and out of you. In conclusion, the love of our heavenly parents is never earned. It's not something attained by doing all the things. It's always there. You just have to choose to partake of it. So use your beautiful agency and choose Christ no matter where you are in the eldest church or away from it. Choose Christ and love and you'll find more joy. Peace. and direction and you'll want to help create more of it for others. I know it probably seems like I'm this 21st century hippie preaching love and peace to all, but I just cannot deny that I believe God is helping me to see people and myself as he sees them. And I love it so much. It's so fun to feel my heart so full. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.