Witholding Love

From Elder Marion D Hanks's talk called "Forgiveness: The Ultimate Form of Love":

"Someone has written: The witholding of love is the negation of the spirit of Christ, the proof that we never knew him, that for us he lived in vain. It means that he suggested nothing in all our thoughts, that he inspired nothing in all our lives, that we were not once near enough to him to be seized with the spell of his compassion for the world". Christ's example and instructions to his friends are clear. He forgave, and he said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you". (Matthew 5:44)

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When I read this it, the part that really struck me is where it says, 'the witholding of love is the ..... proof that we never knew him, that for us he lived in vain'. I think it's sometimes so easy to 'withold' love from people - but it is so important to 'show' love to people, the genuine kind of love which softens peoples hearts, and helps them to see who they are more clearly. It would be a feeling I don't think I could handle to be told at the end of my days that I never really came to know Christ during my life - I can't imagine a worse possible feeling.