Love of God (Part 2)

How do we become true disciples of Jesus Christ?  

I grew up in small rural town in Missouri.  We had one light…but it was just a flashing red light.  No big name stores, restaurants…not even a fast food joint.  Just some good ole’ Mom and Pop stores.  Going to town (the BIG town)…meant driving the 25 miles one way to get to the closest Wal-Mart.  We owned a small farm where my dad raised beef cattle and he worked for the Highway Dept.  Obviously we were not rich by any means, but we lived in a modest home with loving parents.  My father became branch president and then bishop when I was very young.  Between his farm and his regular job he was very busy...but when he began leadership callings in the church…we rarely saw him.  Church was 35 miles away and primary was on a different day of the week.  Despite this busy schedule my father NEVER missed his monthly Home Teaching assignment.  And when I mean NEVER…I literally mean never.  When he served in the Stake Presidency some of the branches and wards were over 2.5 hours away.  He was gone many Sunday’s with my mother taking the 8 of us children to church alone.  I never heard a complaint; neither from him nor my mother because they LOVED the gospel and they loved the Lord…they dedicated their life to it and their family.  I never had to wonder if my parents loved the Lord…they showed it in all of their actions and deeds.  I don’t think it is ironic that I have been asked to speak in church only 3 times in my adult life…2 of those times were on Father’s day and a year and a half ago on Mother’s day.  I have exemplary parents who taught me how to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. 

“The Savior revealed, “Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves.”  These are the first and second great commandments.  I believe that the LOVE of God was shown in everything my parents did, in their own family, in their church callings, and in their community.