John 15

Chapter 15

The Savior emphasizes even more the importance of abiding in his love and again he tells us that the way to do that is to keep his commandments. He says in verses 9-10, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.' And then he gently reminds us to follow his example when he says, "...even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."

In the first verses of the chapter, he tells us that by doing this, our lives will have significant purpose and we will accomplish those things that matter most. The Savior uses the word abide. He wants us to abide him, abide in his love, and abide in the Father's love. To abide means to accept and act in accordance with. So he wants us to accept in his love and act in accordance with it by keeping the commandments. If we do this, we will do the things that are most meaningful, reach and change the deepest parts of our souls and the souls of others, and as a result, what we do will have important eternal consequences.

I think verses 12-13 sum it up the best. By abiding in his love, we learn to love others as he loves them. The greatest love a person can have for for someone is to lay down their life for them. The Savior did this by dying for us. But I think what he wants from us is that we sacrifice for those around us. We live for them. If we spend all of our time pursuing the things of the world, trying to possess as much or be as successful as the next person, seek praise for our accomplishments or try to be more important than others, we miss the opportunity of having our lives be successful and important in the ways that matter most.

I think it's so important to teach our children that commandments aren't just a set of rules we have to keep. They are the guidelines to true happiness and success. And when we keep them for the purpose of experiencing the Savior's love, we come to know him because he comes to us and we can feel his love. We come to know that he is there, that he does love us. And in turn, we learn to love others as he has loved us. And that's when we find out what life is really all about.

That's something I can certainly go to work on.