All You Need is Love

There is a well-known song, released in July 1967 by the Beatles entitled “All You Need is Love.” The lyrics weren’t very deep or meaningful, but it became a huge hit, in large part, because it’s overall message, of love being the answer to overcoming worldly strife was embraced by a war-torn world.

Today the need for love still exists, maybe more so.  Can you imagine what our world would be like if we could all live by the two great commandments taught by our Savior Jesus Christ?

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…. And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

How do we show we love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind? At the sea of Tiberius Jesus asks Peter three times “lovest thou me?” Each time that Peter affirms his love, the Savior instructs him to “feed my sheep.”

So, we demonstrate our love for God by keeping the second portion of these dual commandments, by loving and serving our neighbors.

Think of the effect this would have on our world today if we helped those who suffer from pain and sickness, lifted those who endure fear and loneliness and provided relief to the hungry and poverty stricken….It might be like a little heaven on earth.

The thought of heaven on earth and feeding others reminds me of the story of a man having a conversation with the Lord one day. He said, “Lord, I would like to know what heaven and hell are like.”

The Lord led the man to two doors. He opened one of the doors, and the man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms. Each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen hell.”

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew that made the man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons strapped to their arms, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The man said, “I don’t understand!”

“It is simple,” said the Lord. “It requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to serve and feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.”

During this coming holiday season let us demonstrate our willingness to follow the charge from our Savior by feeding His sheep…….Love is all you need.

Steven Woodland, a resident of Flower Mound, Texas, serves as the 2nd Counselor in the Lewisville Stake Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.