His Perfect Love

During the few years that Sister Bonnie D. Parkin was the General Relief Society President, one of the themes was feeling the love of the Lord in our lives daily. Now that she has been released, (for quite a while, I may add), I'm finally getting it. I'll explain...

Last week, I finished reading the Book of Mormon again. At the very end, Moroni says:

"...Behold I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear" (Moroni 8:16).

This really got me thinking about "perfect love." I feel like, generally, I know that the Lord loves me. But, after reading this, I really wanted to feel that love--not just think, "Yeah, sure, He loves me." So, I started praying for it. I have prayed about this in the past, but not as consistently as I have in the past week. And, the results have been amazing. I have really felt His love for me on a daily basis. It doesn't come in the same way each day, but it is there--and it is so strong that I can no longer think, "Sure, He loves me." Now, I know.

As a result of this, I am starting to understand what Moroni meant by "perfect love casteth out all fear." When you recognize God's love, you know who you are and where you come from. You start to understand that what you are doing, whatever it is, is important. You begin to feel unfailing confidence in yourself and where you are in life. Without that, just like the Wemmicks in the book "You Are Special", you begin to see huge black dots when someone makes even the most innocent comment. I am so grateful for this perfect love that I feel in my life. I hope that I will be able to always remember this feeling.