I’m sitting here thinking about what to write and the word Love comes to my mind. Love is a very fascinating word. In English, there is really only one form of the word, but in a lot of other languages, there are many forms. The thing with English is that the English language has other words that are the same as the words in other languages, but in English, we don’t always consider them forms of love.
Greek is probably the most well known language for having different words for love.
- Agápe – This is the highest form of love and is what we call in English as Charity, or the Pure Love of Christ.
- Éros – This is the form of love that involves sexual passion.
- Philia – This is the form of brotherly love between individuals.
- Storge – This is the form of love between parents and children.
Wikipeida: Greek words for Love
As I was writing this information, I realized that as we go through life, we tend to ascend through the types. First, we have Storge for our parents and our siblings. This is the first type of love that we come to accept and appreciate. Next, we meet good friends or extended family members and we develop Philia. We have a love and concern for them, but it isn’t the same that we would have for our parents and siblings. Then, we will start to “fall in love” with someone. Once the relationship has gone in the proper course and we are married, then we will have Éros for them. This would be the one type that we don’t develop for most people. (For a great discussion about sexual intimacy, check out the Family Home Evening Lesson Sexual Intimacy is Sacred and Beautiful.)
Agápe is the highest form or love that we can develop. This is the Pure Love of Christ. What does this mean? To me, it means that we love someone the way that Christ loves them. Seeing through their human traits and finding out what is really inside them and making them tick. As humans, we tend to live in our “flaws” and judge each other by our “flaws”. It is quite a challenge to see beyond what someone does, to who they really are, but when we can do that, we have Charity for that person. We love them with the love that Christ has for them.
So what does this Pure Love of Christ look like? Moroni gives us one of the greatest explanations of this:
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
When we talk about being patient, loving, caring, uplifting and helping of others, we are talking about the Pure Love of Christ. We are seeing and treating and caring about others in the way that Christ would. Looking beyond their “flaws” and actions and seeing their true inner self and who they really are. My fabulous wife has done this many times with me. I’ve had many times where I have been completely down and our relationship was on the rocks because of my actions. Many times in these situations, she has told me that she knows who I really am and it is not the things that I have done.
The question now, is how do we develop Agápe? Where do we get it? We can’t just buy it from the grocery store. Moroni comes to our rescue!
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ….
— Moroni 7:48 (emphasis added)
I love this verse! Moroni explains that it isn’t just praying for Charity that allows us to have it, but praying “with all the energy of heart”. It is wanting this love so deeply that you are willing to express your whole soul to our Father for it.
The sons of Mosiah are great examples of this. They went forth to the Lamanites with Charity, seeking for their salvation.
3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.
— Mosiah 28:3 (emphasis added)
They loved the human race with so much love that they couldn’t even bear the thought that someone wouldn’t return to our Heavenly Father. They then went to the Lamanites and prepared themselves with “much prayer, and fasting” (Alma 17:3). They sought through prayer and fasting and with “all the energy of heart” to have love for the Lamanites that they might bring their souls unto salvation.
Developing Charity, the Pure Love of Christ, is one of our lifelong pursuits. It doesn’t just happen overnight. It doesn’t just happen with one prayer. It is a constant pouring of our hearts to our Father, seeking, asking and knocking to love others the way that He loves them. We then start seeing through their shell and to their beautiful soul. My desire is that we all seek for this love. Having Charity is a requirement of Zion. We don’t need to be “perfect” with it, but that we need to develop it and keep growing it in our hearts.