Charity - Pure Love of Christ

This afternoon I've been thinking about what it means to be a Christian.  To truly act as a follower of Christ would act.  Because there are some self professed Christians that do not seem to understand this concept.

Due to my own lack of perfection, I am not even going to begin to tell anyone how a true follower of Christ should act.  However, I have been studying this topic today and just wanted to share a a bit of what I have been reading this afternoon.

1 Corinthians 13

 ¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
 ²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
 ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
 ⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
 ⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
 ⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
 ⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
 ⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
 ⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
 ¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
 ¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
 ¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
 ¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Moroni 7:47

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. 

The Great Commandment by Joseph B. Wirthlin
This was my favorite talk from my study this afternoon.  It is one of the most amazing talks on Charity that I have every read/heard.  I highly recommend taking the time to read it.

Here's one quote from the talk.

The edit edit gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.

The means of this refinement is our Christlike love. There is no pain it cannot soften, no bitterness it cannot remove, no hatred it cannot alter. The Greek playwright Sophocles wrote: “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.”

The most cherished and sacred moments of our lives are those filled with the spirit of love. The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy. In the end, the development of such love is the true measure of success in life.

Charity Never Faileth by Thomas S. Monson

This is my favorite quote from the talk.

Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life.

Love of Christ by C. Max Caldwell

I like this talk because it addresses three different aspects of "Love of Christ".  I still remember how much I liked this talk back when it was given.

1. Love for Christ
   
2. Love from Christ
   
3. Love like Christ
   

This is just something that has really been on my mind this evening. Thank you for taking a moment to read my post. I hope you had a wonderful Sunday and will have an even better week.