(Part 3 of 3 from an address given by Elle Taylor on June 8, 2025. Published with permission of the author. FOR PART 1, CLICK HERE)

LOve of God

I like to think of love of God as the HOW to the first two loves we have discussed.

We often know and understand that we can repent and are saved from our sins through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But do we know that He can also save us from selfishness, fear, self-doubt, self-hatred, and self-sabotage? His love for us sets us free in more ways than we can possibly understand. It helps give us knowledge of who we are and what we are meant for.

The great jazz singer Ethel Waters speaks to this, she said, “I am somebody, because God don’t make no junk.” We are somebody. One of my favorite scriptures addressing the relationship between God and His children says: “Fear not…you are mine” (D&C 50:41).

We are His. The Creator of all things. The greatest of all. And because we are His, He
loves us beyond comprehension.

Speaking of God’s love, Patrick Kearon said, “When you welcome this majestic reality into your very soul and feel both the comfort and the thrill of it, your entire paradigm shifts! You can feel His love, hear His voice, and recognize His hand…You can redefine how you see yourself and others.”¹

Love empowers us to rethink and redefine. Can we receive and utilize this gift?

Additionally, God does not want us to simply have a knowledge of his love for us like we know a historical fact. He wants us to actually experience it.

King Benjamin counseled that after we had gained a knowledge of God and His goodness, that we should “taste” of His love (Mosiah 4:11). Tasting implies taking it in, trying it out, seeing what the impact is. Theologically speaking, tasting of God’s love signifies a personal and uniquely intimate experience of God’s goodness. Tasting is about really getting to know God, spending time with Him, and internalizing His view and His feelings for us.

Can we really receive and taste God’s love for us?

How will knowing and feeling we are a cherished child of God change how we think of ourselves?

How will this change how we think of and interact with others?

King Benjamin tells us that if we truly love God, and feel His love for us, we will not have the mind to injure others (Mosiah 4:13). God’s love transforms us in miraculous ways so that kindness towards others and ourselves becomes our way of being. We become something new. We become more like Him.

As we come to receive God’s love, we need to be willing to question our negative self-talk and be courageous enough to realize that we may not see ourselves as clearly as God does. He sees us perfectly. We have the opportunity to tap into His truth and His perspective and ask:

What do you think of me?

What do you see in me?

Do you love me?

Then, we trust what He says. Because what He thinks matters the most.²

Third Impact question: What kind of impact can God’s love have on me?

Conclusion

Let’s return to Lightning McQueen. Fortunately, the story does not end with arrogance, self-absorption, and a bad road job. He experiences kindness and love from the good folks of Radiator Springs. This transforms him. He comes to have a healthier (and humbler) view of himself. And he begins to love others. In the end he sacrifices his prized Piston Cup to push an injured The King across the finish line before himself.

I invite all of us to be curious about impact:

What kind of impact do I want to have on those around me?

What kind of impact do I want to have on myself?

What kind of impact can God’s love have on me?

Let us have hope for renewal. God, the greatest of all, loves us. God is for us. He empowers us to heal, transform, overcome, leave behind, move towards, and become through love.

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Lead image by Liz Caldwell on Unsplash

1. Patrick Kearon, “Receive His Gift“, General Conference, April 2025
2. see “Remind Me Who I Am” at www.razingtherameumptom.com