Trials, imperfections, and mistakes can never affect the love of God that enfolds each of his children.
That was the message three members of the musical group Heartbound taught through song, scripture, and personal stories during BYU Education Week. Debbie Bastian, Lori Hales, and Me’Chel Musgrave each testified of how God’s love makes each person whole.
Bastian opened with the observation that a person must recognize God’s love because all else in life rests on that fact. Bastian’s missionary friend said, “All doctrine of the Church comes from the doctrine of God’s love.”
She said children of God must know of his love before they can share that love with others. Bastian urged her audience to recognize this love by writing down one personal evidence of God’s love over the course of the day.
Hales shared an experience she had when she became frustrated with a young woman who was going through hard times. Hales had been helping her as an inner city missionary. However, Hales had the distinct impression that she had no right to judge the woman, for she was a daughter of God and loved by him.
This experience taught Hales that no matter the struggle, mistake, or weakness people face, God’s love is always constant and deep enough that he wants all of his children to return to him.
“Oh, how we need to love God,” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said. “For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are – and who we will become.”
Even when life seems to fall apart, all must step up in building a relationship with God. Musgrave said even when her children all had broken bones and she did not know how she could manage, Musgrave’s daughter observed that she needed to have a stronger relationship with God because she could not face such a challenge alone.
Musgrave shared how, as she sought to be more appreciative, she was filled with God’s love. She used the example of Lehi from the Book of Mormon. Lehi taught his family about recognizing the blessings that came during the family’s time in the wilderness. She urged the audience to further recognize God’s love personally in order to improve their individual relationship with him, and to better love and serve others.
The three women performed several songs that illustrated their belief in the importance of sharing the love of God with others.
