If Ye Love Me

By the Young Women General Presidency

The 2019 annual youth theme is a call to action—a personal invitation from our Savior. Are you all in? Do you love Him? Are you willing to follow in His footsteps?

Our Savior Jesus Christ did something for us that we couldn’t possibly do for ourselves. And what does He ask in return? He asks that we keep His commandments so we may be blessed to always have His Spirit to be with us (see Moroni 4:3).

The commandments are a gift of love. The Savior said simply, “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” but why? Because He loves YOU! He wants you to be happy. He wants your life to be full of joy and endless possibilities. He wants you to be safe and protected from the evils of the world. He wants to pour blessings upon you that are so great “that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (3 Nephi 24:10). He wants you to return and live with Him again and be a partaker of all of Heavenly Father’s promised blessings.

Always remember how much Heavenly Father loves His children. He has perfect love for you. You can show your love for Him by keeping His commandments. Your righteous actions will bring tremendous blessings to you and to those around you.

As our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, said: “We need you with us in the youth battalion of the Lord. It just won’t be the same without you!” He invited you to “stand out [and] be different from the world” by living the standards in For the Strength of Youth and by keeping the commandments—to “look like, sound like, act like, and dress like a true disciple of Jesus Christ” (“Hope of Israel” [worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018], 8, HopeOfIsrael.lds.org).

As you strive to obey the Lord and His prophets, the power of the Holy Ghost will fill you with God’s love and testify to you of your divine identity as a son or daughter of God. Those blessings grow as you strive to live righteously. The Lord and the prophet trust you. They love you. We promise that great confidence, self-assurance, and comfort come when you obey and keep the commandments.