Come, Follow Me
How can I develop Christlike love?

How can I develop Christlike love?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The pure love of Christ, known as charity, is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul (see 1 Nephi 11:23). Jesus Christ is the perfect example of charity. In His mortal ministry, He “went about doing good,” showing tender compassion for the poor, afflicted, and distressed (see Matthew 4:23; Acts 10:38). To develop Christlike love, we must seek it, pray for it, and follow the example of the Savior in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

When have others shown you Christlike love? What effect has this had on you? When have you felt Christlike love? How do you develop Christlike love for others?

What opportunities do the young women have to show Christlike love? Why is it important that they learn how to love others as Christ did?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

In every setting, the Savior was an example and mentor to His followers. What can you do to be an example of the Christlike attribute of charity to the young women you teach?

Video: “Help Us Discover the Gospel”

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Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

  • Everything that Jesus Christ did for us was out of perfect love—for us and for His Father. How can we develop the ability to obey out of perfect love, such as the Savior had, and not out of fear? Divide the class into two groups to study President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk “Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear.” Assign one group to share what they learn from the sections titled “Fear as Manipulation” and “The Problem with Fear” and the other group to share what they learn from the sections titled “A Better Way” and “Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear.” Give the young women time to write their thoughts to the following questions: In what ways am I compelled to do things out of fear? What can I do to develop Christlike love? What do I want to change because of what I learned?

  • Invite the young women to read Elder Massimo De Feo’s message “Pure Love: The True Sign of Every True Disciple of Jesus Christ,” searching for a favorite quote. Encourage them to find a scripture that relates to the quote they found and reminds them of the love of God. They could write the quote and the scripture down and display them in their homes. Ask each young woman to share her quote and scripture with the class. They could also share an experience when they felt God’s love. How does developing pure love help us to be better disciples of Jesus Christ?

  • Invite the young women to read John 15:9–13; 1 John 4:7–11, 18–21; and Moroni 7:47–48. What do the young women learn from these verses about how to develop Christlike love? What does the phrase “pure love of Christ” mean to them? Invite the young women to find stories in the scriptures that illustrate the Savior’s love, and ask them to share these stories with each other. How can we follow the Savior’s example? They could also read and discuss stories in one of the talks listed in this outline or share examples of times when they or people they know have been blessed by acts of Christlike love.

  • Write the following scripture references on the board: Mosiah 4:16 and Leviticus 19:18. Divide the class into two groups, and assign each group one of the scripture passages. Instruct the young women to identify the commandments given in their passage and to write a summary of the commandments on the board next to the scripture reference. What opportunities do they have to follow these commandments at home, at school, and in the community? What obstacles might keep us from obeying these commandments? How can we overcome these obstacles? Invite the young women to watch the video “Bullying—Stop It” and discuss what they can do to live these commandments when they face similar situations.

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  • As a class, read, watch, or listen to President Dallin H. Oaks’s talk “Loving Others and Living with Differences” or the stories of Jimmy and Sister Neill F. Marriott’s relative in her talk “Abiding in God and Repairing the Breach.” Ask the young women to look for counsel that will help them love others in difficult situations. What else can the young women learn by studying a scriptural example of a person who showed love to those who persecuted or offended him or her? Possible examples include the Savior (see Luke 23:34), Joseph in Egypt (see Genesis 45), or Pahoran (see Alma 61:9). Invite the young women to quietly ponder someone in their life whom they may have bad feelings for and think of ways they can show more Christlike love toward that person.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young women apply what they learned in this lesson.