We’re at the Ghost Mountain Inn located in Mkuze, South Africa and are here for a 4-day senior missionary conference. These conferences are held twice a year and provide missionary couples time to come together and be taught, to share experiences, and to enjoy some of the treasures of South Africa. We will visit the uMkhuze and Hluhluwe game reserves during our stay here as well as an outing to a Zulu culture presentation. We’re looking forward to exploring another part of this beautiful and incredibly diverse country.

During one of our conference sessions today, President Thompson asked us to consider Matthew 22:39: “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” The president asked us to ponder what it means to love ourselves. Many comments were made about the need for self-inventorying and then the accompanying awareness of how far we fall short of this commandment. While pondering this, the thought came to me that much of the time we spend on self inventory and self criticism is off the mark. Instead, we should just act on the things that God has outlined for us and understand that it is this action that truly demonstrates our love for him, for ourselves, and for others. When we faithfully do what God asks us to do and serve others, then we open ourselves to the revelation God promises. And this, in turn, naturally leads to an awareness of the gifts we need to ask God to bless us with to further extend the work we do in bringing salvation to ourselves and others. And accompanying all of this is joy, in abundance. 

And what are these actions we should do to demonstrate our love for others and ourselves? They are found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

And it's verses 12-13 that explain why faith is needed to bring this about and the supreme importance of charity: "For 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. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."