Friendship is a Gospel Principle

 

 

Gospel Truth: “If we truly want to be tools in the hands of our Heavenly Father in bringing to pass his eternal purposes, we need only to be a friend.”

 

Scripture: John 15: 13-14  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends.”

 

“The prophet Joseph Smith taught that ‘friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism.’ That thought ought to inspire and motivate all of us because I feel that friendship is a fundamental need in our world. I think in all of us there is a profound longing for friendship, a deep yearning for the satisfaction and security that close and lasting relationships can give. Perhaps one reason the scriptures make little specific mention of the principle of friendship is because it should manifest quite naturally as we live the gospel. In fact, if the consummate Christian attribute of charity has a first cousin, it is friendship.

“There is a particular challenge we face as Latter-Day Saints in establishing and maintaining friendships. Because our commitment to marriage, family, and the Church is so strong, we often feel challenged by constraints of time and energy in reaching out in friendship to others beyond that core group (family).”

Source- “Friendship: A Gospel Principle” May 1999 Ensign, Elder Marlen K Jensen

 

Discussion:

• How is Christ an example of friendship?


• What does a good friendship look like?


• By being a good friend, how are we becoming more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?


• How does friendship bring to pass the eternal goals of our Heavenly Father?

 

 

Challenge: We all set aside specific time, like this one, to learn something new and enrich our family members. This week, set aside time to learn something new with a friend.