Concerning perfect love, Joseph Smith taught a profoundly weighty thing:
“Until we have obtained perfect love
we are liable to fall,
and when we have the testimony
that our names are sealed in the Lamb’s Book of Life
we have perfect love,
and then it isn’t possible for false Christs to
deceive us.”
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 9)
I love these connecting truths! So much! Strung together by the “and” conjunction.
I like English and grammar so a quick grammar note here can prove a bit instructive and in my opinion, fun. “And” is what is called a coordinating conjunction.
Our English language has a total of seven conjunctions that fit under the category of “coordinating.” The purpose of coordinating conjunctions is to connect ideas or things that are equal. This includes things like clauses x 2 or words x 2, etc. The use of “and” here is powerful – connecting related ideas that are absolutely incredible to consider in light of one another.
So while we have imperfect love, we can fall.
But with it, we cannot. NOT will not. CANNOT. As in it isn’t possible.
Gosh! Doesn’t this make you want to pray your face nearly off for pure and perfect love as admonished by Mormon and promulgated by his son, Moroni?
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren,
pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart,
that ye may be filled with this love…”
(Moroni 7:48)
Without perfect love, we are prone to fall. With it, we are guarded and protected from tragically deadly spiritual belly flops and face dives.
When we have sealed in the Lamb’s Book of Life names, we also have perfect love.
Concerning “the Lamb’s Book of Life” and having our names written therein, Bruce R. McConkie said that it “is the record kept in heaven which contains the names of the faithful and an account of their righteous covenants and deeds…it is the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world…Names of faithful saints are recorded in the book of life while they are yet in mortality. But those names are blotted out in the event of wickedness…” (Section 132, Marriage: An Eternal Covenant,” Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual (2002), 327-34
Sealed names and perfect love are a package deal; they grow and harvest together. As a result of this two-fold protecting armor, our character becomes such that “when he [Jesus] shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is…” (Moroni 7:48)
AND
Only in such a fortified with love and calling and election made sure state (heaven’s blessings secured through our covenant keeping) are we able to not be cuckolded by any one (of the many) false Christs.
This Joseph Smith teaching clearly shows why Satan attacks love so vigorously. And why he works so hard to prevent perfect love. Disruptions in love so often precede deceptions which so often yield significant spiritual falls.
Past choices have saddled me with ridiculous amounts of injuriously cloudy vision as it relates to perfect love. Moreover, I for sure don’t practice it perfectly pure as of yet. Nonetheless, I love the promise that “whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.” (Moroni 7:47)
I’m so grateful I can pray for help and even more grateful that God will mightily succor in such a quest.
Unto all the world: What a protection we have in perfect love!