The First Article of . . . Love

When I was a young boy in primary attending church in Placerville, California, I memorized the Articles of Faith. 

I wish we had the Articles of Love. ​

If the first Article of Faith is to believe in God, then the first Article of Love is to become like Him.

After all, the gospel of Jesus Christ is framed by a simple truth: “God is love” (1 John 4:8).  So . . . what are we?

The command to love others ("a new commandment I give unto you") gets interesting when the Savior said we are to love one another "as I have loved you" (John 13:34).  What kind of love is that?

My First Crush

Probably not the kind of love I felt for my first crush in the first grade.  There was a girl in my class at Latrobe Elementary named Elizabeth.  I liked her. 

My aunt sold Avon and I spent my entire life savings, $10.00 whole dollars, to buy a jar of perfume.  

I arrived at school before class started and left the perfume on Elizabeth's desk with a note saying, "Love, Timothy."  Yeah, I was never a smooth Romeo.

When she showed up and discovered her (unwanted) gift from a (not so secret) admirer, she chased me around the playground angrily.  She was fast, but I was faster. 

I don't think she ever spoke to me again.

Pure Love  

So what kind of love is Christ talking about?  What does it mean to love purely?  What is this "perfect love" (1 John 4:18)? 

          The Lord God
          hath given a commandment
          that all men
          should have charity,
          which charity is love. 

          And except
          they should have charity
          they were nothing.

(2 Ne. 26:30)

Seems like this commandment is pretty important.