48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
(Moroni 7:48)
As I wrote yesterday, to have faith is to have hope. When we really believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior, we believe that He will actually save us from our particular challenges. We trust Him, and we look forward to the time when we will inherit eternal life. And even as we anticipate these future blessings, we also strive to act today in a way that moves us toward that goal.
Charity is the pure love of Christ, which is another way of saying that a person with charity thinks, feels, and acts as Jesus does. Even our perception of truth is elevated when we are filled with this love. We become capable of seeing others as they really are and even of seeing the Savior as He really is.
Charity is the present manifestation of our ultimate hope. None of us is perfectly charitable today, but when we have faith in the Savior and hope for eternal life, we strive to act in a way that is consistent with that future outcome, and we seek God’s help in doing so, knowing that He can help us become better than we would be on our own.
Today, I will pray for charity, and I will do my best to follow the example and teachings of Jesus. I will remember that my faith in Him and my hope for eternal life find their tangible manifestation in my thoughts, words, and actions. I will trust God and move forward with confidence, knowing that I can be more than I am when He is with me.