Jesus didn’t supersede the law of Moses; He reclaimed its original meaning.
The commandment to “love your enemies” wasn’t a radical new doctrine. It was already there in the original law which He gave to Moses on Mount Sinai.
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior offered a series of contrasting statements which sound like either expansions or refutations of provisions in the Law. Each of them begins, “Ye have heard…” followed by, “But I say…” One of those says:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
Matthew 5:43-44; compare 3 Nephi 12:43-44
Jesus goes on to say that it’s easy to love people who love you. What’s special about that, He asks. Everyone does it. If you want to be like God, you will love people who are different from you, people who are hard to love (Matthew 5:45-47). He made it clear that loving only those within your circle — ‘your brethren only’ — is insufficient.
This is actually a restatement of the clear instructions Moses gave the children of Israel in Exodus 20-23. For example:
If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
Exodus 23:4-5
And…
Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 22:21; see also Exodus 23:9
Even the fourth commandment incorporates this principle. On the sabbath, you should not only offer rest to your family, employees, and animals, but also to “thy stranger that is within thy gates” (Exodus 20:10; Mosiah 13:18). That part of the commandment implies that strangers are within your circle of influence — people you have the opportunity to welcome or exclude.
Of course, it’s not surprising to find this message in the law of Moses, since Jesus was its author. “Behold, I am he that gave the law,” He reminded the Nephites and the Lamanites, “and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel” (3 Nephi 15:5). No wonder He prefaced all of those apparent supersessions in the Sermon on the Mount with this disclaimer:
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Matthew 5:17
President Dallin H. Oaks recently reemphasized this ancient law:
Many current writers characterize the time in which we live as toxic, a time of contempt or hostility toward adversaries. …
The full meaning of enemies in the sources from which King James’s translators chose the word enemies includes military foes but even extends to any who actively oppose one another. Today we might say that we are commanded to love our adversaries.
“Alive in Christ,” April 2026 general conference
President Oaks quoted the following teaching of President Howard W. Hunter:
The world in which we live would benefit greatly if men and women everywhere would exercise the pure love of Christ, which is kind, meek, and lowly. … It has no place for bigotry, hatred, or violence. … It encourages diverse people to live together in Christian love regardless of religious belief, race, nationality, financial standing, education, or culture.
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter (2015), 263
Today, I will strive to love everyone, particularly those who are hard to love. I will remember that the commandment to care for “strangers,” “enemies,” or “adversaries” is an ancient imperative that has been taught by prophets in all ages.
Leave a Reply