Love thy Neighbor as Thyself

Love thy neighbor as thyself. I've always construed this to mirror the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you." It wasn't until a couple of days ago that this hit me in a completely new, glaringly obvious, light. The commandment reads, "Love thy neighbor as thyself"... and the remarkable truth is that we do just that. We are only able love others as much as we love ourselves.

This would explain why the first commandment is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart," and the second is to "love thy neighbor as thyself." It is not feasible to give sincere love to others unless we first understand God's love for us - a testament gained through loving Him with all our heart, might and mind and strength. As we begin to know of our divine heritage and believe in our own worth, only then will we recognize the great worth of others.

Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen said, "Charity and love for one’s neighbor are best developed when one has a healthy sense of self-respect. Self-respect comes from obedience to the laws of God. Those with a strong sense of self-respect have a greater capacity to forget themselves and love others. Conversely, those who are insecure about their self-worth often become more self-centered and less capable of building strong, loving friendships."

Let us love ourselves a little more and never forget who we are. Royal children of God. There is no room for self-loathing or disparagement.... for an empty vessel has nothing to give.