The Cost of Love: Learning to Be a Self-Gift

Brothers and sisters, when we talk about discipleship, we often focus on the outward acts—the hours spent in the field, the earnestness in our missionary discussions, the commitment to keeping the covenant. And those things are vital, truly. But sometimes, the deepest work isn't about *doing* something; it's about *being* something.

I was recently pondering a talk that really hit home, one that dug into the very definition of love as taught in the scriptures. It got me thinking about what it means to be truly made for connection, for selfless giving. It’s a concept that feels both incredibly simple and impossibly hard to live out day-to-day.

The Self-Gift: More Than Just Feeling Good

The speaker beautifully laid out that when we look at the narrative of the Fall, it’s not really a story of God being "angry." It’s, in fact, a remedy—a profound teaching moment. God wasn't cursing Adam and Eve; He was showing them the *cost* of love. He was teaching them that love, the kind that builds Zion, requires sacrifice.

Think about it: Self-preservation, the desire for pleasure apart from sacrifice. That’s the natural inclination, isn't it? It’s easy to want the good things without the toil, the giving, or the vulnerability. We all fall into that trap, whether it’s in our relationships, our callings, or even in our own spiritual habits.

Being a Disciple Anywhere, All the Time

This really resonated with me because it frames discipleship not as a special assignment, but as a constant state of being. It means that whether you are in the MTC, or you are serving in a tough stake area, or you are simply at home doing laundry, you have the opportunity to choose self-gift. You have the chance to choose to defend your companion, to trust the Father when it’s scary, to endure the toil for the sake of the gospel.

It’s about realizing that the divine blueprint for us was always for love—to be a gift from Him to others. And that gift requires us to be willing to be a gift of ourselves.

If you want to dive deeper into this beautiful, challenging theology, I highly recommend watching this talk. It really unpacks the difference between a curse and a remedy.

What Does This Look Like in Our Day-to-Day Work?

As we continue the work, whether we are preparing for our own missions or supporting our brothers and sisters who are serving, this principle of self-gift is our guiding star. It’s what separates a casual acquaintance from a true disciple.

If you’re feeling the pull toward more deep scripture study, I encourage you to check out the HolyPlaces platform. They have some excellent Book Clubs going on right now that focus on covenant keeping. Or, if you prefer a one-on-one deep dive into doctrine, setting up a Bible Study Group is a powerful way to practice this self-gift together.

For those of us who are still in the prep phase, or who are just trying to sharpen our testimonies, remember that every small act of service, every time you choose patience over frustration—that’s you practicing the divine remedy. That’s you learning to love like the Bible teaches.

Let’s keep striving to be the kind of disciples who don't just *talk* about the Savior, but who actively *become* the self-gift He offered to us.

If you want to wrestle with the harder questions—the "what ifs" of the gospel—I still recommend running through a session with Davee. He’s fantastic at role-playing those tough investigator questions.

For reading material to ponder this week, check out the latest Iron Rod author available in LivingBook. It’s a great way to keep the doctrinal gears turning!