“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18). “And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.” (Moroni 8:26). “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). I have always assumed that if I am feeling fear and would like to have it cast out with perfect love, then I had to exert my own effort and willpower to make my love perfect, so that I could then cast out my fears with my now perfect love. This is perhaps well-meaning but ultimately foolish. I am an imperfect being and am thus capable of only loving imperfectly. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, I could speak with the tongues of angels, sell all that I have, and even give my body to be burned, but none of those things on their own will get me any closer to having charity, or the pure, perfect love of Jesus Christ. Perfect Love can only come from a Perfect Source. Perfect Love is a gift from God, delivered by the Spirit to those who are meek and lowly of heart and who endure by diligence unto prayer with all the energy of heart. Although we are imperfect beings, we can be filled with perfect love, but only as a gift from God. As often as we live worthily of and pray earnestly for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, He will fill us with this perfect love, and while we are abiding in this perfect love, our fears will be cast out. We can only grow by facing our fears, but we do not have to face them alone. It may be somewhat of a weird concept to pray for perfect love when we are scared to death, but if we will pray with all of the energy of heart, then our Heavenly Father will fill us with His perfect love and we will know with perfect knowledge that He is mightier than all of our fears and that He will not allow us to endure more than we are able to bear. I know that like many of you I struggle to have perfect love, but I also know that if I pray with all the energy of heart and endure with diligence and invite with meekness and lowliness of heart the visitation of the Holy Ghost, then I can be given the gift of perfect love.
