Divine Love It is the desire of worthy parents to love their children as God loves us, His children. Somehow, however, there is a misunderstanding among many parents about what God’s love really is. Some mistakenly think it is unconditional love. That is not correct. God’s love is not unconditional, rather it is perfect love. Elder Russell M. Nelson addressed this topic in the Ensign, February 1993, under the title, “Divine Love.” Elder Nelson stated, “While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional.” In his October 2009 general conference address, Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke about “Love and Law.” He said, “God’s choicest blessings are clearly contingent upon obedience to God’s laws and commandments. The key teaching is from modern revelation: ‘There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated-and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated ‘” (D&C 130:20-21). Elder Oaks also stated, “The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God’s laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love.” He referred to Elder Nelson’s 1993 article. It is important for us as parents to understand this as we strive to love, nurture, and teach our children following the example and pattern our Heavenly Father has set for us. Unfortunately, too many parents misunderstand and/or misinterpret the Lord’s way. I have concluded that our Father in Heaven loves us because of our worth (John 3:16, Ether 12:33). We have worth because we are His children and have the potential to become like Him. God loves us because He is good, not necessarily because we are good and always merit His love. In the midst of sin, it is easy to think God could never love us because of what we have done (or because of what others have done to us). There is nothing we as His children can do to make God stop loving us. However, we do have to experience the consequences of our behavior. God blesses us according to our worthiness (D&C 82:10; 130:20-21; 132:5). For example, no matter how much He loves us as His children, He does not allow us to visit His House (the Temple) unless we are worthy. No matter how much a parent loves his child, he or she should not allow the child the use of the family car if the child is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In 1 Nephi 17:35 it states, “Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God.” It goes on from there to explain that God prospers a righteous nation and destroys a wicked nation. The conclusion in verse 40 states, “And he loveth those who will have him to be their God.” My interpretation of verse 35 is that God loves all men (because His love is perfect), but the righteous receive the promised blessings (because of their obedience). He especially delights in those who covenant to be His people. It would be wise, therefore, to avoid using the word “unconditional” in speaking of God’s love. Doing so misleads parents (the root of much insecurity, inconsistency, permissiveness, and unwise enabling) and confuses children (the root of much conflict, resentment, and misbehavior). Parents who make the distinction between unconditional and perfect love feel more confident and comfortable in expressing love toward their children and they are able to deal with misbehavior more appropriately. When parents base their interactions with their children on the true principle of perfect, divine love, everyone involved is ultimately blessed. No Comments | Post or read comments FEATURES |
May 18, 2026
May 18, 2026
