Pure Love
by Shauna Gibby

True love lasts forever. It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father bears for us.

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Conference Talk:

For more information on this topic read “The Great Commandment,” by Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, Nov 2007, 28–31

Thought:

True love lasts forever. It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father bears for us. (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Great Commandment,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 28–31)

Song:

“As I Have Loved You,” Children’s Songbook, p. 136.

Scripture:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:37–39)

Lesson:

Cut out a bunch of red paper hearts. Pass a few out to each family member. Have them write down kind deeds that another family member has done for them on each heart and tape it to the wall. Soon the wall will be filled with love. (adapted from Kimberly L. Bytheway and Diane H. Loveridge, Traditions, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 17.)

Story:

It was just a harmless prank, that’s all it was. And it wasn’t as if Old Lady Hayes didn’t deserve it. The way she used to scream at us for “borrowing” a few of her precious raspberries each summer, like we were stealing gold out of Fort Knox . . . well, she had it coming. At least, that’s the way we saw it as George finished tying the string to the red, heart-shaped box. We giggled as Ron added the final touch: two plastic red roses, glued to the lid. “I wonder what will surprise her most,” I asked as George practiced jerking the box out of reach by yanking on the string. “Seeing a box of candy on her step, or watching it fly away when she tries to pick it up?”

We laughed as we watched George make Albert chase the box around the garage. For a chubby 10-year-old, Albert did a good imitation of Mrs. Hayes’s hunched hobble and her seemingly permanent scowl. And we howled when he picked up a broom and pretended to ride it through the midwinter air while shouting, “I’m Old Lady Hayes, the driedest-up old prune in the West!”

Ron was first to notice my dad in the doorway. Within seconds, Ron’s anxiety was shared by all but Albert, who continued to swoop around the garage until he came face-to-belt-buckle with our silent observer. For a moment the only movement in the room came from the little puffs of steam escaping our mouths. Dad broke the stillness by walking slowly to the empty candy box lying on the floor. He picked it up and dangled it by the string, watching it swing back and forth. Then he looked into the eyes of the frightened boys. And, as was his custom, he looked into their hearts as well.

“It doesn’t seem so long ago that I was pulling Valentine’s Day pranks,” he said as he laid the box on a workbench. “One year my cousins and I decided to pull one on our Grandma Walker even though we loved her. We were just feeling devilish and decided to have some fun at her expense.

“Early in the evening we snuck up to her doorstep with a can of red paint. Grandma was hard of hearing, so we didn’t have to worry about being very quiet. Which was a good thing, because every time we thought about how funny it was going to be to see Grandma try to pick up a valentine that was just painted on her doorstep, we couldn’t keep from laughing.

“It didn’t take long, and it wasn’t very artistic. But for an old woman with bad eyes, it would do. We kicked the door and hid behind bushes. When Grandma finally appeared she stood in the doorway, her gray hair pulled back tightly into her usual bun, wiping her hands on her usual apron. She must have heard the commotion in the bushes because she looked in our direction and spoke loudly enough for us to hear: ‘Who could be knocking at my door?’ Then she looked down. Even from fifteen feet away we could see the joy in her eyes when she spotted a splash of red at her feet.

“‘Oh, look! A valentine for Grandma!’ she exclaimed. ‘And I thought I’d be forgotten again this year!’

“She tried to retrieve her prize. This was the moment we had been waiting for, but somehow it wasn’t as much fun as we expected. Grandma groped at the fresh paint for a moment. Slowly, she figured out the prank. She tried to smile. Then, with as much dignity as she could muster, she turned and walked back into her house, absently wiping red paint on her white apron.” Dad paused, and for the first time I noticed that his eyes were moist. He took a deep breath.

“Grandma died later that year,” he said. “I never had another chance to give her a real valentine.”

He took the box from the bench and handed it to me. Then he turned and left the garage.

Later that night a red, heart-shaped box with two plastic roses on it was placed on Mrs. Hayes’s front doorstep by six giggling boys. We hid behind snow-covered bushes to see how she would react to receiving a full pound of candy and nuts. With no strings attached. (Joseph Walker, Look What Love Has Done [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2007].)

Activity:

Make special valentines for the widows in your neighborhood. Talk about the specific people and try to decorate the valentines according to what you think they like. Draw pictures of special talents they have, and write a note inside wishing them a happy Valentine’s Day. (Kimberly L. Bytheway and Diane H. Loveridge, Traditions, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 16.)

Refreshment

Cutout Sugar Cookies

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Butter Cream Icing

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 4 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside. In a large mixer bowl cream together sugar, shortening, and eggs. Add milk, vanilla, and lemon extract; mix at low speed. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, soda, and baking powder. Add to the sugar mixture until well incorporated. Roll out 1/8-inch thick; cut out in desired shapes. Bake for 6 minutes, being careful not to overbake. Cookies should be light golden brown around the edges. Frost with Butter Cream Icing. Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies.

Icing instructions: In a large mixer bowl combine butter, shortening, and sugar and beat until very creamy. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Add water and mix until very light. (Lion House Desserts, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2000], p. 103.)

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Deseret Book

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