Effort and love

As I was studying the Epistle of James this week, I thought a lot about the idea that faith without works is dead. What that meant to me is that if you really believe something, it will propel you to action. It will become an object of your attention. And the attention we give to the bids of our loved ones is what relationships are ultimately made of.

For my toddler, it's easy. When he does something he's proud of, he will look at me and smile. My job is to look back at him and smile. 

For other family members, paying attention to bids sometimes requires a little more focus. But I have to remind myself that if I have faith that my family matters long-term (and a hope that it will matter to them long-term too!), then I need to act like it matters now. 

Of course, this principle applies to more than just family. Any value -- friendship, work, church, community engagement, and even hobbies -- will be tested by our limited time. And what we do with that time demonstrates how much faith we have in any given cause.

 As President Nelson says, "The Lord loves effort," and I believe that is because effort creates love.