Love All; Love Each

Some time ago, a journalist asked me this simple yet profound question: “What do you know now, after being ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles?” My response came instantly: “I have learned that I can love even more.”

Over the past few months, my wife, Valérie, and I have been deeply moved by the outpouring of love and prayers from Saints around the world. Through you, my dear brothers and sisters, we have felt the love of God more intensely than ever before in our lives. And in response, our own ability to love has grown in ways we never expected.

Christlike love grows and multiplies as it is shared. When we show others the pure love of Christ, they come to recognize more fully how deeply the Lord cares for them—and, in turn, their own capacity to love is enlarged and strengthened.

Years ago, while spending peaceful time in the beautiful countryside, I stepped outside after sunset to rest on a lounge chair. The night was so dark that I could hardly see anything. Instinctively, I looked up and noticed a tiny flickering point of light, then another. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the sky filled with stars.

I thought, “This is like our relationship with God.” Some think He is distant, and life feels heavy as a result. But if they pause to reflect on His presence in their lives, they will find that He is near—quietly present, far closer than they imagine.

As I pondered this idea, a question from one of David’s psalms came to mind:

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars … ;

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

The answer that follows is deeply comforting: “Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”

This is the miracle of God’s relationship with us: The universe is vast beyond comprehension, yet every soul carries infinite worth in the eyes of our Creator. Though we may seem small in a physical sense, each of us is personally known, remembered, and loved by our Eternal Father and by His Son, Jesus Christ.

In 1905, after a conversation with a friend who had long endured serious health challenges, Civilla D. Martin found inspiration for the beloved hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” When Civilla asked her friend how she avoided discouragement, she replied, “How can I be discouraged when my Father watches the sparrows, and I know He loves and cares for me?”

Her words echoed the Savior’s teaching that no sparrow falls without the Father’s notice—and that even “the very hairs of [our] head are all numbered.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell added that the God who governs galaxies also guides our personal lives. “God is in the details!” he said. “… He knows and loves each and all of mankind!”

I bear witness of this truth: God and His Son, Jesus Christ, love all—and They love each.

While studying scriptures in English, I noticed dozens of verses in which the words all and each (or every) appear together. For example, we learn in Mosiah: “He [speaking of the Lord] remembereth every creature of [His] creating, [and He] will make [Himself] manifest unto all.”

The word all speaks to the universal reach of God’s love. The word each (or every) testifies of His power to care for each individual soul.

This dual reality is most clearly manifested in Jesus Christ’s Atonement. All sons and daughters of God, without exception, will receive a full opportunity to access its supernal blessings. Yet it is a remarkably intimate gift, tailored to each individual’s needs and applied to one person at a time.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we bear witness of Him whenever we share His love with all around us—and help it take root in each person we meet.

To love all and to love each are not two different kinds of love but the same divine love expressed on two scales—one expansive enough to embrace the whole world and the other personal enough to notice a single individual with unique needs, circumstances, and life story.

First, loving all.

Are we selective, or exclusive, in determining who deserves our love, or do we extend Christlike love to all with whom we associate?

The Lord asked, “If ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?” To Him, all people upon this earth are our neighbors—there are no strangers or outcasts, only brothers and sisters.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “a man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”

Discipleship was never meant to be a comfortable circle of familiar friends focused on their own interests. Rather, our congregations are a beautiful mosaic—enriched by diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences—yet united in devotion to Christ.

Service in the Church expands our circle of love and widens our associations. We meet people from all walks of life—new friends, brothers and sisters in need, recent converts, and missionary or ministering companions. We don’t serve only those we already love; rather, we come to love people as we serve them.

Second, loving each.

Do we interact superficially with others, or do we genuinely seek to know and care for each person we meet?

Though He was often surrounded by multitudes, the Savior always gave His full attention to the one—one sheep, one leper, one Samaritan woman, one little child, one soul at a time. In His love, no one was ever lost in the crowd.

Likewise, in the Church of Jesus Christ, there should be no anonymity. As we enter the fold of Christ through sacred covenants, we are known, accounted for, and cared for—one person at a time.

Through my service, both in and out of the Church, I have learned that even those people who at first seemed insignificant have become some of the most remarkable and uplifting individuals I know. There is wonderful depth—so much to love—in every soul.

I have always enjoyed the tale of Beauty and the Beast—not only because it is set in France or because I can easily relate to Lumière’s lovely accent but because of the beautiful truth it illustrates.

Belle is taken prisoner in a haunted castle by a fearsome and repulsive beast—who is, in fact, a young prince trapped by a spell in the body of a terrifying monster. Rather than judging him by his appearance, Belle learns to see beyond it. She comes to understand that the Beast’s bitterness, rude manners, and sudden anger are only a facade, hiding a wounded soul yearning to love and be loved.

Through Belle’s patience, personal kindness, and loving care, an astonishing transformation begins—one that starts deep within the Beast’s soul and ultimately changes even his outward appearance. The spell is broken, and the young prince is restored, bringing great joy to all who gather to celebrate their new king and queen.

In a similar way, as we extend Christlike love to each person we serve, our eyes are opened to their divine potential. We begin to see them as the Lord sees them—mortal souls with the capacity to become exalted beings through the Savior’s restoring power and grace.

As we care for each soul, we help connect them to the Savior, inviting them to be healed and transformed through His atoning blood. In return, our own lives are blessed—we become more like the Savior and are filled with great joy.

My dear brothers and sisters, as one of His special witnesses, I testify that our Savior, Jesus Christ, loves us more than we can ever imagine. In the words of the hymn, “For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

May we follow the Lord’s perfect example and learn to love all and to love each, just as He does. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.