Best friends ever!

At youth conference, we had these little classes based on the Strength of Youth. I chose to go to the one about friend. And let me tell you, it was probably the most spiritual experience of the conference. Including the fireside on Sunday. We started out writing down the qualities of our ideal best friend. Now, when I think of best friends, three people come to mind. Jesus Christ, Lanelle Alldredge, and my future spouse. Now, granted, I don't know who my future spouse will be, but I have four wonderful brothers, a wonderful daddy, and wonderful leaders like my Bishop and past seminary teachers. So I know what a good and worthy priesthood holder should be like. And I know my future spouse will be my best friend. So I have a picture in my head of what he will be like. And Lanelle, well, she IS my best friend here on Earth. Well, I have many really, really good friends. But she's on the tip-top of the list. She's seen me at my best, and often times at my worst, and loves me despite it all. We can be total brats to each other, but then two seconds later, be laughing and complimenting each other. She makes me laugh when I need it most, and brightens up my day. She strengthens me by the way she lives and her steadfast example. We can be totally sarcastic with each other and tease each other brutally, but we always know that we love each other. She tells it to me straight when I need it, because sometimes bluntness is what I need. Basically, we're going to be best friends forever. And then that brings us to Jesus Christ. But I'm going to leave Him for later. (Wow, that sounds like blaspheme. But there's a point to it, I promise!)

After we made the list, we talked about what makes a friendship. Love was the obvious answer. Friends love each other. Otherwise, it'd be a not-too-fun friendship. So how do we make sure we love our friends and make that love increase? People came up with all sorts of answers, but the one that we focused on, and possibly the most important one, was service. As you serve you begin to understand those you're serving better, and then you begin to love them even more. As you serve, you develop charity. You feel the pure love of Christ for those you serve. So, we should be serving those around us, of course. But we should make an effort to serve our friends. Our love for them will increase. We will grow closer to them. But they aren't the only ones we will grow closer to. When we serve, we'll grow closer to Christ. So, we discussed why that happened and why we developed charity. Then this scripture came up:

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" Matthew 25:40.

So, who's this King? Well, who is the King of Kings? Jesus Christ, right? So, this brings us back to him.

Jesus Christ is my best friend. Like the best friend ever. This is because of what He did for me, because of the Atonement. Since He suffered for me and has gone through everything I have, He has earned that title. He automatically becomes the Best Friend Ever. He's given me the opportunity to repent and have eternal life. But, the thing we must think about, the question I must ask here is, am I Christ's best friend? Am I doing what it takes to become His best friend? Actually, how do I become His best friend? Well, the previous scripture answers that question. Service. But then, how does serving others serve Christ? Because it does. In a very literal way.

Think back to all the Christ did for us. Specifically in Gethsemane. Didn't He go through everything we have and will go through, in a very personal way? Didn't He feel our sorrows, our pains, and also our joys? He went through all that we have. He has felt exactly what we have. So, in a very real and literal sense, when you serve someone, you are serving Christ. When you lift some one's burden, you are lifting a part of Christ's burden. In contrast, when you hurt someone, or bring someone down, you are doing the same to Christ. I don't know about you, but I'd never want to do that to Him. I'd prefer to help Him out.

The love that you feel for the person you have served, is, I believe, you feeling the love that Christ feels for you. And maybe the love He feels for the person you served. Because as you serve someone, you take a look into that person's life and begin to understand them better. So, as you do that, you do that with Christ also. Because Christ has intertwined Himself into the lives of everyone around us. As we serve others, we are showing our love for, not only them, but Christ. Which brings us closer to Christ.

I'm sorry, I know I've kind of been all over the place with this post. And I don't know how much of it makes sense. But hopefully the Spirit has been able to testify to you the things that it testified to me in that class during youth conference. To end, I'd like to share this quote by President Hinckley.

"Never lose faith in your opportunity to lift those who are in need, to give strength to those who are weak, to give encouragement to those who falter by the way."

Serve those around you. Serve your friends and increase your love for them. And increase your love for Christ. There are so many in need of your light and your strength. We have been commanded to love everyone. So shouldn't we strive to serve everyone? Don't look for ways people can be your best friend. Look for ways you can be their best friend. And strive to become Christ's best friend. I want nothing more than to be able look into Christ's eyes and hear Him say "Welcome home, little sister. Welcome home, best friend."