Seeing Through the Filter of Charity

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had a constant filter in front of us that helped us see people as the Lord sees them? If we could place something in between our eyes and another person or situation that gave us a new understanding or added dimension?

I had a very sacred experience a few years ago that taught me about the “pure love of Christ.”  I was praying for help to understand one of my children in a very quiet and personal moment. With my eyes closed I suddenly saw this child in a specific place in my home, but he appeared blurry, as if there was a screen or curtain filtering what I could see. Through this filter I felt like I was looking at the “pure” version of my child, unobscured by the usual thoughts, feelings, and pressures of an imperfect mother. I quickly realized that I was being given a glimpse of the pure love of Christ, a little taste of the way our Savior knows and loves each of us. It was a feeling I will always treasure and try to remember.

This experience clarified my understanding of charity and how to seek it. I have always loved the teachings about charity in the Book of Mormon, and particularly in Moroni 7:47-48:  “Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.” I prayed with all the energy of my heart for specific answers about how to parent my child, but instead I was filled with a new and greater love for him and an ability to see him as he truly is. I had a new desire to see everyone through this filter of charity so I could love them more like the Savior does.

Not long after my own experience, I listened to one of the great leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints relate something similar from his own life:

“I remember once a seven- or eight-year-old son of ours jumping on his bed hard enough that I thought it might break. I felt a flash of frustration, and I moved quickly to set my house in order. I grabbed my son by his little shoulders and lifted him up to where our eyes met. The Spirit put words into my mind. It seemed a quiet voice, but it pierced to my heart: “You are holding a great person.” I gently set him back on the bed and apologized… I am eternally grateful that the Lord rescued me from my unkind feelings by sending the Holy Ghost to let me see a child of God as He saw him.” (Henry B. Eyering, My Peace I Leave with You)

How would our interactions change if we truly saw each person as a child of God who is unconditionally loved by Him? Do we sometimes wait for another person to change before we allow ourselves to fully love them or show that love? If we understood what they were going through or what their potential might be, would it change the way we treated them? Christ knows and loves each of us perfectly and will eventually provide a final judgment based on his perfect justice and mercy. Dallin H. Oaks gives great insight into how we should use our agency to make “intermediate judgments.” He explains that “righteous judgment will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or self-interest. The Book of Mormon teaches: ‘For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain … as the daylight is from the dark night.’” We may be required to judge so that we can avoid evil, but in doing so we must rely on the Spirit of the Lord and not on our own limited understanding.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had a constant filter in front of us that helped us see people as the Lord sees them? If we could place something in between our eyes and another person or situation that gave us a new understanding or added dimension? I don’t even think it needs to provide us with details or specific information – it just needs to remove judgment and assumptions and comparisons – it needs to remove social or physical barriers that separate us – it needs to surpass our own limited view and help us accept a new perspective and understanding beyond our own.

I love President Eyering’s counsel to “allow the Holy Ghost to affect what we see when we look at one another—and even when we think of each other… It takes having the Holy Ghost as a companion to open our eyes and temper our feelings.” I am so grateful for the experience I had when the Holy Ghost helped me “see with the pure love of Christ.” I pray that I can always be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost to help me see and love others more like Christ sees and loves all of us.

I invite you to read President Eyering’s talk and “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart” to know how you can increase feelings of charity in your own life.