If you have ever sat through a lesson on how to love your spouse better, the 5 love languages will almost inevitably come up. For those of you who have not had the “joy” of sitting through such a lesson, here is a quick summary of the 5 love languages. In 1995 Gary Chapman came out with a book called The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.
The five love languages have helped many couples understand how to express love in a language their spouse can understand and understand how they feel love themselves. The love languages include gift giving, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, and physical touch. Understanding your spouse’s love language can help husbands and wives more fully express their love for each other.
We often hear lessons and talks about how to love our spouse better and how to show that love. As we work on loving our spouse and showing that love, our relationships are strengthened and we feel closer to our spouse. Yet, how many times are we taught about the love languages we have with our Heavenly Father. How do we feel love from our Heavenly Father and how do we show our love to him? Here are a few love languages we can have with our Heavenly Father.
5 love languages to show our love for our Heavenly Father
1. Loving our familyOur Heavenly Father gave us our families because he loves us. He knows that the greatest blessing we can receive in this life and the life to come is being part of a family. We show our love for our Heavenly Father by loving our families well.
Brethren, let’s treat our wives with dignity and with respect. They’re our eternal companions. Sisters, honor your husbands. They need to hear a good word. They need a friendly smile. They need a warm expression of true love…To you who are parents, I say, show love to your children. You know you love them, but make certain they know it as well. They are so precious. Let them know. Call upon our Heavenly Father for help as you care for their needs each day and as you deal with the challenges which inevitably come with parenthood. You need more than your own wisdom in rearing them.
- Thomas S. Monson, First Presidency Message August 2011
Our neighbors are our brothers and sisters. Just as we show our love to our Heavenly Father by caring for our immediate families, we also show our love to our Heavenly Father by caring for our brothers and sisters.
A few years ago I read an article written by Jack McConnell, MD. He grew up in the hills of southwest Virginia in the United States as one of seven children of a Methodist minister and a stay-at-home mother. Their circumstances were very humble. He recounted that during his childhood, every day as the family sat around the dinner table, his father would ask each one in turn, “And what did you do for someone today?”1 The children were determined to do a good turn every day so they could report to their father that they had helped someone. Dr. McConnell calls this exercise his father’s most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner desire to help others.
- Thomas S. Monson, 2009 October General Conference
In the scriptures, our Heavenly Father gives us clear instruction that “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). It does not get any clear than that.
4. Fulfilling our callingsOur Heavenly Father asks for our help by extending callings to us. We show him our love by striving to fulfill our callings.
I learned for myself that as we magnify our office unto the Lord, He will bless us and watch over us.
- Elder Bruce A. Carlson, March 2012
Just as earthly parents want to hear from their children who have moved out of the house, our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us. Our Heavenly Father wants to hear about our lives, our struggles, our successes, what we are grateful for, and anything else we want to tell him. As we pray to him we show him our love.
5 love languages our Heavenly Father shows us His love
1. The gift of the Holy GhostTo me, the gift of the Holy Ghost is as important to man as sunshine and water are to the plants. You take them away, and the plants would die. You take the Holy Ghost out of this Church, and this Church would not be any different than any other church. And it is manifest in so many ways in the lives and the devotion of the members of the Church.
- Legrand Richards, The Gift of the Holy Ghost (1979)
Our Heavenly Fathers answers our prayers. He shows his love by giving us the guidance and answers we need to live righteously.
3. Blessings from Heaven
Our Heavenly Father showers us with blessings from heaven as he shows us his love.
4. Giving us families
The children’s LDS hymn sums this up perfectly:
God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—This is how He shares His love, for the family is of God.
- LDS Hymn, The Family is of God
Our Heavenly Father gives us an opportunity to grow and become as He is. Heavenly Father shows us his love as he helps us become as He is.
I have often pondered, Why is it that the Son of God and His holy prophets and all the faithful Saints have trials and tribulations, even when they are trying to do Heavenly Father’s will?...Why is it so hard, especially for them? … Why such terrible tribulation? To what end? For what purpose?...As we ask these questions, we realize that the purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences.
- Elder Hales, General Conference 2011
These are just a few of the love languages that we have with our Heavenly Father. As we show our Heavenly Father our love and He shows us his love, we will strengthen our relationship with him and become closer to him.
