In my
article God's
Love being conditional and unconditional, I discussed how the Scriptures teach that God has plural
loves, that he unconditionally loves
all people in that Christ died for all and salvation is open for all (e.g., 1
Tim 2:4) but his covenantal love is
conditional.
In his book (which I recommend, btw), Towards
a Latter-day Saint Theology of Religions, UK-based Latter-day Saint James
D. Holt wrote the following in a footnote that also touches upon this issue:
In arguing against unconditional love, Nelson
has suggested “many verses” [of scripture] affirm that the higher levels of
love the Father and the Son feel for each of us—and certain divine blessings
stemming from that love—are conditional.” Russell M. Nelson, “Divine
Love,” 20. This may be uncomfortable for some Latter-day Saints; indeed,
when Nelson’s remarks were published the Ensign
received numerous complaints. When properly developed, however, it is a
coherent expression of Latter-day Saint belief. When blessings are seen as an expression
of love, the realization that there are “levels” of love is the result.
Does this mean the Lord does not love the
sinner? Of course not/ Divine love is infinite and universal. The Savior loves
both saints and sinners. The Apostle John affirmed, “We love him, because he
first loved us.” And Nephi, upon seeing in vision the Lords’ mortal ministry,
declared: “The world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing
of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him,
and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of
his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.” We
know the expansiveness of the Redeemer’s love because he died that all who die
might live again. Nelson, “Divine Love,” 20.
The level of divine love and what people
receive is dependent on their acceptance and living of Gospel principles. It is
only when people acknowledge the blessings (including salvation) that they
receive as expressions of love, rather than a determined process that God
begrudgingly follows, that they understand the love of the Godhead as perfect
and universal in its application, but also as conditional. (James D. Holt, Towards a Latter-day Saint Theology of
Religions [2020], 151 n. 64)
