Here the lesson summary from April 28, 2013

Loye Painter gave the lesson from a talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The First Great Commandment." 
 
There is almost no group in history for whom I have more sympathy than I have for the eleven remaining Apostles immediately following the death of the Savior of the world. I think we sometimes forget just how inexperienced they still were and how totally dependent upon Jesus they had of necessity been. To them He had said, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me. . .?"

 

Three years isn't long to call an entire Quorum of Twelve Apostles from a handful of new concerts, purge from them the error of old ways, teach them the wonders of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then leave them to carry on the work. Quite a staggering prospect for a group of newly ordained elders. Repeatedly Jesus had tried to tell them He was not going to remain physically present with them, but they either could not or would not comprehend such a wrenching thought.

 

Then the unthinkable happened. Their Lord and Master, their Counselor and King, was crucified. The struggling little Church He had established seemed doomed to scorn and destined for extinction. His Apostles did witness Him in His resurrected state, but that only added to their bewilderment. As they surely must have wondered, "What do we do now?" they turned for an answer to Peter, the senior Apostle.

 

Elder Holland paraphrases: ... "Peter said, So you ask, 'What do we do now?' I don't know more to tell you than to return to your former life, I intend to go  fishing."  And at least six out of the ten remaining Apostles went with Peter. John, who was one of them, writes, "They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately."

 

The first night back on the lake, they caught nothing. With the first rays of dawn, theydisappointedly turned toward the shore. There,in the distance was a figure who called out to them, "Children, have you caught anything?" And they answered back we have caught nothing." Then the voice said "cast the net on the right side, and with those simple words, recognition begins to flood over them. Now it was happening again. They eagerly lowed their net, and "they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. John said the obvious: "It is the Lord."

 

After a joyful reunion with the resurrected Jesus. Looking at their battered little boats, their frayed nets, and a pile of 153 fish, Jesus said to His senior Apostle, " Peter do you love me more than you love all this?" Peter said, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." The Savior continues to look Peter in the eyes and again said, Peter do you love me?  Undoubtedly confused a bit, Peter answered a second time, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.  And then the third time the Savior asked, "Peter, do you love me?"  Almost automatically, Peter said for the third time. "Lord, . . . thou knowest that I love thee."

 

To which Jesus responded [Elder Holland's non-scriptural elaboration].... Wasn't it obvious then and isn't it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples-- and I need them forever, I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do.

 

The first and greatest commandment of them all is--"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind."

 

And if at such a moment we can stammer out, "Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee," then He may remind us. The crowning characteristic of life is always loyalty.

 

Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

 

We have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do.

In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord.

 

Thank you so much, Loye, for the wonderful lesson.