Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from October 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.
About this talk
- “Lovest Thou Me?”
- Elder Steven C. Barlow | General Authority Seventy
- Saturday evening session of October 2025 general conference.
- Theme: As children of God focus on showing their love for Him, they will more easily recognize His love for them.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Barlow’s message here.
Outline
- In the parable of the prodigal son, the elder brother’s pride and self-righteousness kept him from celebrating his brother’s repentant return. Individuals may also let opportunities to express love for others pass them by. When love is freely given and received, a cycle ensues with an increase of love between both the giver and the receiver.
- God’s love is perfect and individual, but sometimes His children may find it difficult to recognize His love in their lives. The more they focus on showing their love for God, the more easily they can recognize His love for them.
Lovest thou me more than these?
- When Jesus came to Peter as a resurrected being, He asked him, “Lovest thou me more than these?” (John 21:15). Disciples of Christ show their love to Him when they put Him above “these,” which can be any person, activity or thing that displaces the Savior from being the most important influence in their lives.
Feed my sheep
- In the same exchange, the Lord said to Peter, “Lovest thou me? … Feed my sheep” (John 21:16). Individuals show love for Heavenly Father when they serve, listen to, lift or minister to His children.
- One week when a younger Elder Barlow was behind on his university studies and his yard work business, his brother did all his yard work for him. This strengthened Elder Barlow’s love and loyalty for his brother.
Confess His hand in all things
- God’s children show love for Him by acknowledging Him as the source of every good thing in their lives.
- When Elder Barlow launched a company, he and his business partner would pray before important meetings to ask for God’s help. They made it a habit to also offer prayers of gratitude.
If ye love me, keep my commandments
- Individuals also show love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as they choose to obey Them. It is not a blind or compulsory obedience but instead “affectionate obedience.”
- Heavenly Father gave His children agency to inspire them to want to choose Him. He will not force them to obey Him; He wants them to choose Him.
- God recognizes His children’s love when they put Him first, serve one another, give thanks and choose to obey. As individuals show their love for God, they will more deeply feel His.
Reflection questions
When have you felt God’s love while serving others?
What is something you can do to prioritize God right now?
How has showing gratitude to God helped you recognize His love for you?
How does serving others show our love to God?
What does “affectionate obedience” mean to you?
Speaker quotes
- “We show our love for Heavenly Father when we serve, listen to, love, lift or minister to His children. That service may be as simple as truly seeing others without judgment.”
- “We show our love for God by acknowledging Him as the source of every good thing in our lives.”
- “Heavenly Father gave us agency to inspire us to want to choose Him. His work and glory is not only to bring to pass our eternal life but also includes a hope that our greatest desire is to return to Him.”
Reference scriptures
- “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
- “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
- “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”
Invitations and promises
- “If we want to show our love for God, we should understand how He recognizes our love.”
- “There will never be enough time in a day, a week, a month or a year to get done all we want or need to accomplish. Part of the test of mortality is to use the precious resource of time for what is most important for our eternal good and to let go of those things that are less important.”
- “I testify that He yearns for us to experience His love in ways we recognize and understand. And the beautiful paradox is that we will experience His love for us even more deeply as we show our love for Him.”
Stories
- When Elder Barlow returned home from his mission, he took over a lawn-care business he and his brothers had started while also balancing his university studies. One week, heavy rain and final exams left Elder Barlow behind on yard work. When he went to catch up on the work, he found that his younger brother had taken his equipment and already trimmed each lawn. This act of service strengthened Elder Barlow’s love and loyalty to his brother.
- When Elder Barlow launched a company, he and his business partner would pray before important meetings to ask for God’s help. After one meeting, his business partner pointed out they had been quick to ask for help but slow to give thanks. They made it a habit to also offer prayers of gratitude.
- As mission leaders, Elder Barlow and Sister Christina Barlow were inspired by missionaries who chose to be obedient to show their love for the Lord.
From the footnotes
- 9. While we don’t earn God’s love through our actions, He is eager to acknowledge our expressions of love to Him by hearing our prayers, blessing us and helping us experience His love for us.
Additional resources
- Related image: “Lovest Thou Me More Than These?” by David Lindsley
- Related video: “How I Found Out God Loves Me”
- Related hymn: No. 1019, “To Love Like Thee”
Recent conference talks on love
- Elder Patrick Kearon: “Receive His Gift” (April 2025)
- Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai: “The Love of God” (April 2025)
- Elder Ricardo P. Giménez: “My Love for the Savior Is My ‘Why’” (April 2025)
Who is Elder Barlow?
- Elder Steven C. Barlow was sustained as a General Authority Seventy in the April 2025 general conference. After earning a bachelor’s degree in health education from the University of Utah, Elder Barlow worked as an executive in data analytics and quality improvements in health care and co-founded Health Catalyst.
