As a young 18 year old freshman at Brigham Young University I fell hard for a gorgeous girl from Missouri. Gina and I dated most of that freshman year but then I packed up and left her and everything else in my life to spend two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I knew that my chance of getting her back at the end of those two years was slim but I was hopeful. What I thought was love then grew only deeper as I focussed my energies on serving my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Through the scriptures, I learned that the command to love God and our neighbor have been with us from Old Testament times. We are asked to love our neighbor with all our heart, might, mind and strength. When it came to Gina, I knew I could keep that commandment easily.
My 24 months as a missionary grew to 28 months due to having suffered a knee injury in Guatemala half way through the time of my service. During my time at home recovering, I took a painting class and had the audacity of painting the temple in Washington D.C. as a gift for her. It is in our temples where marriages are performed that last not just until “death do you part” but for “time and all eternity.” In the temple we are sealed together with God as our partner. Giving her such a gift was a not so subtle reminder that I hoped that our relationship would last forever.
Now, after 31 years of marriage, the love I feel for my wife far exceeds any feeling I had in those early years. We went through medical school days together, bought our first home together, raised a family together. We have prayed together, cried together, planned, laughed and loved together.
In recent years I have pondered the passage in John where Jesus teaches, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This was taught shortly before his atonement and resurrection. This was to be a higher law. I may love my wife with all my heart but that doesn’t come close to the love that Jesus has for each one of us. His love is infinite and eternal. His love is patient and kind. It is long suffering, never faltering. It soothes and heals and makes us whole. No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to love as he loved. 
The only way for me to have the love that Jesus has is if He gives me that love. The prophet Mormon taught this concept as he implored, “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” (Moroni 7:47).
As I have prayed for this blessing, it has augmented and enriched the love I feel for my wife. The Savior has blessed our union and expanded our capacities. He never intended our relationship to be limited by the bounds of mortality but to be eternal.
Thirty two years ago when I completed my time as a missionary, I certainly didn’t know nor understand what I do today but I had a glimpse of what could become. Early in our reacquaintance, I found myself on a ski lift asking this remarkable woman, “So what are you doing for the next 45,000 years?” A bit awkward of a pick up line but my meager attempt to broach the subject of forever has become a symbol of our goal to achieve an everlasting love. The number is engraved inside the ring that she wears declaring her status as my wife and I engraved it on the bottom of this wood carving that was inspired by my attempt to love her purely. The red cedar represents the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that makes our relationship possible. The carving is a ring of sorts in its own way. Each end forms a heart, the arms of which twist so that when observed at a 45 degree angle, it forms the image of the infinity symbol. It is one eternal round. There are two additional hearts that form at the base and at the top of the carving, a representation of our four wonderful children who are sealed to us forever. Though they may go off and form their own infinity heart, they will always be a part of us just as I remain an eternal son of my own parents.
Much of this carving was done while I was in Utah caring for my dying father this summer. Jesus is indeed a “man of sorrows; acquainted with grief...surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows...and with his stripes we are healed” (see Isaiah 53:3-5). I have felt the tender arms of my Redeemer during these difficult times. I am grateful for the knowledge that through the ordinances of his gospel eternal love is possible.
