Elder F. Enzio Busche, speaking at the April 1982 general conference, said that people of the world today are still refusing to accept the Savior's words found in Matthew 5:43-44:
" `Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy." `But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.' "
Elder Busche, a member of the Seventy, said: "This love that Christ is teaching us is not the same as the world's love. It does not mean just to love the one who is nice, who behaves well and is respected, powerful, and influential. Our Heavenly Father, through His prophets in these latter days, calls us to develop the love of God as a power from above that cannot be threatened through outward circumstances. This love of God, according to the prophet Nephi of the Book of Mormon, has to be achieved and is `the most desirable above all things.' (1 Ne. 11:22.)
"However, as King Benjamin, another great Book of Mormon leader, teaches us, this love of God will not be in us as long as we remain in our natural state. `The natural man is an enemy to God,' he explains. (Mosiah 3:19.) We have to overcome this natural man - this `enemy to God' - our natural self. According to King Benjamin, we have to learn to listen to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and literally make a covenant with God, accepting the atonement of the Savior, and becoming as a child - submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, and willing to submit to all things, even as a child submits to his father. (See Mosiah 3:19.)
"What a powerful message, and what a challenging responsibility! We have to learn to commit ourselves every day anew, to have our lives centered around this - the key commandment from God to His children."