"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:23)

In its early development, the word "keep" meant to seize, lay hold of; to snatch or take. It had the sense of to take in, or receive, or contain, or hold. In its later development it came also to mean to have regard, to care for or to reckon.

More recently, it has come to mean to pay attention to or to observe, or to dutifully abide by an ordinance, law, custom, practice, covenant, promise or faith. This would include the formal observance in a prescribed manner of a religious rite, ceremony, feast, fast or other occasion; to celebrate or solemnize. The original sense may have been to "lay hold" with the hands, and hence with the attention, "to keep an eye upon, watch" (Oxford English Dictionary).

"There is also a close affinity between keep and hold (which originally meant 'to keep watch over,' 'to keep in charge')." In many instances the words keep and hold are still synonymous, "but in later usage keep implies the exercise of a stronger effort to retain, so that have, hold, keep form a series, the members of which pass into each other with progressive intensity of action" (OED).

It is clear that keeping the commandments requires more of us than simply to pay attention to them or even observe them; it requires the complete commitment of our heart, might, mind and strength.

Keeping the commandments is inextricably intertwined with God's love for us and our love for him. Jesus taught us "if ye love me keep my commandments" (John 14:15). In addition to showing our love for God, it is by keeping his commandments, including faith in him, that we come to know him. "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments" (1 John 2:3).

Our divine tutoring is accomplished almost exclusively by receiving and keeping commandments, but not just the general commandments given to all. The Lord teaches us that if we are faithful we "shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few" (Doctrine and Covenants 59:4). The more we obey all of the commandments he gives us, including the personal promptings of the Spirit, the closer we come to him. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:2-3). "And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them" (1 Nephi 17:3).

Joseph A. Cannon is editor of the Deseret News.