On friends and friendship

This week I attended the 18th birthday party of a young woman named Jenny. She was radiant in a beautiful satin gown with a fitted extension underneath her dress so that her dress bowed out from her waist and she looked like a fair lady from the eighteenth century.

The MC introduced the programme. First came the Quotidien dance and a parade of young men and women danced as partners as also did Jenny and her partner. Then afterwards she danced individually with 18 men, young and old and I was one of them. Each presented her with a red rose and after a short dance the next took his place until all 18 had presented her with a red rose. Afterwards 18 of her female friends presented her one by one with a lit candle and each said a few words of love or friendship before presenting her with the candle. There followed the giving of gifts.

I marvelled how it was that someone could be so fortunate to have so many friends. Anyone who has a friend, even one friend is so blessed. A true friend is a real treasure in a world of shifting values.

A true friend is someone who loves you or cares enough about you to be there for you when needed, someone who can be counted on and who is dependable, trustworthy and supportive.

A true friend is someone who would not talk about you behind your back nor hurt you with indiscretion and innuendo.

A friend is someone whose advice you can rely on and who you can trust - someone who places your interests at least at the same level as their own or higher.

A friend is always ready to share what they have and to give something of their own heart with sincerity.

A true friend will never betray you – no matter what the price and even if you are less than perfect they will still be there and overlook or forgive your smaller or larger weaknesses or failings.

True friendship is never one-sided. It requires both parties to feed, nourish and nurture the relationship so that if maintained and sustained will bond the hearts of two persons together as one.

The path of true friendship may be thorny at times and may have many obstacles to be surpassed but true friendship will endure through time and continue into the eternities.

We all need a friend at times and the best of friends are what we should be able to call each husband and wife, each parent and child. When my first wife and I entered the London Temple to be sealed for time and eternity the counsellor in the Temple Presidency who interviewed and spoke to us before the sealing took place told us that we should be each others best friend.

It is a blessing beyond measure to have a friend who will be true to us and believe in us, keep faith in us and with us sustain all the good and precious values that are the foundation of love, truth and justice even at the cost of their own life.

How fortunate we all are to have such a friend.

His name is Jesus Christ.

We may not be able to see him everyday, anymore than we can always be in the presence of our mortal friends, but he is real and he is alive. He has given us life through the sacrifice of his own life.

His advice and counsel is that of an all knowing and loving father who wants us like any true parent and friend to enjoy true and lasting happiness.

He never does anything to hurt us, never speaks an ill word of us except when we may need his open and frank assessment of the direction of our lives. His friendship has no alterior motivation, no axe to grind, no evil intent. In his friendship there is no deceit – his only desire is our eternal happiness, our security, our peace and to be able to share with us his joy.

He loves us as only a true friend can love another. He will never disappoint and never turn his back on us. He is unassuming and will never force himself on us, regardless of his all-knowing wisdom. He will stand by when we are determined to make the wrong decisions and still is willing to keep his friendship open for us if, as and when we decide that we are brave enough to admit our mistakes and seek again for his hand of friendship.

He is totally dependable and completely honest and best of all, he is always there for us whatever the time of day or night, no matter how busy he may be creating worlds and finding room for those of his children who are too busy being occupied with today and who don’t want to live so as to return to live with him in his eternal mansions.

To those of us who espouse his truth and endeavour to live by it with all our hearts and minds we are blessed insomuch that he calls us his friends. His friendship is our greatest treasure in this life.

We should all take care not to turn away our hearts from his nor allow our friendship with the world to replace or damage our friendship with He who is the only true friend we may ever have in this and any other life.

The best way we can show Jesus that we are his friend is to be a friend to him. We can best do this by respecting his teachings, his counsel and by following it. We can best show our love and support for him by showing our love and support for another. We can best enjoy friendship and even gain many friends if we ourselves are a friend to others, just as Jesus has been and is to us.

Friendship can endure time. True friendship can endure almost anything. It demands our determination to be true to Him who is the author and finisher of our faith – our God, our elder brother and our true friend.