The Doorway of Love

Sins never tire
They ever cross the wires
Shades of Sodom...
The dregs at the bottom
Has Pandora
Yet glimpsed at Gomorrah?
Our wicked world
Screams loud and insults hurl
Each sordid fact
Exposes evil stacked
They've Light so dim
From all their sins within

Must we suffer
The twin cities' fate here
Where ill is bred
Without balm in Gilead?
Are there lovers
Of God or of pleasures?
From old Noah
Were great lessons not taught?
This time it's sin
That the world's flooded in
And what does reign?
Unholiness and pain

Where's the doorway?
Hurry, find it I pray
Where the Lord stands
Waiting with knocking hands
Written above
Reads: The Doorway of Love
It's on high ground
That our dear Savior's found
And as you near
There's echoes you can hear
"Open the door
You are, who I knock for "

Love causes change
As our lives rearrange
Love has its price
It requires we're nice
And God loves us
So He gave us Jesus
The great teacher
To love one another
He also taught
Of higher laws of thought
To understand
where love can best expand

Love's not like weeds
That spreads from wind and seeds
Love's not like rain
Dripping where e'er it came
Love can perish
When it is not cherished
So, we have Christ
Who has paid a high price
He loves each one
For us, His work was done
For each person
He bore sin's hard ransom

Little children
Can learn the Lord's lesson
"If you love me
Do as I'm commanding
As I love you
Now, love each other too"
Where's our haven?
Our safe place to live in?
It's where honor
And loving symbols are
Where contention
Has no place to station

God's found in love
As blessings from above
Where there's virtue
His love resides there, too
It's apparent
We've premortal parents
Heav'nly Father
And our Heav'nly Mother
And when love's gone
The sobbings of those wronged
Ascend up high
Against those who've shown pride

Our happiness
Hinges on righteousness
The path to joy
Comes to each girl and boy
With faithfulness
We'll press on t'wards fullness
Let there be peace
May it begin with me
A soft pillow
Helps those whose lives are low
This we'll not know
Unless our hearts do grow

Vagrants asleep
Are in need of watch keep
What can be done
In the name of the Son?
To those hungry
May our compassion be
A sparrow falls
The Savior hears its calls
He sees service
He knows concern's purpose
All love imparts
Catalysts for big hearts

Those who show care
Are often more aware
That violence
Does not cry of strength
Yet, compassion
Cries with Christ-like passion
What's of value?
Our last gifts of adieu?
This mom's locked box
T'would only hold small rocks
As she'd nothing
Why bother opening...

As though treasure
Photos of past pleasure
A young couple's
Sealing date ink bejeweled
And last inside
A child's note, "I love you"
Hearts were tender
Voices soft, eyes moister
Louis's note
A Valentines he'd wrote.
A locked box viewed
With a new attitude

We see Christ's love
Reflected in true love
At Christmas time
One finds people are kind
You can hear it
As you believe in it
You can see it
And anticipate it
You can feel it
As you grandly share it
It's yours to own
But, never just alone

Twas years ago
A class was troubled so
What could be done?
The solution, but one
The problem child
With love, must become mild
She confessed
She asked him, and was blessed
And now the boy
Became her greatest joy
And, aged, she still knew him
Through her gaze became blank and dim

In her nineties
She'd not eat... her fork teased
She knew no one
And not a word she spoke
When lunch ended
And... the words one-sided
He stood to leave
And you would not believe
He said "God Bless "
And she- "Why you're Thomas!"
She kissed his hand
Love... passed the aging sand

"How I love you,"
She said. There were tears, too-
On hands bestowed.
Now, those hands were hallowed
The air was cool
Outside the sky was blue
An azure blue
The snow was white
A crystal white
The words of the Master
Were felt deeper
"Woman, behold thy son!"
As she'd beheld this one

A wondrous gift
Graced by God was given
Heavenly blessings
Were there for receiving
At a doorway
Patiently, He'll await
Till... us He hears
And with love... Christ enters
Through a doorway
That's opened... with our faith
Through a doorway
Of love... where all is okay

This poem is best understood
if read after reading Monson's talk
Thomas S. Monson
The Doorway of Love
Ensign, Oct 1996, 2