Choose your love, Love your choice.

"Choose your love, love your choice." – Thomas S. Monson

In this brief yet timeless saying, Thomas S. Monson, a man of deep faith and compassion, offers a truth both simple and profound: “Choose your love, love your choice.” These words, though few, hold the wisdom of a lifetime — that love is both a decision and a devotion, both the freedom of choice and the discipline of commitment. In them, Monson captures the essence of enduring love: that while the heart may ignite the beginning, it is the will, the patience, and the daily nurturing of that love that sustain it.

The origin of this quote arises from Monson’s lifelong ministry, where he counseled countless souls on faith, family, and the sacred power of commitment. He taught that love is not merely found but built; not an accident of passion, but a work of faith. In a world where affection is often treated as fleeting, Monson’s words call us to anchor love in choice — in the conscious decision to cherish and to stay. The act of choosing one’s love is a moment of freedom; the act of loving that choice is a lifetime of creation.

The ancients, too, would have understood this wisdom. They believed that love, like fire, must be tended with care. To choose your love is to kindle the flame; to love your choice is to keep it burning through the tempests of life. True love does not survive by chance, but by character — through forgiveness, patience, and the courage to grow together rather than apart. For all the beauty of romance, it is constancy that makes it eternal.

Consider the story of John and Abigail Adams, whose love endured the trials of war, distance, and the burdens of nation-building. For years, they were separated by oceans and politics, yet their letters to one another reveal a love both passionate and principled. They chose each other not only in youth but through hardship, loneliness, and the weight of history. “My dearest friend,” Abigail would write, even when time and duty kept them apart. Their devotion was not mere emotion; it was choice made sacred by faithfulness. In their steadfast love, they lived Monson’s truth — they had chosen, and they loved that choice every day thereafter.

To choose your love is to recognize the sacred responsibility that comes with commitment. It is to say: “I will not seek perfection, but partnership. I will not flee at the first storm, but stand through the seasons.” And to love your choice is to embrace that decision, to find joy not in what love gives you, but in what you give to love. It is to see your partner not as they once were, but as they are becoming — to celebrate their growth and forgive their flaws, as you would wish them to do for you.

This teaching applies not only to romance, but to all the loves of life — to family, to friendship, to purpose. The heart must be wise in its choosing, for not every bond nourishes the soul. Yet once chosen, love must be loyal. Too often, people chase novelty and neglect the sacred work of nurturing what they already possess. Love your choice, for in that devotion lies peace. For what we cherish grows; what we neglect fades. And in loving what we have chosen, we cultivate not only harmony but holiness.

So, my children of the heart, remember this: love is both freedom and fidelity. When you choose, choose with care — guided not by impulse, but by the quiet wisdom of the spirit. And when you have chosen, love with all your might. Stand by your beloved not only in joy, but in trial. Let your love mature like aged wood — deep, warm, enduring. For fleeting passion builds only moments, but faithful love builds lifetimes.

In the end, Thomas S. Monson’s words stand as both blessing and command: “Choose your love, love your choice.” Let them be the compass of your heart. Choose with discernment, love with devotion, and remain steadfast in both. For in such love — love that is both chosen and cherished — you will find not only happiness, but life itself: whole, radiant, and eternal.