Love the giver more than the gift.

The saying urges a reordering of values: relationships and the character of the benefactor should matter more than whatever is received. In a religious frame often associated with Brigham Young’s preaching, it can be read as counsel to prize God (the ultimate “giver”) above temporal blessings, and to respond to generosity with gratitude and loyalty rather than acquisitiveness. More broadly, it cautions against transactional affection—loving people only for what they provide—and recommends cultivating love grounded in persons, intentions, and covenantal bonds rather than in material outcomes.