love vs. lust.

my brother and i were playing this game my parents have. it's one of those 'initiate deep conversation' type games but really it's just lame. however we did come across one question that got us talking for at least a solid hour.
'is it okay to lust after something if it doesn't hurt anybody.'
my initial reaction to this question was 'absolutely not' and after some personal study i still answer with a resounding no.
lust is counterfeit love. it is fake therefore, i think it is always harmful. if it wasn't harmful it wouldn't be lust and so the question is stupid. but we talked about it for a while. it is self-serving and greedy. i do not think lust yields anything chaste or pure or virtuous. the word alone makes me cringe. elder maxwell said this of lust, 'lust is no substitute for love, actually brothers and sisters, it chokes out the development of real love' 

my brother posed another question: 'can you lust after something you love?' we disagreed on this one. again my answer was no. i hate the thought and would be offended if i were ever associated with it. 'lust is anything but godly, and celebrates self-indulgence. love comes with open hands and open heart; lust comes with only an open appetite.' elder holland.

i don't know why i felt like posting this. probably because our conversation made me mad and my brother, love him to death, but sometimes won't listen to anybody if he disagrees with them.

someday i will find true, pure, unadulterated love. and it will not be based on lust or looks or money or anything besides the fact that we just plain adore each other. i just have to survive BYU first. [not that i'm not grateful to be there because i am!]