Hey everyone! Below is a talk that I gave in Church today! Enjoy!
Good morning brothers and sisters, the last time I was up here was over a year ago. I got pretty good at avoiding it. But my plan is obviously not perfect because I'm back up here. I'm honored to be speaking to you today. I was asked to speak on the topic of obedience. I thought that I would first turn to one of the twelve apostles. L Tom Perry said:
"Obedience
is a choice. It is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power and
God’s unlimited wisdom and omnipotence. To
succeed in life, we must teach our spirit and body to work together in
obedience to God’s commandments. If we heed the gentle promptings of the Holy
Ghost, it can unite our spirits and bodies in a purpose that will guide us back
to our eternal home to live with our eternal Father in Heaven."
This is what we should all be working for. When we listen to the still small voice of the Holy Ghost, it blesses our lives and we will be led down the path of righteousness, avoiding the path of misery through wrong decisions.
In the third Article of Faith, it tells us the rewards of keeping the commandments. "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."
In life when we follow the commandments, we are happy. In the following two scriptures, it goes on:
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." - D&C 130:20-21
"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." - Mosiah 2:41
What these scriptures say are very true. When we are following God, we are blessed in our lives and are happy.
Elder Delbert L Stapley in the October 1977 General Conference reminds us of a very important concept.
"Often
we forget that obedience must be learned. Even Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten
Son of God, learned perfect obedience, which qualified Him to serve as our
Lawgiver and Lord. In Hebrews we read:
“Though
he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
“And
being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them
that obey him.”"
Hebrews 5:8-9
So how does one learn? – BY OUR MISTAKES. And
going through hard times. Once we feel guilt and we know the happiness felt
from keeping the commandments we appreciate that feeling much more and become
more obedient.
There are multiple things that help us be more obedient. That is through doing good works and keeping the commandments. Through reading the scriptures and listening to modern-day prophets we know what we need to do and through the Holy Ghost we are enlightened.
Obedience
today requires us to stand up and not follow the crowd. The world’s standards are plummeting as we know it and God’s: Never and will ever change.
In Alma 5:57 it states:
"And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people;"
In today’s
world, we go through some of the same things that the pioneers did. We as
members of Christ’s Church are charged with the responsibility to stand as a
witness of Christ. In the days of Korihor, the church members faced hard times because he was leading the people into wickedness. The members however were diligent and steadfast. Look up to them as an example.
"For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness;
Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; nevertheless, they were steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them." (Alma 1:32, 25)
These people were surrounded with bad influences and could not avoid them. I'm sure that they had to stick together and put good things around them in order to stay and live true.
If
we surround ourselves with uplifting people, if we are standing in holy places, and partaking in righteous activities, we are setting ourselves up for
success.
With all of the temptation around us there are many decisions that we have to make every day. The question that one needs to ask themselves is that is it easier to keep the commandments 98% of the time, or 100%? The answer is found in this quote by Ezra Taft Benson.
"We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities."
It is much easier to keep the commandments 100% of the time. If we choose today, to always follow Jesus Christ, then when those hard situations come up we will already know that answer.
I would like to share an example from my dad's mission. He served in Brazil and there were a lot of baptisms there. Halfway point through his mission he was going through the motions and made it a priority to follow the mission rules 100%. His companion and himself would study the full time. They would wake up at 630. They would always be doing what they were supposed to do. He says that is the turning point in his mission. He saw miracles in his mission every single day from that point on. He was enthusiastic every day and did not want to stop serving the Lord.
Now we all need to take into consideration that none of us are perfect. If we were, then we wouldn't need a Savior. Through Christ, we may be saved. We are striving to become more like
our Father in Heaven knowing that it is not possible until we are with Him again. That is what repentance is for. It “is the way to annul the effects of a
previous lack of obedience in one’s life.” - Spencer W. Kimball
So
when Satan gets the best of you once, don’t feel defeated. Repent, get back up,
and go back to doing the things that will keep you safe and bring you back to the strait and narrow path.
In conclusion I would like to quote a song sung by our Primary children:
Keep the commandments; keep the commandments!
In
this there is safety; in this there is peace.
He will send blessings;
He will send blessings.
Words of a prophet:
Keep the commandments.
In this there is safety and peace.
We are His children; we are His children,
and we must be
tested to show we are true.
Hold
to His promises;
Hold
to His promises,
Heeding
the prophets:
Keep
the commandments.
In
this there is safety and peace.
I know that our Savior lives. He is my Friend. I know that you can turn to Him with any issues that you have. I know that being obedient is important in our journey back to our Heavenly Father. I know that families are eternal. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
