I am grateful for the opportunity to ponder the importance
of obedience in Heavenly Father’s plan for us to become like him. President
Joseph F. Smith taught in October conference 1873, “Obedience is the first law
of Heaven.” President Gordon B. Hinckley promised, “The happiness of the
Latter-day Saints, the peace of the Latter-day Saints, the progress of the
Latter-day Saints, the prosperity of the Latter-day Saints, and the eternal
salvation and exaltation of this people lie in walking in obedience to the
counsels of … God” (Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 125).
Fortunately for us, we are “instructed sufficiently that
[we] know good from evil” (2Ne. 2:5).
Unfortunately, we do not always make righteous choices and sometimes we
give in to temptation. The bad news is that the Lord “cannot look upon sin with
the least degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31). The good news is that He is
merciful to us, “Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the
Lord shall be forgiven” (D&C 1: 32).
Sister Blickenstaff recently taught me the meaning of
something that the prophet Isaiah recorded in three different chapters: For all
this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still (see
Isaiah 5, 9 and 10). Why would the Lord’s anger not be turned away? Perhaps
because there are consequences attached to our disobedience that He has no
power to dismiss. As Alma taught,
“There is a law given, and a punishment affixed” (Alma 41:22), and “mercy
[cannot] rob justice” (see Alma 41:25). Perhaps it is because we distance
ourselves from Him when we choose not to obey.
Fortunately for us, the scripture repeatedly echoes, “his
hand is stretched out still.” There is “a repentance granted; which repentance,
mercy claimeth… and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved” (Alma
41:22,24). We are not presently
required to be perfect. We are here to learn by our experience, and this
implies that mistakes will be made. As long as we recognize our mistakes, learn
from them, and become “truly penitent,” the process of making mistakes can give
us opportunity to turn our weaknesses into strengths (Ether 12:27).
In the Taiwan Taichung Mission we are learning to be
obedient. I hope it can be said of each missionary, “Yea, and they did obey and
observe to perform every word of command with exactness” (Alma 57:21). Obedience has its own rewards, not
necessarily connected to key indicators. Missionaries are asked to live a very
high standard, a very consecrated life. As we strive to rise to this standard -
every day of our missions – we are giving to the Savior the only thing He would
never take from us. “The
submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to
place on God's altar. The many other things we 'give' are actually the things
He has already given or loaned to us” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Oct. 1995 Gen.
Conf.).
The more obedient we can be in the “small” things, such as
getting up on time, following the daily schedule, adhering to the guidelines in
the Missionary Handbook and the Rules and Clarifications, etc., the more likely
we will go forth to serve with the Holy Ghost as our constant companion. Only
through that companionship can we have strength and wisdom to manage the bigger
problems with which we are faced, such as helping others come unto Christ. Our
confidence to “ask of God...in faith” (James 1:5-6) will wax strong. We can be
like the Nephites, of whom it was written, “Yea, in the strength of the Lord
did we go forth…. And God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we
did go forth in his might…” (Mos. 9:17-18).
Let’s do everything we can, individually and collectively,
to obediently go forth in His might each day.
President Blickenstaff
Mentor of Obedient Champions
PS. We currently have 14 baptisms for the month of July. We
have 18 week A goals and 19 week B goals. If we can help them progress and be
baptized according to their goals, we would have a great harvest of souls this
month. Note: our total number of baptismal goals currently stands at 147. This
is the lowest it has been in a long time. I am not especially concerned about
this as long as we are continuing to be challenging and testifying missionaries
who invite others to be baptized early in the teaching process and then do all
that we can to help them realize their goals.
