Ezra Taft Benson - Ensign, May 1998, p.81
I love this quote from our last Sunday School lesson. If obedience became a daily quest our strength in the gospel of Christ couldn't help but grow by leaps and bounds. Daily decisions and actions would fall much more easily in line with the will of God.
Why is obedience the first law of heaven?
“The windows of heaven are open wide to the faithful and righteous; nothing closes them faster than disobedience. …
“… Diligent, enduring obedience to God’s laws is the key that opens the windows of heaven..."
(Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 101; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 75–76; see also D&C 64:34).
Every blessing we receive is based on our obedience. (see D&C 130:20–21)
I don't always know the exact reasons behind what we are asked to do, but just because He said so should be enough.
"The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe he has our welfare at heart, may we not let his plans unfold as he thinks best? The same is true . . . with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord's timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes."-Dallin H. Oaks: Even As I Am, p 93
"While you are passing through your trials, the pain and difficulty that comes from being enlarged will continue. If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love."-Richard G. Scott, Trust in the Lord, Ensign, November 1995, p 17
"Brothers and sisters, if God loves us enough to send us prophets, then we need to love Him enough to follow them." Sheldon. F. Child - Oct. Gen. Conf. 2003
I love the opportunity I have to teach the 12-13 yr. old girls each Sunday. Not because it is the most pleasurable task, (infact I get anxious about it each time) but because of what I get out of the lessons each week. The standards and teachings of the gospel really do set us free rather than restrict us.
"The greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right." Thomas S. Monson - Oct. Gen. Conf. 2002
"The devil is ready to blind our eyes with the things of this world, and he would gladly rob us of eternal life, the greatest of all gifts. But it is not given to the devil, and no power will ever be given to him to overthrow any Latter-day Saint that is keeping the commandments of God. There is no power given to the adversary of men’s souls to destroy us if we are doing our duty. If we are not absolutely honest with God, then we let the bars down, then we have destroyed part of the fortifications by which we are protected, and the devil may come in. But no man has ever lost the testimony of the Gospel, no man has ever turned to the right or to the left, who had the knowledge of the truth, who was attending to his duties, who was keeping the Word of Wisdom, who was paying his tithing, who was responding to the calls and duties of his office and calling in the Church." Heber J. Grant - Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J Grant
How do people that have been to the temple and have knowledge of the truth fall away? They stop doing the basics mentioned in the last quote. They stop obeying.
We just need to do what we have been asked to do. It's a lot, but I can't think of a good reason that it should be any less. It's hard when we make mistakes and hard to live with the consequences of other's mistakes and choices. Today I will forgive all and pray they will forgive me.
From a talk I gave back in April of this year: A good friend makes it easier to live the gospel, not harder.
Let us do nothing in our lives to cause our sons or daughters, friends or strangers, to stumble because of our example.
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