If you love Me

John 14:15  “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Prophet Joseph Smith taught

"Obedience is the first law of heaven… without obedience there could be no union or order, and chaos and confusion would prevail…for it is on this principle that the designs and purposes of God are accomplished.”  (Journal of Discourses)

Cecil B. DeMille, director of the epic biblical film The Ten Commandments, told the student body at Brigham Young University:

“We are too inclined to think of law as something merely restrictive—something hemming us in. We sometimes think of law as the opposite of liberty. But that is a false conception. That is not the way that God’s inspired prophets and lawgivers looked upon the law. Law has a twofold purpose. It is meant to govern. It is also meant to educate . .

“. . . And so it is with all the Commandments.

“We must look beneath the literal, the surface meaning of the words. We must take the trouble to understand them; for how can we obey commands that we do not understand? But the Commandments too have an educative function—which you can see in the life of anyone who keeps them. They produce good character. The Ten Commandments are not rules to obey as a personal favor to God. They are the fundamental principles without which mankind cannot live together. They make of those who keep them faithfully, strong, wholesome, confident, dedicated men and women. This is so because the Commandments come from the same Divine Hand that fashioned our human nature.

“God does not contradict Himself. He did not create man and then, as an afterthought, impose upon him a set of arbitrary, irritating, restrictive rules. He made man free—and then gave him the Commandments to keep him free” (“Commencement Address,” in Commencement Exercises, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [31 May 1957], 4–5).

Obedience is the first law of heaven.

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.

When the Plan of Salvation was presented we shouted with joy and volunteered to come to earth to prove our willingness to obey our Heavenly Father.

But obedience must be voluntary.

Helaman 14:30–31

And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.

“Half obedience will be rejected as readily as full violation, and maybe quicker, for half rejection and half acceptance is but a sham, an admission of lack of character, a lack of love for Him. It is actually an effort to live on both sides of the line.” (Mark E. Petersen, in Conference Report, Apr. 1982, 21; or Ensign, May 1982, 16).

Commandments where given to us because God loves us and wants us to become like Him. Our obedience to God’s commandments is an expression of our love for Him.

“There is not a man of us but what is willing to acknowledge at once that God demands strict obedience to his requirements. But in rendering that strict obedience, are we made slaves? No, it [strict obedience to God’s commandments] is the only way on the face of the earth for you and me to become free, and we shall become slaves of our own passions, and of the wicked one, and servants to the Devil, if we take any other course” (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, 225).

The Lord chastens us because He loves us. He wants us to return back to Him, He wants us to be successful, to have joy.  He wants us to reunited back with our Father in Heaven.  The Lord promises temporal and spiritual blessings to those who obey His commandments. He promises peace, hope, and His spirit. The Lord provides a way for us to obey all His commandments because obedience to divine law makes us free. This is the purpose of the Plan of Salvation, this is the reason He came to earth, this is the reason He suffered in Gethsemane and the reason He hung on the cross.

Matthew 18: 1-6

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

In dealing with our faults, short comings, and addictions we must first above all be honest.

Always remember that there is hope; no matter how bad we think it is because with God all things are possible.

Trust in god.  We must trust God because if we could overcome the issue by ourselves it would have been done already. Realizing we cannot do it alone is a step in the right direction.

Be truthful about your problems when you talk to God.  You can lie to your spouse, boss, and church leaders, you can even lie to God but He knows. He looks straight into your heart; He knows.  Be truthful and honest.

If the sin is of a serious nature or one that you just cannot shake seek out the assistance of the Bishop.  He cannot forgive you but he can guide you.

Become as a child; become humble and seek the Lord in forgiveness. Don’t let your bull headedness and adult attitude stand between you and peace.  Be humble and admit to God that you need His help.

As part of the forgiveness process we must make amends for our sins and seek reconciliation.  This is hard. This is part of being humble. To admit to someone you made a mistake and to try to repair the damage is not easy.  Depending on the issue restitution and reconciliation could take a long time.  When you break trust, confidences, and damage relationships it is not just a matter of admitting a mistake.  It takes work.  Breaking trust and discarding covenants is a serious matter. We are commanded to forgive all people if they ask but repairing damage takes effort and unconditional love. Sins are never committed alone. Everyone connected with us is impacted.

Next is daily accountability – this means prayer and checking in with you sponsor; your wife, bishop or counselor.  Nothing is worse than the same problem happening day after day. You need to “kill” the problem so that they do not come back. You must forsake the sin and fix it but on this journey must you must also improve your overall righteousness. Nothing is ever separate it is all intertwined.

Mark 9: 43-48

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

The Lord does not want us to maim ourselves but He does want us to do whatever is necessary to rid ourselves of our addictions and our sins. If that means disconnecting the internet, then do it.  If it means cancelling cable or satellite then do it.  Stay out of bars, don’t sit in a room alone in the dark, and maybe you have to change friends.  Whatever it takes the Lord expects us to do it.

 

Finally a day will come when you realize that you have been forgiven.  It will come through personal revelation.  What a joy. What a lifting of burdens and sorrows and cares.  You will cry.  You will cry again each time you partake of the sacrament. Elder Packer taught that you may never be fully free from the temptations. You may have to submit to them till the day you die. But being tempted does not mean you have to give in to the temptation.  You must stay humble. You must maintain daily accountability.  You must be honest.  You must stay clean. The best way to assure this is to serve others.  Lose yourself in the service of your fellowmen.

In closing I would like to quote from Hebrews 12: 1-5;

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Given in the Rincon Ward July 8, 2012