14- (5-1-23) OBEDIENCE

 14- Hello family! We love you so much and hope you all have a great week. Below are some thoughts I had during the week. Thanks for letting me share them with the most important people in my life :)

In the temple this week the combination of the words “true and faithful” stood out to me. 

What does it mean to be true. To me it describes an honest and obedient person. One is true when they act according to what they deem to be right or correct.

What drives a “true” person to be obedient?

• For many it is because they feel it is the right thing to do
• Some obey because that is what they were taught to do
• Some make certain choices because they are worried what others may think if they don’t
• Others obey simply because they were asked to
• There are those who obey for the rewards of obedience
• As we become more like Christ we choose to obey to honor our covenants and to show love to our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ

Ask yourself why you “choose” to be obedient or “true”.

What does it mean to be faithful. The world defines faithful as remaining loyal or steadfast to something or someone ( similar to “true”). Faithful in the scriptures or as we are taught in the temple connects not only being loyal or steadfast, but to be loyal and steadfast to God. I will always remember Sister Holland’s simple teaching of the definition of faith. She said, “ faith is the conviction that there is a God.”We have a conviction that the commandments and laws we are taught through scripture and living prophets are from God. 

Therefore being true and faithful is when we are obedient to what we believe God has asked of us. When we strive to live as close as we can to the Spirit we “choose” obedience out of love for God over all other driving forces. For sure there are blessings that are associated with each commandment or law given, and there is nothing wrong with seeking those blessings as we obey. But there will always be times in our lives where we struggle to want to keep a certain law or commandment. Or there may be one we don’t understand. Those are the times when our faithfulness is tested and strengthened as we simply obey out of love for God. 

We may feel at times that certain commandments don’t apply to us, or that we can manage by letting our guard down or relaxing in a particular area of the gospel. The Savior gave us the best example to follow when being obedient to something that didn’t really seem to “apply” to him.

2Neph:31

6 And now, I would ask of you … wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

If we sometimes scratch our heads wondering why we have been asked to do this or that, let us follow the Savior and obey out of love and humility to our Father in Heaven. 

Invitation: Take a few minutes to think about those commandments that prove difficult for us to follow. It could be something in our day to day lives like reading our scriptures, or serving with full purpose of heart in a particular calling. It could be obeying “all” the mission rules, or not justifying what we read or watch or listen to. It will look different for each of us. Then ask ourselves, how can we make a change (repent) in our lives to show exact obedience in this area and a greater amount of love and humility towards our Father in Heaven.

 

I like this quote Avery shared in Come Follow Me this week from Elder Renlund. “ God is clear about what is right and acceptable to Him and what is wrong and sinful. This is not because He desires to have mindless obedient followers. No, our Heavenly Father desires that His children knowingly and willingly choose to become like Him and qualify for the kind of life He enjoys.”

I love you each so, so much! Mama and I hope you have a wonderful week and are so proud of all you are accomplishing! Love,

Dad