The world sends confusing and conflicting messages. It may be hard to navigate the waters of morality when it seems to be so relative these days. What is right? What is wrong? Is there a way to know which path to follow to have joy and peace in an ever-increasingly turbulent world?
The answer is yes. We can find peace and joy. We can know what’s right and what’s wrong. We have a light to guide us in the darkness. It is in following the example of Jesus Christ, in becoming like him, that we can overcome the mixed messages of the world as well as our own weaknesses and find our way back to our Heavenly Father.
As we read and study the scriptures, we can emulate The Savior’s qualities and characteristics. We know that he was meek. Does that mean he was weak? Absolutely not. He was willing to submit his will to the Father’s, but he was never weak. He was humble and lowly of heart, which means he did not think he knew more than Heavenly Father. Yes, he had the power to forgo the agony of the atonement, but he was willing to do his father’s will no matter how painful. He came to glorify the Father not himself.
He was full of love and compassion. His love was unconditional. Sometimes, it’s difficult to understand the concept of loving someone, but not loving his or her choices. We’re told by loved ones or friends that if we don’t accept their lifestyle choices then we don’t love them, They do not understand the concept of unconditional love. The Savior loves us all despite the choices we make and the sins we commit. Does he approve of, or accept, sin? No. He cannot look on sin with the least degree of allowance, yet he still loves us.
Jesus was constantly serving others. He didn’t focus on himself, he lost himself in the service of others. He spent time teaching, healing, and speaking to those that would listen and believe. He spent hours upon hours at a time teaching the gospel without complaint.
He was obedient. He did not argue or complain, he simply followed the commands of Heavenly Father. Through the story of Saul in the Old Testament we learn how important it is to be obedient and Jesus was the ultimate example of obedience.
As we face different decisions in our life, we can follow the pattern he’s set for us and ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” Would he yell at the person who cut him off in line, call someone an ugly name, or belittle someone? Would he be impatient, unkind, or cruel? Would he lie, cheat, or steal? Would he gossip, avoid a calling, or skip church to go to the lake? When we ask ourselves what the Savior would do, it makes the decision much clearer than when we depend on our own ability to make decisions.
It is a lifelong pursuit to become like the Savior. It’s not easy to overcome our human tendencies. But, the more that we follow his example, the easier it will be to overcome our weaknesses, make better decisions, and become like him. The Savior said, “Come follow me.” As we do this, we will find the peace that only he can offer us.
Return to the neighborhood.
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, our newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Neighborhood Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Showing posts with label Obedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obedience. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Learning from Saul
Studying the Old Testament had been quite interesting. The choices of the children of Israel continue to fascinate me. It seems like they all have short-term memory loss. The best example of this is when Moses parts the Red Sea, a miracle right before their eyes, and after they cross on dry ground, they choose to fashion an idol out of gold. It’s hard to understand why the majority of those who had witnessed God’s power would fall away so easily.
Later on, during the time of Samuel, again the Israelites made a bad choice when they asked Samuel for a king. Samuel tried to warn them of the dangers of having a king, but they wouldn’t listen and insisted on a monarch. The Lord, in his infinite love and patience with the house of Israel, revealed to Samuel that Saul should serve as king because he was a “choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he . . .” (1 Samuel 9:2). Apparently, the Lord was allowing the Israelites to use their free agency to choose a king and he wanted to give them the best opportunity to succeed.
Saul proved to be a good king for a time until he made the mistake of performing a priesthood ordinance that he was not authorized to perform. He was instructed to wait for Samuel and then Samuel would offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but Saul, after waiting the seven days that Samuel asked him to wait, became worried that his army would be destroyed before Samuel came to offer the sacrifice. Saul apparently understood that he needed the Lord’s help, but instead of waiting for the Lord’s anointed servant, he took it upon himself to offer the sacrifice.
When Samuel found out, he told Saul, “Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever” (1 Samuel 13:13). The Lord was planning to manifest great power through Saul, but could no longer do so because Saul had not kept the commandment to wait for Samuel and had offered the burnt offering himself.
Saul was then commanded to kill all the Amalekites, but chose to save their wicked king, Agag, and some of their best animals for the purpose of sacrificing the animals to the Lord. Because of this choice, the Lord rejected Saul as king and the spirit of the Lord left him. Samuel taught Saul a very important lesson, “ . . .Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).
What can we learn from Saul? He was, at one time, a righteous man who wanted to serve the Lord and listen to Samuel, but then made the mistake of relying on himself instead of on the Lord. How many times do we try to make decisions without the Lord? Or, know what the Lord wants us to do, but think we know better than the Lord? Saul could’ve been a great leader and been an important instrument in the hands of God. So it is with us. We can also be great instruments in advancing the kingdom of God, but we must hearken to his counsel and follow his commandments. When we do, the Lord will magnify us in ways we cannot even comprehend.
Return to the neighborhood.
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, our newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Neighborhood Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Later on, during the time of Samuel, again the Israelites made a bad choice when they asked Samuel for a king. Samuel tried to warn them of the dangers of having a king, but they wouldn’t listen and insisted on a monarch. The Lord, in his infinite love and patience with the house of Israel, revealed to Samuel that Saul should serve as king because he was a “choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he . . .” (1 Samuel 9:2). Apparently, the Lord was allowing the Israelites to use their free agency to choose a king and he wanted to give them the best opportunity to succeed.
Saul proved to be a good king for a time until he made the mistake of performing a priesthood ordinance that he was not authorized to perform. He was instructed to wait for Samuel and then Samuel would offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but Saul, after waiting the seven days that Samuel asked him to wait, became worried that his army would be destroyed before Samuel came to offer the sacrifice. Saul apparently understood that he needed the Lord’s help, but instead of waiting for the Lord’s anointed servant, he took it upon himself to offer the sacrifice.
When Samuel found out, he told Saul, “Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever” (1 Samuel 13:13). The Lord was planning to manifest great power through Saul, but could no longer do so because Saul had not kept the commandment to wait for Samuel and had offered the burnt offering himself.
Saul was then commanded to kill all the Amalekites, but chose to save their wicked king, Agag, and some of their best animals for the purpose of sacrificing the animals to the Lord. Because of this choice, the Lord rejected Saul as king and the spirit of the Lord left him. Samuel taught Saul a very important lesson, “ . . .Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).
What can we learn from Saul? He was, at one time, a righteous man who wanted to serve the Lord and listen to Samuel, but then made the mistake of relying on himself instead of on the Lord. How many times do we try to make decisions without the Lord? Or, know what the Lord wants us to do, but think we know better than the Lord? Saul could’ve been a great leader and been an important instrument in the hands of God. So it is with us. We can also be great instruments in advancing the kingdom of God, but we must hearken to his counsel and follow his commandments. When we do, the Lord will magnify us in ways we cannot even comprehend.
Return to the neighborhood.
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, our newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Neighborhood Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Obedience
After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, Adam offered the firstlings of their flocks unto the Lord. An angel appeared to Adam and asked him why he was offering sacrifices. “ . . .And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me,” (Moses 5:6). Adam didn’t know why he was offering these animals, only that he had been commanded to do so. Adam was willing to be obedient even when he didn’t understand why.
One year, my father presented my mother with diamond stud earrings. Since they were a young couple, they couldn’t really afford such an extravagant gift, but he wanted to give my mom something special. Not too long after that, my father was killed in an automobile accident. Those earrings became a symbol of a love and marriage that was tragically cut short.
A few years later, my mother let a neighbor pierce my ears. The neighbor marked my ears and then took a needle and thread and pierced my ears. Again, my small family was forever changed when my mother passed away.
As I grew into a teenager, the holes in my ears became uneven. I didn’t want my earrings to look off-balance so my grandmother allowed me to have them pierced again. Since I then had two holes in my ears, I chose to wear one of my mother’s diamond studs in one ear and gave the other stud to my sister to wear.
I wore my mother’s diamond stud earring for years and years in addition to another pair of earrings. I never removed my mom’s earring because it was symbolic to me and very sentimental. One day, I listened to President Hinckley as he reiterated the counsel about body piercings. He asked that we only wear one pair of earrings. I was torn. I reasoned that it was such a small earring; no one would know the difference. I also believed that wearing that one earring would not change my testimony or cause me to fall away from the church. I could absolutely justify wearing my mom’s earring, until I realized it was really a question of obedience.
Was I willing to be obedient even though I didn’t understand or necessarily agree? Would an earring really stop me from progressing? I decided to remove the earring in hopes of helping me become more obedient in other things.
Just as Adam was obedient, so must missionaries be obedient to the Lord by obeying the mission rules. Some of the rules may not make sense or the missionaries may not agree with them, but there is power in obedience. As missionaries bend their wills to the Lord’s will and serve with obedience in all things, they will be blessed in their efforts to teach the gospel.
Mission rules are there for a reason. Whether the rules are to keep the missionaries safe physically or spiritually, it’s imperative that missionaries keep the rules because obedience brings forth blessings.
Return to the neighborhood.
One year, my father presented my mother with diamond stud earrings. Since they were a young couple, they couldn’t really afford such an extravagant gift, but he wanted to give my mom something special. Not too long after that, my father was killed in an automobile accident. Those earrings became a symbol of a love and marriage that was tragically cut short.
A few years later, my mother let a neighbor pierce my ears. The neighbor marked my ears and then took a needle and thread and pierced my ears. Again, my small family was forever changed when my mother passed away.
As I grew into a teenager, the holes in my ears became uneven. I didn’t want my earrings to look off-balance so my grandmother allowed me to have them pierced again. Since I then had two holes in my ears, I chose to wear one of my mother’s diamond studs in one ear and gave the other stud to my sister to wear.
I wore my mother’s diamond stud earring for years and years in addition to another pair of earrings. I never removed my mom’s earring because it was symbolic to me and very sentimental. One day, I listened to President Hinckley as he reiterated the counsel about body piercings. He asked that we only wear one pair of earrings. I was torn. I reasoned that it was such a small earring; no one would know the difference. I also believed that wearing that one earring would not change my testimony or cause me to fall away from the church. I could absolutely justify wearing my mom’s earring, until I realized it was really a question of obedience.
Was I willing to be obedient even though I didn’t understand or necessarily agree? Would an earring really stop me from progressing? I decided to remove the earring in hopes of helping me become more obedient in other things.
Just as Adam was obedient, so must missionaries be obedient to the Lord by obeying the mission rules. Some of the rules may not make sense or the missionaries may not agree with them, but there is power in obedience. As missionaries bend their wills to the Lord’s will and serve with obedience in all things, they will be blessed in their efforts to teach the gospel.
Mission rules are there for a reason. Whether the rules are to keep the missionaries safe physically or spiritually, it’s imperative that missionaries keep the rules because obedience brings forth blessings.
Return to the neighborhood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)