Obedience
Daily Gems - 23 October 2009
Walk in Obedience
“Read section 89 in the Doctrine and Covenants. You will find great promises:
‘All saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
‘And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
‘And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.’ ”
Topics: Obedience
Young Single Adult Gems - 12 October 2009
Obedience
“Obedience opens the door to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And the spiritual gifts and abilities activated by the power of the Holy Ghost enable us to avoid deception—and to see, to feel, to know, to understand, and to remember things as they really are.”
Topics: Obedience, Holy Ghost
Church History Gems - 7 October 2009
Flood of Light and Truth
"The Father and His Beloved Son appeared to [Joseph Smith] in answer to his prayer. And he was told how to act, as he had desired. He obeyed like a child. He was told to join none of the churches. He did as he was told. And because of his faithfulness, in the days and months and years ahead his prayers were answered with a flood of light and truth. The fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the keys of the kingdom of God were restored to the earth. His humble dependence on God led to the Restoration of the gospel, with authority and sacred ordinances. Because of that Restoration, we have the chance to choose the most priceless independence to be free of the bondage of sin through the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ."
Church History Gems - 25 September 2009
Heart Filled with Love of God
"Our hearts can only be drawn out to God when they are filled with love for Him and trust in His goodness. Joseph Smith, even as a boy, gave us an example of how we can come to pray from a heart filled with the love of God and then pray unceasingly through a life filled with trials and blessings.
"Joseph started for the grove to pray with faith that a loving God would answer his prayer and relieve his confusion. He gained that assurance reading the word of God and receiving a witness that it was true. He said that he read in James, 'Let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him' (James 1:5). His faith to ask of God in prayer came after pondering a scripture which assured him of God's loving nature. He prayed, as we must, with faith in a loving God.
"He prayed with the intent not only to listen but to obey. He did not ask only to know the truth. He was committed to act upon whatever God would communicate to him. His written account makes clear that he prayed with real intent, determined to comply with whatever answer he received."
Young Single Adult Gems - 21 September 2009
The Importance of Our Physical Bodies
“All of us can find enjoyment in a wide range of wholesome, entertaining, and engaging activities. But we diminish the importance of our bodies and jeopardize our physical well-being by going to unusual and dangerous extremes searching for an ever greater and more exhilarating adrenaline ‘rush.’ We may rationalize that surely nothing is wrong with such seemingly innocent exploits and adventures. However, putting at risk the very instrument God has given us to receive the learning experiences of mortality—merely to pursue a thrill or some supposed fun, to bolster ego, or to gain acceptance—truly minimizes the importance of our physical bodies.”
Topics: Obedience
Daily Gems - 18 September 2009
Entering into Binding Covenants
“I testify that in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is found the priesthood authority to administer the ordinances by which we can enter into binding covenants with our Heavenly Father in the name of His Holy Son. I testify that God will keep His promises to you as you honor your covenants with Him.”
Daily Gems - 16 September 2009
Process to Gain a Testimony
“You gain a vibrant, life-changing testimony today the same way it has always been done. The process hasn’t been changed. It comes through desire, study, prayer, obedience, and service. That is why the teachings of prophets and apostles, past and present, are as relevant to your life today as they ever have been.”
Daily Gems - 14 September 2009
Influences That Erode Faith
“First is doubt. . . . It comes from a lack of confidence in one’s self or abilities. It is inconsistent with our divine identity as children of God.
“Doubt leads to discouragement. Discouragement comes from missed expectations. . . . Discouragement leads to distraction, a lack of focus. . . . Distraction leads to a lack of diligence, a reduced commitment to remain true and faithful and to carry on through despite hardship and disappointment. . . . This path ultimately leads to disobedience, which undermines the very basis of faith. So often the result is disbelief, the conscious or unconscious refusal to believe.”
Topics: Consequences of Sin, Obedience
Youth Gems - 29 July 2009
Strengthened by Gifts and Blessings
“As we walk in obedience to the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we enjoy a continual flow of blessings promised by God in His covenant with us. Those blessings provide the resources we need to act rather than simply be acted upon as we go through life.”
Topics: Holy Ghost, Obedience
Young Single Adult Gems - 29 July 2009
You Are Enlisted in the Lord’s Army
“You will need bravery and you will need boldness because you are enlisted in the Lord’s army in the last dispensation. This is not a time of peace. That has been so since Satan arrayed his forces against our Heavenly Father’s plan in the pre-mortal existence. We don’t know the details of the combat then. But we know one result. Satan and his followers were cast down into the earth. And since the creation of Adam and Eve, the conflict has continued. We have seen it intensify. And the scriptures suggest that the war will become more violent and the spiritual casualties on the Lord’s side will mount.”
Topics: Obedience
Church History Gems - 10 July 2009
Counsel of Prophets
"When tensions ran high in northern Missouri in the fall of 1838, the Prophet Joseph Smith called for all the Saints to gather to Far West for protection. Many were on isolated farms or in scattered settlements. He specifically counseled Jacob Haun, founder of a small settlement called 'Haun's Mill.' A record of that time includes this: 'Brother Joseph had sent word by Haun, who owned the mill, to inform the brethren who were living there to leave and come to Far West, but Mr. Haun did not deliver the message' (Philo Dibble, "Early Scenes in Church History," in Four Faith Promoting Classics [1968], 90). Later, the Prophet Joseph wrote: 'Up to this day God had given me wisdom to save the people who took counsel. None had ever been killed who [had abided] by my counsel' (History of the Church, 5:137). Then the Prophet recorded the sad truth that innocent lives could have been saved at Haun's Mill had his counsel been received and followed. . . .
"Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm's way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety. Along the path, I have found that the way had been prepared for me and the rough places made smooth. God led me to safety along a path which was prepared with loving care, sometimes prepared long before."
Topics: Obedience
Young Single Adult Gems - 3 July 2009
Conform to the Will of God
“Early Church leaders in this dispensation confirmed that adhering to the covenant path provides the reassurance we need in times of trial:
“ ‘It was [the knowledge that their course in life conformed to the will of God] that enabled the ancient saints to endure all their afflictions and persecutions, and to take . . . not only the spoiling of their goods, and the wasting of their substance, joyfully, but also to suffer death in its most horrid forms; knowing (not merely believing) that when this earthly house of their tabernacle was dissolved, they had a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Cor. 5:1.)’ (Lectures on Faith [1985], 67).“They further pointed out that in offering whatever sacrifice God may require of us, we obtain the witness of the Spirit that our course is right and pleasing to God (see Lectures on Faith, 69–71). With that knowledge, our faith becomes unbounded, having the assurance that God will in due time turn every affliction to our gain. Some of you have been sustained by that faith as you have endured those who point fingers of scorn from the ‘great and spacious building’ and cry, ‘Shame!’ (see 1 Nephi 8:26–27), and you have stood firm with Peter and the Apostles of old, ‘rejoicing that [you] were counted worthy to suffer shame for [Christ's] name’ (Acts 5:41).”
Topics: Obedience
Daily Gems - 25 June 2009
Taking Care of Our Mortal Bodies
"We do not want to harm our mortal bodies, for they are a gift from God, and part of our Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness is the reuniting of our immortal bodies with our spirits."
Topics: Obedience
Church History Gems - 6 May 2009
Sacrifice
"A few years ago, my family and I visited Palmyra, New York; Kirtland, Ohio; and Nauvoo, Illinois. We reviewed the early history of the Church on that trip and were reminded of the overwhelming sacrifices the founders of the Church made to establish the kingdom of God in this last dispensation.
"Reflecting upon their humble obedience focused my mind on the eternal nature of the law of sacrifice, a vital part of the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Young Single Adult Gems - 20 April 2009
Remember the Solemn Truth
"Important to remember is the solemn truth: Obedience to God's law will bring liberty and eternal life, whereas disobedience will bring captivity and death."
Daily Gems - 9 January 2009
Temple Attendance a Blessing of Tithing
"A mother in West Africa shared her testimony about tithing. She was a trader in a marketplace. Every day she would come home, count out her tithing, and put it in a special place. Then on Sunday she would faithfully take it to her bishop. She shared with us how her business had grown and how her family had been blessed with health and strength and enough food to eat. Then with tears in her eyes she said, 'But the greatest blessings of all are that my children love the Lord and we are a forever family.'
"This humble mother understood that one of the great blessings of being a full-tithe payer is the privilege of entering the house of the Lord and participating in the sacred ordinances that enable families to be together forever."
Topics: Ordinances and Covenants, Tithes and Offerings, Obedience
Daily Gems - 23 December 2008
Tithing during the Depression
"In 1936, at the height of the Great Depression in the United States, when people were struggling to make ends meet, Elder John A. Widtsoe admonished the Saints to pay their tithing because of the spiritual blessings they would receive. He said: 'Obedience to the law of tithing . . . brings a deep, inward joy . . . that can be won in no other way. . . . The principles of truth become clearer. . . . Prayer becomes easier. . . . The spiritual sense is sharpened [and] . . . man becomes more like his Father in Heaven' ("Tithing Testimonies of Our Leaders," Deseret News, May 16, 1936, Church Section, 5)."
Topics: Tithes and Offerings, Obedience
Daily Gems - 3 December 2008
Our Obligation to the Lord
"We are living in challenging economic times. However, if we look back over the past years, we find there have been, and will continue to be, times of relative prosperity and times of financial uncertainty. But regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves, if we first pay our obligation to the Lord and then use wisdom and good judgment, the Lord will help us manage the resources He has given us."
Topics: Obedience
Daily Gems - 24 November 2008
Genuine Love for the Lord
"When we inspire and teach others to fill their hearts with love, obedience flows from the inside out in voluntary acts of self sacrifice and service. Yes, those who go home teaching out of duty, for example, may fulfill their obligation. But those who home teach out of genuine love for the Lord and for their fellowman will likely approach that task with a very different attitude."
Topics: Obedience
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