Get wisdom, get understanding colon forget if not semicolon neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee, love her, and she shall keep thee.Wisdom is the principal thing semicolon therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
I like this scripture because it reminds us that some things, even good things, are not an end - in and of themselves. So it is with obedience. I'd like to address two issues I see with the concept of obedience.
1. It is not an end.
2. We should obey principles not people - even Heavenly people.
In our hymn "Do What is Right" it says "Angels above us are silent notes taking of every action, then do what is right."
I seriously doubt that this actually happens! Why? Because obedience is not the end of the road. We are not Pavlonian dogs being trained to act in certain ways. We are God's children who have been given the gift of agency. Our choices both good and bad have the power to teach us. And as we repeat the choices that are based on true principles we find ourselves being changed for the good.
Check out this talk at BYU speeches: Knowing, Doing, Being by William Baker July 2006 BYU Devotional
He quotes Elder Henry B Eyring:
"The things we DO are the means, not the end we seek. What we do allows the atonement of Jesus Christ to change us into what we must BE."
Then he quotes Elder David A. Bednar:
"People of integrity and honesty not only practice what they preach, they ARE what they preach."
Final quote from this article"
"The final judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts - what we have done. It is an acknowledgement of the final effect of our acts and thoughts - what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the Gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some Heavenly account. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."
Obedience is NOT an end in itself.
Obedience is NOT an end in itself.
Which leads to my second point which is that we are learning to create a life based on obedience to true principles that bring happiness - not obedience to a person.
The other day we were singing "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" in Primary. I realize that often we develop an attitude for deity based on the relationship we have with our parents - the authority figures in our lives. So I asked one little boy if he ever took something of his sisters without asking permission. He said "All the time!" I then asked if he would do that if his mom was standing there. "No way!" "Why?" I asked. "Because I would get in trouble."
The other day we were singing "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" in Primary. I realize that often we develop an attitude for deity based on the relationship we have with our parents - the authority figures in our lives. So I asked one little boy if he ever took something of his sisters without asking permission. He said "All the time!" I then asked if he would do that if his mom was standing there. "No way!" "Why?" I asked. "Because I would get in trouble."
I was so sure that they think exactly that when they think of Jesus standing there beside them. We'd behave differently if the Savior was standing beside us because we don't want to get in trouble!
That is the problem we get into with the ways we teach obedience. And especially if we tie obedience to rewards and punishments. We get stuck in thinking obedience to a person.
That is the problem we get into with the ways we teach obedience. And especially if we tie obedience to rewards and punishments. We get stuck in thinking obedience to a person.
But in truth, the Lord has given us an earth school where we are learning to govern our lives by principles. And true principles bring happiness when we choose to live them. For good is its own reward. Or as the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves."
But we must also remember that if the consequence was immediate every single time we did something we would still be Pavlonian dogs. So the wonderful and expected consequences of right choices may not be immediate. We may see others doing what we know to be wrong and they get rich and seemed happy.
Ecclesiastes 8:14
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 8:14
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
That is why faith and hope are such important parts of the Gospel. We have faith that eventually all will be made right. We keep an eternal perspective.
For me, it has always been that I must be true to that inner voice that tells me what is right and wrong. I have learned to trust my gut feelings - to listen with my heart. I know my goal - I want to be like Jesus; I want to become like my Savior. I try to do those things - live those principles - that help me to be kind, loving, forgiving, merciful, patient, understanding, etc. I love the Lord and trust that as I tried to emulate him, I will "develop a Christ-like heart filled with love for God and all mankind." Only then will I become all that I can be - which is the end result of being obedient.
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