If anyone had a question as to how important family is in the plan of happiness, there should be no question after an overview of the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals). All had chapters on family, six of the nine had multiple chapters on this subject. Of course, the next two chapters in this manual also deal with aspects of “family.” The next is “Family Responsibilities” and following that is “Eternal Marriage.” Be sure to wait for material appropriate for these lessons. In some aspects, the same can be said for the next chapter, “The Law of Chastity.”
Material for all of these chapters can be found in Joseph Smith, chapters 20 and 42; for Brigham Young, chapters 24 and 46; in John Taylor, chapter 21; For Wilford Woodruff, chapter 16; for Joseph F. Smith, chapters 4, 33, 39, and 43; for Heber J. Grant, chapter 22; for David O. McKay, chapters 14, 15 and 16; for Harold B. Lee 12, 13, 14 and 15; and for Spencer W. Kimball, chapters 18, 19 and 20. These can all be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.
For this subject especially, the new website “lds.org” is wonderful. On the first page, there is a link in the upper right-hand corner, “Search all LDS.org” which, if you type in “family” leads to wonderful material.
1 - - The Importance of Families
The prophets have spoken at length of the importance of families. President Joseph F. Smith:
The very foundation of the kingdom of God, of righteousness, of progress, of development, of eternal life and eternal increase in the kingdom of God, is laid in the divinely ordained home.
There is no substitute for the home. Its foundation is as ancient as the world, and its mission has been ordained of God from the earliest times. … The home then is more than a habitation, it is an institution which stands for stability and love in individuals as well as in nations (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 346, 382).
President McKay taught:
There is nothing temporary in the home of the Latter-day Saints. There is no element of transitoriness in the family relationship. To the Latter-day Saint the home is truly the basic unit of society; and parenthood is next to Godhood. The secret of good citizenship lies in the home. The secret of instilling faith in God, faith in his Son, the Redeemer of the world, faith in the organizations of the Church, lies in the home. There it is centered. God has placed upon parents the responsibility of instilling these principles into the minds of children. Our schools, our Church organizations, and some worthy social institutions are all helps in the upbuilding and guidance of the youth, but none of these—great and important as they are in the lives of our youth—can supplant the permanence and the influence of the parents in the home (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 155-6).
In addition to the wonderful quote from President McKay in this section, he also said:
It is possible to make a home a bit of heaven; indeed, I picture heaven to be a continuation of the ideal home (Improvement Era, 51:618, 1948).
President Kimball explained:
The family is the basic unit of the kingdom of God on earth. The Church can be no healthier than its families.
From the beginning, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has emphasized family life. We have always understood that the foundations of the family, as an eternal unit, were laid even before this earth was created! Society without basic family life is without foundation and will disintegrate into nothingness.
Our political institutions … cannot rescue us if our basic institution, the family, is not intact. Peace treaties cannot save us when there is hostility instead of love in the home. Unemployment programs cannot rescue us when many are no longer taught how to work or do not have the opportunity to work or the inclination, in some cases, to do so. Law enforcement cannot safeguard us if too many people are unwilling to discipline themselves or be disciplined (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 204-5).
President Ezra Taft Benson taught powerfully:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints views the family as the most important organization in time and all eternity. The Church teaches that everything should center in and around the family. It stresses that the preservation of family life in tiem and eternity takes precedence above all other interests.
The Church was created in large measure to help the family, and long after the Church has performed its mission, the celestial patriarchal order will still be functioning (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 489, 491).
President Joseph Fielding Smith stated:
There is no substitute for a righteous home… The family is the unit in the kingdom of God. Outside of the celestial kingdom there is no family organization (Doctrines of Salvation, 67).
President Smith also spoke on the importance of putting family first:
There is no substitute in wealth or in ambition for the home… To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 386).
President McKay counseled wisely on this subject:
One of our most precious possessions is our families. The domestic relations precede, and, in our present existence, are worth more than all other social ties. They give the first throb to the heart and unseal the deep fountains of its love. Home is the chief school of human virtues. Its responsibilities, joys, sorrows, smiles, tears, hopes, and solicitudes form the chief interests of human life.
When one puts business or pleasure above his home, he that moment starts on the downgrade to soul-weakness. When the club becomes more attractive to any man than his home, it is time for him to confess in bitter shame that he has failed to measure up to the supreme opportunity of his life and flunked in the final test of true manhood. … The poorest shack in which love prevails over a united family is of greater value to God and future humanity than any other riches. In such a home God can work miracles and will work miracles (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 148-9).
President McKay was famous for this on priorities:
No other success can compensate for failure in the home (CR, April 1964, 5).
President Joseph F. Smith said something quite profound about the importance of the home:
The typical “Mormon” home is the temple of the family, in which the members of the household gather morning and evening, for prayer and praise to God, offered in the name of Jesus Christ. … Here are taught and gently enforced, the moral precepts and religious truths, which, taken together, make up that righteousness which exalteth a nation, and ward off that sin which is a reproach to any people (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 346).
Concerning President Smith’s comparison of temple and home in the above quote, It is worth noting that the Bible Dictionary, under “temple” states the following:
…it [the temple] is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.
In this section is stated, “After Heavenly Father brought Adam and Eve together in marriage…” (p. 207.
The heading to Genesis 2 which reads, “Adam and Eve are married by the Lord.”
President Lee expands on this:
Let us consider the first marriage that was performed after the earth was organized [Adam and Eve]…
Here was a marriage performed by the Lord between two immortal beings, for until sin entered the world their bodies were not subject to death. He made them one, not merely for time, nor for any definite period; they were to be one throughout the eternal ages. … Death to them was not a divorce; it was only a temporary separation. Resurrection to immortality meant for them a reunion and an eternal bond never again to be severed (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 110).
President Woodruff’s statement concerning marriage is prophetic for our day as well:
The institution of marriage, in some communities of which we read, is falling almost into disrepute. It is alleged that there is a growing tendency in this direction among us. The cause is, doubtless, traceable to the increase of wealth and the disinclination of young men to take upon them the burdens of a wife and family (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 164).
The rest of the sentence quoted earlier reads, “After Heavenly Father brought Adam and Eve together in marriage, He commanded them to have children (see Genesis 1:28)” (p. 207).
Concerning this commandment, Elder Dallin H. Oaks proclaimed:
This commandment was first in sequence and first in importance. It was essential that God’s spirit children have mortal birth and an opportunity to progress toward eternal life. Consequently, all things related to procreation are prime targets for the adversary’s efforts to thwart the plan of God (Ensign, Nov 1993, 72).
President Woodruff added:
It is the duty of these young men [in] Zion to take the daughters of Zion to wife, and prepare tabernacles [physical bodies] for the spirits of men, which are the children of our Father in Heaven. They are waiting for tabernacles, they are ordained to come here, and they ought to be born in the land of Zion instead of Babylon (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 164).
Still another from President Grant:
The Lord has told us that it is the duty of every husband and wife to obey the command given to Adam to multiply and replenish the earth, so that the legions of choice spirits waiting for their tabernacles of flesh may come here and move forward under God’s great design to become perfect souls, for without these fleshly tabernacles they cannot progress to their God-planned destiny (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 202).
President McKay also taught:
[The purpose of marriage] is to bear children and rear a family. Let us keep that in mind. Hundreds are now saying, and hundreds more will say—“How can I marry and support a bride in a manner with which she has been accustomed? How can I get an education and support a family? I cannot even find a place in which to live.”
These are practical questions. … I am willing to recognize these and other difficulties and meet them, keeping in mind what the Lord has said that “marriage is ordained of God for man.” [See D&C 49:15.] And I repeat that the very purpose of marriage is to rear a family and not for the mere gratification of man or woman (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 137).
In this section is stated:
“He [Heavenly Father] has revealed that one of the purposes of marriage is to provide mortal bodies for His spirit children. Parents are partners with our Heavenly Father (p. 207).
Perhaps this has to do with what President Kimball said about the family:
Family life is the best method for achieving happiness in this world, and it is a clear pattern given to us from the Lord about what is to be in the next world (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 204).
In this section it also reads, “Every new child should be welcomed into the family with gladness” (p. 207). President Joseph F. Smith seemed to agree:
The richest of all my earthly joys is in my precious children. Thank God!
When I look around me, and see my boys and my girls whom the Lord has given to me,—and I have succeeded, with His help, to make them tolerably comfortable, and at least respectable in the world—I have reached the treasure of my life, the whole substance that makes life worth living (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 295).
President Smith lived the law of plural marriage. He joyously declared:
I am blessed today with thirty-five children… I have today over eighty-six grandchildren. … I am rich; the Lord has given me great riches in children and in children’s children. … I love them. I know them all. I never meet them but what I kiss them, just as I do my own children (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 381).
The next sentence in this section reads, “Each [new child] is a child of God” (p. 207).
Every child must be taught that he is an offspring of divine parentage and that it is the business of every child to learn to act like a son or daughter of God so that in time of need he might pray and be entitled to receive favors due a faithful child (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 124).
At the bottom of the page is suggested that in the home “sacrifice” can be learned (p. 207).
Happiness comes from unselfish service. And happy homes are only those where there is a daily striving to make sacrifices for each other’s happiness (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 130).
At the bottom of the page is suggested that in the home “self-control” can be learned (p. 207). President McKay had this to say about that:
The next contributing factor to your happy marriage I would name is self-control. Little things happen that annoy you, and you speak quickly, sharply, loudly, and wound the other’s heart. I know of no virtue that helps to contribute to the happiness and peace of the home more than that great quality of self-control in speech. Refrain from saying the sharp word that comes to your mind at once if you are wounded or if you see something in the other which offends you. It is said that during courtship we should keep our eyes wide open, but after marriage keep them half-shut.
Marriage is a relationship that cannot survive selfishness, impatience, domineering, inequality, and lack of respect. Marriage is a relationship that thrives on acceptance, equality, sharing, giving, helping, doing one’s part, learning together, enjoying humor.
Minimize the faults, commend virtues. After the first thrill of the honeymoon is worn off, couples begin to see frailties, idiosyncrasies which they had not noticed before. Responsibilities of motherhood come to the woman. Difficulties in paying debts come. And so we become prone to find fault. Let us learn to control ourselves in that respect (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 149-50).
At the bottom of the page is suggested that in the home “service” can be learned (p. 207). President Joseph F. Smith encouraged this:
There is no happiness without service, and there is no service greater than that which converts the home into a divine institution, and which promotes and preserves family life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 34).
President Lee exclaimed:
Every child must be given sufficient experience to learn that unselfish service brings joy and that the work one does for which he is not paid is that which produces the greatest happiness (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 124).
A very important question asked at the end of this section is, “Why is the home the best place to prepare for eternal life? (p. 209). The prophets add greatly to an understanding of this question, which is certainly worth discussing. From President Joseph F. Smith we learn:
They [our children] are born without knowledge or understanding—the most helpless creatures of the animal creation born into the world. The little one begins to learn after it is born, and all that it knows greatly depends upon its environment, the influences under which it is brought up, the kindness with which it is treated, the noble examples shown it, the hallowed influences of father and mother, or otherwise, over its infant mind (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 298-9).
President Heber J. Grant added:
There is no question but that impressions made upon the minds of little innocent children and young boys and girls have a more lasting effect upon their future lives than impressions made at any other time. It is like writing, figuratively speaking, upon a white piece of paper with nothing on it to obscure or confuse what you may write.
We may think that the impressions we make may not be lasting, but I can assure you they are. I am sure that a testimony borne by a teacher to little children, under the inspiration of the living God, is a difficult thing for them to forget (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 204-5).
President Lee also stated:
The Lord said that the power was not given to Satan to tempt little children, “until they begin to become accountable before me” (D&C 29:47). This very significant statement follows: “That great things may be required at the hand of their fathers” (D&C 29:48). Now, that means parents. Why is it that the Lord doesn’t permit Satan to tempt a little child until he comes to the age of accountability? It’s in order to give parents their golden opportunity to plant in the hearts of little children those vital things except for which, when that time of accountability comes, they may have waited too long
In a time that we have been told would be much as in the days of Noah, we must help our young to learn how to make right choices, to grow in justified self-esteem, especially when they can be under the direct influence of the home, where family love can make repentance both possible and significant. The environment of our young outside the home and Church will often be either empty, so far as values are concerned, or it will contain ideas that contradict the principles of the gospel (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 121-2).
The last question in this section reads, “How can we help the youth of the Church understand the sacredness of the family and the marriage covenant?” (p. 209). The answers to this question will help with President Lee’s desire:
If [young people] would resolve from the moment of their marriage, that from that time forth they would resolve and do everything in their power to please each other in things that are right, even to the sacrifice of their own pleasures, their own appetites, their own desires, the problem of adjustment in married life would take care of itself, and their home would indeed be a happy home. Great love is built on great sacrifice, and that home where the principle of sacrifice for the welfare of each other is daily expressed is that home where there abides a great love (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 111).
President Lee added:
Let your hearts be turned to your children, and teach your children; but you must do it when they are young enough to be schooled.
Great accomplishments are required of fathers and mothers before Satan has power to tempt little children. It is the responsibility of the parents to lay a solid foundation by teaching Church standards by example and by precept (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 125, 43).
2 - - The Eternal Family
Joseph Smith was the prophet through whom the doctrine of eternal marriage was introduced. Appropriately, this is an excerpt from one of his letters to Emma:
“Remember that I am a true and faithful friend to you and the children forever. My heart is entwined around yours forever and ever. Oh, may God bless you all” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 239).
From another letter from Joseph to Emma:
“This day I have been walking through the most splendid part of the city of New York. The buildings are truly great and wonderful, to the astonishing of every beholder. … After beholding all that I had any desire to behold, I returned to my room to meditate and calm my mind; and behold, the thoughts of home, of Emma and Julia, rush upon my mind like a flood and I could wish for a moment to be with them. My breast is filled with all the feelings and tenderness of a parent and a husband, and could I be with you I would tell you many things” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 241).
This crowning doctrine may have also comforted President John Taylor in his trials of being separated from his family:
On 1 February 1885, John Taylor went into voluntary hiding to avoid persecution by federal authorities. …he…knew that his hiding would likely separate him from most of his family for the remainder of his earthly life. Nonetheless, throughout this time, he remained ever concerned for their well-being. “Say unto them I remember them always,” he told his nephew Angus M. Cannon just prior to his death. “I love them individually, and never cease to plead with God for them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 191).
President Woodruff also declared:
We should prize our families, and the associations we have together, remembering that if we are faithful we shall inherit glory, immortality and eternal life, and this is the greatest of all the gifts of God to man [see D&C 14:7] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 165).
President Joseph F. Smith added:
If I can prove myself worthy of an entrance into the kingdom of God, I want my children there; and I propose to enter into the kingdom of my God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 298).
President Smith also discussed the scope of this doctrine:
I have the glorious promise of the association of my loved ones throughout all eternity. In obedience to this work, in the gospel of Jesus Christ, I shall gather around me my family, my children, my children’s children, until they become as numerous as the seed of Abraham, or as countless as the sands upon the seashore. For this is my right and privilege, and the right and privilege of every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who holds the Priesthood and will magnify it in the sight of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 386).
President Lee expressed hope thusly:
Any couple married in the temple who are true to their covenants will grow dearer to each other, and love will find a deeper meaning on their golden wedding anniversary than on the day they were married in the house of the Lord. Don’t you mistake that.
Those who go to the marriage altar with love in their hearts, we might say to them in truth, if they will be true to the covenants that they take in the temple, fifty years after their marriage they can say to each other: “We must have not known what true love was when we were married, because we think so much more of each other today!” And so it will be if they will follow the counsel of their leaders and obey the holy, sacred instructions given in the temple ceremony; they will grow more perfectly in love even to a fulness of love in the presence of the Lord Himself (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 112-4).
3 - - Loving Family Relationships
The first question in this section asks, “How can we develop greater harmony in our homes?” (p. 209). The answers to this question should support the counsel of the following two prophets:
Let us live so that the spirit of our religion will live within us, then we have peace, joy, happiness and contentment, which makes such pleasant fathers, pleasant mothers, pleasant children, pleasant households, neighbors, communities and cities. That is worth living for, and I do think that the Latter-day Saints ought to strive for this (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 340).
Make your homes joyous. And let your children see that you love one another, that they may grow up with the same feeling, and be led from principle to honor their father and mother. These are the kind of feelings that will elevate us (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 197).
Most appropriately, the first idea mentioned in this section is, “Husbands and wives should be thoughtful and kind to each other” (p. 209). This, of course, is where all successful families start. An example from the life of President and Sister McKay is poignant and yet so sad when lacking:
Sister McKay once related the following experience:
“I accompanied my husband to a dedication of a meetinghouse in Los Angeles. We stopped on Wilshire Boulevard to get our car washed. I sat on a bench and the President was standing over by the car. Suddenly at my elbow I heard a tiny voice say, ‘I guess that man over there loves you.’ Surprised, I turned and saw a beautiful boy about seven years of age with dark curly hair and large brown eyes. ‘What did you say?’
“ ‘I said, I guess that man over there loves you.’
“ ‘Why, yes, he loves me; he is my husband. Why do you ask?’
“ ‘Oh, ‘cuz, the way he smiled at you. Do you know, I’d give anything in the world if my Pop would smile at my Mom that way (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 143).
The heading on the chapter on family in the Joseph Smith manual indicates where Joseph first learned the value of “Love at Home”:
“The sweetest union and happiness pervaded our house. No jar nor discord disturbed our peace, and tranquility reigned in our midst” (Lucy Mack Smith) (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 479).
In this section it also states:
They [husbands and wives] should never do or say anything to hurt each other’s feelings. They should also try to do everything possible to make each other happy (p. 209). President McKay’s advice is helpful:
God help us to build homes in which the spirit of heaven on earth may be experienced. You and I know that that is possible, it is not a dream, it is not a theory. We may have that sweet companionship between husband and wife which grows dearer and dearer as the troubles of life come on. We can have homes in which children will never hear father and mother wrangle or quarrel. God help us … to build such homes, and to teach our young men and young women who are anticipating home life, to cherish such an ideal (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 150).
In this section is taught, “Parents need to show they are interested in what their children do and express love… (p. 210). President Joseph F. Smith agreed:
More can be accomplished for good by unfeigned love, in bringing up a child, than by any other influence that can be brought to bear upon it… I know that is true; and this principle obtains in every condition of life. … Govern the children, not by passion, by bitter words or scolding, but by affection and by winning their confidence.
If you can only convince your children that you love them, that your soul goes out to them for their good, that you are their truest friend, they, in turn, will place confidence in you and will love you and seek to do your bidding and to carry out your wishes with your love. But if you are selfish, unkindly to them, and if they are not confident that they have your entire affection, they will be selfish, and will not care whether they please you or carry out your wishes or not, and the result will be that they will grow wayward, thoughtless and careless (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 299).
President Lee shared a wonderful example of expressing love:
I had an experience that taught me something as a grandfather. It was the night of [a Church] dance festival up at the stadium, and my daughter’s two oldest … were giving her a lot of bad time, as she called it. So I said, “How would you like it if I take your two boys up to the stadium to the dance festival?”
She said, “Oh, Daddy, if you’d do it, I’d be so happy.”
I didn’t know what I was getting into. … As that spectacle began, I didn’t know there was so much difference between a seven-year-old and a five-year-old. The seven-year-old was entranced by that spectacle down on the football field. But that five-year-old, his attention span was pretty short. He’d squirm and then he’d want to go and get a hot dog and he’d want to go get a drink and he’d want to go to the toilet, and he was just on the move all the time. And here I was sitting in the front with the General Authorities, and they were smiling as they saw this little show going on and as I tried to pull my grandson here and there, trying to make him behave.
Finally, that little five-year-old turned on me and with his little doubled-up fist he smacked me to the side of the face and he said, “Grandfather, don’t shove me!” And you know, that hurt. In that twilight, I thought I could see my brethren chuckling a bit as they saw this going on, and my first impulse was to take him and give him a good spanking; that’s what he deserved. But, I’d seen his little mother do something. I’d seen her when he was having a temper tantrum and she had a saying, “You have to love your children when they’re the least lovable.” And so I thought I’d try that out. I had failed in the other process. So I took him in my arms and I said to him, “My boy, Grandfather loves you. I so much want you to grow up to be a fine big boy. I just want you to know that I love you, my boy.” His little angry body began to [relax], and he threw his arms around my neck and he kissed my cheek, and he loved me. I had conquered him by love. And incidentally, he had conquered me by love.
A successful mother of sons and daughters will tell you that teenagers need to be loved and be loved the most when they are the least lovable. Think about it, you fathers and mothers (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 131-2).
President McKay’s son shared a wonderful example of “expressing love”:
President McKay in turn had a powerful influence as a loving father. When one of his sons, David Lawrence, was a young boy, he accompanied his father in a horse-drawn carriage. “We forded a swollen river in a thunderstorm,” David Lawrence later recalled, “and got caught between that river and a mountain torrent. I thought the end of the world had come, and started to cry. Father held me on his lap in his arms all night until we were rescued in the morning. It’s hard to disobey a man who loves you and puts his arms around you” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 153).
In this section we read, “As family members we can help each other feel confident by giving encouragement and sincere praise“ (p. 209). President Lee gave this wonderful example:
I recall an incident in my own family where one of my young granddaughters was being criticized by her father for not properly taking care of her room, making her bed, etc., etc. And then with considerable feeling she said, “Well, Daddy, why do you only see the thing to criticize and never see the good things that I do?” This brought the father to some serious reflections, and that night he placed under her pillow a letter of love and understanding telling her of all the things that he admired in her, and thus began to bridge over the hurt that had been implied by his constant criticism with no approval for the good things (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 132).
4 - - How to Have a Successful Family
Just before the tremendous quote from President Lee in the first paragraph of this section, He said:
Parents who are too busy or too tired to be troubled with the innocent disturbances of children and push them aside or out of the home for fear of their disturbing the orderliness of immaculate housekeeping may be driving them, because of loneliness, into a society where sin, crimes and infidelity are fostered. What will it profit a father, otherwise worthy of the Celestial Kingdom, if he has lost his son or daughter in sin because of his neglect? All the pleasurable uplift societies in the world, social or religious, will never compensate the mother for the souls lost in her own home while she is trying to save humanity or a cause, no matter how worthy, outside of her home (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 134).
Then following the quote mentioned, President Lee said, “We must never forget that” (ibid.).
Concerning Satan’s plan to destroy the family, President John Taylor warned:
Wolves never watched with greater cunning and more ravenous hunger a flock of sheep and lambs than the people of your wards and stakes are now being watched by those who are ready to devour them. Are you awake to this danger, and do you take every precaution against it? (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 197-8).
President Woodruff also warned us about Satan:
I have long been satisfied that the devil was making great exertions to drive a wedge in between parents and children, trying to inspire and instill into the minds of the sons and daughters of the saints those corrupting notions that will prevent them from following the footsteps of their fathers and mothers (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 167).
President Kimball prophesied why concern is needed and detailed how parents can take measures:
The time will come when only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us.
The evil one knows where to attack. He is going to attack the home. He is going to destroy the family. That’s what he wants to do. … Let us make up our minds he will not do it in our families.
We find these evil forces almost everywhere we go. Exposure is almost constant. We track them into the home from the school, from the playground, from the theater, the office, and the marketplace. There are but few places we go in our everyday world where we can escape them.
If we would escape those deadly thrusts of the evil one and keep our homes and families free and solidly fortified against all destructive influences so rampant about us, we must have the help of the very founder and organizer of this family plan—the Creator himself. There is only one sure way and that is through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and being obedient to its profound and inspired teachings. Surely we must be made to realize that the purchase price of a family hearth free of such evil influences is the keeping of the commandments of God.
As parents read the newspapers and magazines and see what the world is trying to teach their children, they should become all the more determined that their children not be damaged by such sin and error. Parents should then provide the home life, the discipline, and the training that will offset and neutralize the evil that is being done in the world. As children learn of the ugly things in the world, they must also learn of the good things in the world and the proper responses and proper attitudes (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 208-9).
This may be a good place (as well as several other places - - repetition is good) in this lesson to introduce the following crucial phrase from the “Family Proclamation”:
Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This document, invaluable for this and the next three lessons can be found on the new “lds.org” website. Click on “Menu” on the top, then it is in the top of the second column, under “Family.”
Awareness today of Satan’s plan is crucial. A current prophet, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, has warned:
Satan’s most strenuous opposition is directed at whatever is most important to the Father’s plan. Satan seeks to discredit the Savior and divine authority, to nullify the effects of the Atonement, to counterfeit revelation, to lead people away from the truth, to contradict individual accountability, to confuse gender, to undermine marriage, and to discourage childbearing (especially by parents who will raise children in righteousness) (Ensign, Nov 1993, 72).
Here are some good introductory statements for the 8 suggestions to help have successful families in this section. First is given by President Kimball:
A true Latter-day Saint home is a haven against the storms and struggles of life. Spirituality is born and nurtured by daily prayer, scripture study, home gospel discussions and related activities, home evenings, family councils, working and playing together, serving each other, and sharing the gospel with those around us. Spirituality is also nurtured in our actions of patience, kindness, and forgiveness toward each other and in our applying gospel principles in the family circle. Home is where we become experts and scholars in gospel righteousness, learning and living gospel truths together (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 210).
Second, President Lee plead:
Strengthen your family ties and be mindful of your children. … Be sure that the home is made the strong place to which children can come for the anchor they need in this day of trouble and turmoil. Then love will abound and your joy will be increased (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 131).
Number 2 in the list of suggestions for having “happy, successful families” is:
Have family prayer every night and morning. Pray together as husband and wife (p. 210). President McKay offered the following counsel:
I regard it as an incontrovertible fact that in no marriage circle can true peace, love, purity, chastity, and happiness be found, in which is not present the spirit of Christ, and the daily, hourly striving after loving obedience to his divine commands, and especially, the nightly prayer expressing gratitude for blessings received (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 150).
Number 2 in the list of suggestions for having “happy, successful families” is, “Teach children the gospel…” (p. 210). In the heading of the chapter on children, President Joseph F. Smith declared:
We should cherish our children, bring them up in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and teach them virtue, love, and integrity (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 295).
Heber J. Grant added:
The Lord has said it is our duty to teach our children in their youth, and I prefer to take His word for it.
I pray that the Lord will give to the parents of the youth an understanding and appreciation of the dangers and temptations to which their children are subjected, that they may be led and guided to encourage their children, to direct them, to teach them how to live as the Lord would have them live (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 202, 4).
President Lee also stated:
Heaven would not be heaven until we have done everything we can to save those whom the Lord has sent through our lineage (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 125).
President Joseph F. Smith plead:
Above all else, let us train our children in the principles of the gospel of our Savior, that they may become familiar with the truth and walk in the light which it sheds forth to all those who will receive it.
I would like my children, and all the children in Zion, to know that there is nothing in this world that is of so much value to them as the knowledge of the Gospel as it has been restored to the earth in these latter days through the Prophet Joseph Smith. There is nothing that can compensate for its loss. There is nothing on earth that can compare with the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 302, 350).
Of course, # 2 in the list of suggestions for having “happy, successful families” in completion reads, “Teach children the gospel every week in family home evening” (p. 210). As expected, the prophets strongly agree with this.
Family home evenings in this last dispensation actually started in the home of young Joseph Smith:
My father’s religious habits were strictly pious and moral. … I was called upon to listen to prayers both night and morning. … My parents, father and mother, poured out their souls to God, the donor of all blessings, to keep and guard their children and keep them from sin and from all evil works. Such was the strict piety of my parents.”
William also said: “We always had family prayers since I can remember. I well remember father used to carry his spectacles in his vest pocket, … and when us boys saw him feel for his specs, we knew that was a signal to get ready for prayer, and if we did not notice it mother would say, ‘William,’ or whoever was the negligent one, ‘get ready for prayer.’ After the prayer we had a song we would sing; I remember part of it yet: ‘Another day has passed and gone, We lay our garments by.’ (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 36).
President Joseph F. Smith initiated what we now have as the formal program:
In 1915 President Smith and his Counselors introduced a weekly home evening program to the Church, urging parents to use the time to instruct their children in the word of God. Later, when describing the home evening program, President Smith called for families to “spend an hour or more together in a devotional way—in the singing of hymns, songs, prayer, reading of the Scriptures and other good books, instrumental music, family topics, and specific instructions on the principles of the Gospel and on the ethical problems of life, as well as the duties and obligations of children to parents, the home, the Church, society and the nation” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 345).
The chapter heading in his manual on this subject reads:
Family home evenings strengthen love within the family and faith in the heart of each family member (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 345).
This program was introduced with powerful promises:
If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase. Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influence and temptations which beset them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 348).
President Smith made a good suggestion about family home evenings:
Formality and stiffness should be studiously avoided, and all the family participate in the exercises (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 348).
President Hinckley was five years old when President Smith introduced this program. His parents demonstrated the advice previously given by President Smith. He remembered:
"The President of the Church has asked us to hold home night. So we're going to have home night." This pronouncement was greeted with moans from children who weren't anxious to be corralled into another meeting, but from that time forward Monday evenings were reserved for family. Bryant or Ada would give a lesson and then urge their children to perform—something that elicited smirks, guffaws and sometimes out-and-out laughter. The children weren't natural performers, and asking one of them to sing in front of the others was, as Gordon said later, "like asking ice cream to stay hard on the kitchen stove. It took us a long time to reach the point where we could sing together without giggling. It must have been disgusting to my parents the way we giggled."
But Bryant and Ada persisted. The family had regular family prayer and often listened to the faith-promoting incidents from Bryant’s seemingly endless reservoir of stories. Though some family home evenings were less tolerable than others, the net effect was positive. Those simple gatherings created strong bonds between parents and children, brothers and sisters—a critical element in the unification of their blended family (Gordon B. Hinckley: Go Forward with Faith, 34).
President Kimball expressed gratitude for this program early in his life:
As a youth, and with my wife and children in our own home, I remember our beloved family activities. Heaven was in our home. When each person did something, whether it was sing a song, lead a game, recite an article of faith, tell a story, share a talent, or perform an assignment, there was growth and good feeling (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 203).
President Kimball taught:
By committing ourselves to having the regular and inspirational family home evening and by carefully planning the content of that evening, we are sending a signal to our children which they will remember forevermore. When thus we give our children of our own time, we are giving of our presence, a gift that is always noticed (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 211).
President Kimball continued with a wonderful analogy:
I like to compare the home evening, family prayer, and other associated activities of the Church for the saving of the family, when they are conscientiously carried out, with an umbrella. If the umbrella is not opened up, it is little more than a cane and can give little protection from the storms of nature. Likewise, God-given plans are of little value unless they are used.
The umbrella spread out makes the silken material taut. When the rain falls, it runs off; when the snow falls, it slides off; when the hail comes, it bounces off; when the wind blows, it is diverted around the umbrella. And in like manner, this spiritual umbrella wards off the foes of ignorance, superstition, skepticism, apostasy, immorality, and other forms of godlessness.
It is my prayer that we shall all spread our spiritual umbrellas for protection of our families
(Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 211-12).
President Lee added:
Greater emphasis on the teaching of the children in the home by the parents was brought forth in what we call the family home evening program. This was not new. … In the last epistle written to the Church by President Brigham Young and his Counselors, it was urged that parents bring their children together and teach them the gospel in the home frequently. So family home evening has been urged ever since the Church was established in this dispensation (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 125).
Number 3 suggestion is “Study the scriptures regularly as a family” (p. 210). What better way to teach the gospel, as President Kimball stressed:
We need to strengthen and protect our families by teaching and living the gospel in our homes (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 203).
Part of suggestion # 4 is “outings” (p. 210). President Lee encouraged:
Every child must be taught to use profitably his leisure time and that play is not an end in itself. It is but the rehearsal for the part he is to play in his mature life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 124).
In addition, President Taylor exemplified this idea:
President Taylor was a loving and devoted husband and father. Of him, his son Moses W. Taylor wrote the following: “He had a strong desire to keep his children under the family influence and provided play grounds for us. Even when he was past seventy years of age he would join us in our games. He provided a large sand pile for the little ones and if I have ever had any better time in my life than I did digging in the sand, I have failed to recognize it” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 191).
President Smith added:
We may well give our sons and daughters some time for recreation and diversion, and some provision in the home for satisfying their longing for legitimate physical and mental recreation, to which every child is entitled, and which he will seek in the street or in objectionable places, if it is not provided in the home (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 299).
Concerning “work projects” in suggestion # 4, President Joseph F. Smith encouraged:
Labor is the key to the true happiness of the physical and spiritual being. If a man possesses millions, his children should still be taught how to labor with their hands; boys and girls should receive a home training which will fit them to cope with the practical, daily affairs of family life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 301-2).
Number 5 suggestion is, “Learn to be kind, patient, long-suffering, and charitable…” (p. 211). President Lee shared the following:
I remember a little boyhood experience. We had pigs that were tearing up the garden, causing great mischief on the farm. Father sent me two miles to the store to get an instrument so we could ring the noses of the pigs. We had great difficulty rounding them up and getting them in the pen, and as I was fooling around with this instrument that I had been sent to purchase, I pressed down too hard and it broke. Father would have been justified in giving me a scolding right there, after all the effort and money wasted, but he just looked at me, smiled, and said, “Well, son, I guess we won’t ring the pigs today. Turn them out and we’ll go back tomorrow and try it over again.” How I loved that father, that he didn’t scold me for an innocent little mistake that could have made a breach between us (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 132-3).
President Lee added an important aspect to these ideas:
I had a troubled couple that came in just the other day. They have a sixteen-year-old daughter who is the oldest in the family and she is causing a lot of trouble. They were about to give up. I quoted what Brother Marvin J. Ashton said, that home is not a failure so long as it doesn’t give up (see Conference Report, April 1971, p. 15). Now, that’s true. The home must continue to love and to work with [young people], till we get youth past that dangerous age. No home is a failure unless it quits trying to help (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 134).
Included in suggestion # 6 concerning “Attend Church meetings” would be included Fast and Testimony meeting. In addition to this meeting, President Lee counseled:
Our children should hear, in the privacy of the home, the testimonies of their parents. How wise is the father or grandfather who takes occasion to bear his personal testimony to each of his children, individually! (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 124).
The last question in this section asks about efforts of “family councils” that “make a difference” (p. 211). President Kimball helps on this:
Concerning the governing of our families, we have been correctly taught that the family council is the most basic council of the Church. Under the direction of the father and mother, who should also counsel together, family councils may discuss family matters, discuss family finances, make plans, and support and strengthen family members.
Only by properly planning and charting our family life can we guide our children and keep them free from the pitfalls that lead to sin and destruction, and put them on the pathway to happiness and exaltation (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 207-11).
Terrific counsel for a guiding principle for family council was given by President Woodruff:
Let us all look at home, and each one try to govern his own family and set his own house in order (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 168).
A treasure of information about family councils can be found at “lds.org” and typing in “family council” in “Search all LDS.org” in the upper right corner.
While the following quote from President Kimball would fit many places in this lesson, I like it as a concluding statement because it ties everything into the title of this lesson:
God is our Father. He loves us. He spends much energy trying to train us, and we should follow His example and love intensely our own children and rear them in righteousness.
How long has it been since you took your children, whatever their size, in your arms and told them that you love them and are glad that they can be yours forever?
Oh, brothers and sisters, families can be forever! Do not let the lures of the moment draw you away from them! Divinity, eternity, and family—they go together, hand in hand, and so must we!
(Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 212).
Now that is an exclamation point that needs to be taken seriously!!!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Chapter 35: Obedience
As usual, tremendous resources for this lesson are found in most of the reliable Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals). In Joseph Smith, chapter 13, for Brigham Young, chapter 11, John Taylor, chapter 4, for Joseph F. Smith, chapter 32, for Heber J. Grant, chapter 3, and for Spencer W. Kimball, chapter 13. These can all be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.
The new website “lds.org” is wonderful. On the first page, there is a link in the upper right-hand corner, “Search all LDS.org” which, if you type in “obedience” yields terrific quotes and talks.
A great introductory statement for this chapter comes from President David O. McKay:
Let us never lose sight of the principles of obedience. Obedience is heaven’s first law (Pearl of Great Price Institute Manual, 16).
This manual (as well as all of the best in the Church) can be found at “institute.lds.org.”
1 - - We Should Obey God Willingly
The first quote in this section is Matthew 22:36-40. After quoting this, President Heber J. Grant said:
The longer I live, the more I study the gospel, the more I come in contact with men, the more forcibly am I impressed with the truth of the sayings of our Savior in the words that I have just read to you. If we did in every deed love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, there would be no need of urging from time to time upon the people the necessity of keeping the commandments of the Lord. It would be a pleasure to them to serve God and keep His commandments. We are told that where a man’s treasure is, there will his heart be also [see Matthew 6:21], and if we loved the Lord with all our heart and mind and soul, serving Him would be the great object of our lives, and the treasure we would work to gain would be His love. If we followed that second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourself, … our difficulties would all be settled amicably. … It would be almost [unnecessary] to appeal to the people for donations, to urge them to be liberal, to be generous, to strive for the benefit and welfare of their fellows (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 25).
Concerning this love, President Joseph F. Smith stated:
It is only by obedience to the laws of God, that men can rise above the petty weaknesses of mortality and exercise that breadth of affection, that charity and love, that should actuate the hearts and the motives of the children of men (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 290).
President Kimball added:
We render intelligent, constructive obedience when we voluntarily, humbly, and happily obey the commands of our Lord (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 139).
Concerning loving “with all thy heart” (p. 201) Brigham Young taught:
All that the Lord requires of us is strict obedience to the laws of life. All the sacrifice that the Lord asks of his people is strict obedience to our own covenants that we have made with our God, and that is to serve him with an undivided heart (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 73).
This section also discusses obedience thru “fear.” In the scriptures there are two kinds of fear. The Bible Dictionary (see “fear”) helps us better understand this concept. President Smith explained:
We do not preach the gospel of fear. We do not seek to terrorize the souls of men. We do not ask a man to be righteous because of the terrors of the damned. We do not want you to be good because you fear the punishment of the wicked. We do not want you to do right because of the penalty that attaches to the doing of wrong. We want you to choose the right because it is right, and because your heart loves the right, and because it is choice above everything else. …We should be good because we love to be good, and not because we fear the consequences of evil.
The Lord does not accept obedience from men except that which they render cheerfully and gladly in their hearts, and that is all that is desired by his servants. That is the obedience we ought to render, and if we do not we are under condemnation (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 291).
President John Taylor added to this idea:
…we have learned that it is the height of human happiness to fear God and observe his laws and keep his commandments; we have learned that it is a duty devolving upon us to try and make all men happy and intelligent, which happiness and intelligence can only be obtained through obedience to the laws of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 35).
Brigham Young yearned for our acceptance of the principles taught in this section:
How I long to see the brethren, when they hear the words of truth poured upon them, ready to receive those words because they are perfectly congenial to their feelings, and every soul exclaim, “Those words savor of the Spirit that is in me; they are my delight, my meat, and my drink; they are the streams of eternal life. How congenial they are, instead of their being contrary to my feelings (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 74).
He also added:
Do you think that people will obey the truth because it is true, unless they love it? No, they will not. Truth is obeyed when it is loved. Strict obedience to the truth will alone enable people to dwell in the presence of the Almighty (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 75).
Brigham Young also added to the doctrine in D&C 58:28-29 by commenting:
Blessed are they who obey when the Lord gives a direct commandment, but more blessed are they who obey without a direct commandment (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 73).
One of my all-time favorite quotes on obedience is from President Ezra Taft Benson by way of a talk (the whole talk is good) in conference by Elder Donald L. Staheli, of the Seventy:
When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power (Ensign, May 1998, 81).
2 - - We Can Obey without Understanding Why
In this section it states:
Sometimes we do not know the reason for a particular commandment. However, we show our faith and trust in God when we obey Him without knowing why (p. 202).
President Harold B. Lee drew a terrific parallel between this idea and the mission of Apollo 13:
Some months ago, millions of watchers and listeners over the world waited breathlessly and anxiously the precarious flight of Apollo 13. The whole world, it seemed, prayed for one significant result: the safe return to earth of three brave men.
When one of them with restrained anxiety announced the startling information, “We have had an explosion!” the mission control in Houston immediately mobilized all the technically trained scientists who had, over the years, planned every conceivable detail pertaining to that flight.
The safety of those three now depended on two vital qualifications: on the reliability of the skills and the knowledge of those technicians in the mission control center at Houston, and upon the implicit obedience of the men in the Aquarius to every instruction from the technicians, who, because of their understanding of the problems of the astronauts, were better qualified to find the essential solutions. The decisions of the technicians had to be perfect or the Aquarius could have missed the earth by thousands of miles.
This dramatic event is somewhat analogous to these [troubled] times in which we live. … Many are frightened when they see and hear of unbelievable happenings the world over—political intrigues, wars and contention everywhere, frustrations of parents endeavoring to cope with social problems that threaten to break down the sanctity of the home, the frustrations of children and youth as they face challenges to their faith and their morals.
Only if you are willing to listen and obey, as did the astronauts on the Aquarius, can you and all your households be guided to ultimate safety and security in the Lord’s own way
If the children of the Lord, which includes all who are upon this earth, regardless of nationality, color, or creed, will heed the call of the true messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as did the three astronauts on the Aquarius to the trained technicians at Mission Control in the hour of their peril, each may in time see the Lord and know that he is, as the Lord has promised…
So would have been the fate of the three astronauts on the Aquarius if they had refused to give heed to the minutest instruction from Houston Control. Their very lives depended upon obedience to the basic laws which govern and control the forces of the universe
(Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 2, 6).
The astronauts aboard certainly did not have the combined knowledge and technological controls at Houston Control, but their lives depended upon their obedience Houston’s instructions.
President Lee also described the opposite result of a story apparently in the news at the time of his conference address quoted from above:
Or will we be like those foolhardy ones on the river above the Niagara Falls who were approaching the dangerous rapids? Despite warnings of the river guards to go toward safety before it was too late, and in complete disregard of the warnings, they laughed, they danced, they drank, they mocked, and they perished (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 6).
President Kimball also illustrated this idea of obedience without understanding wonderfully:
The exercising of faith is a willingness to accept without total regular proof and to move forward and perform works… A real faith pushes one forward to constructive and beneficial acts as though he knew in absoluteness.
One may enjoy the benefits of the miracles in the physical world without a complete knowledge of the underlying principles involved. He may turn darkness into light by pushing a button and read in the darkest night. He need not be able to develop the electricity, nor to have the knowledge to wire the home. But he must have the faith sufficient to secure lamps and faith to turn the switch. He then may receive the light. … He may turn a dial and enjoy sweet music from afar without being able to fashion a radio or understand fully its workings, but the blessing will never be his unless he connects his set with the power, and turns the dial correctly. In like manner, one may receive spiritual blessings and manifestations, by establishing contact turning the dial. Faith manifested by prayer and works is that key (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 137-8).
Today the above quote could be used replacing radio with television and internet.
A wonderful illustration of obedience without knowledge is found in the story related by Elder Russell M. Nelson at the funeral for President Spencer W. Kimball (Ensign, Dec 1985, 39) concerning the heart surgery Elder Kimball considered not having and the Prophet, President Lee’ intervention.
In the second paragraph of this section the sacrifice of Adam and Eve was discussed.
Following the principles President Kimball explained in the above quote, he also discussed this sacrifice:
Blind obedience? Assuredly not. They had known Jehovah, heard his voice, walked with him in the Garden of Eden, and knew of his goodness, justice, and understanding. And so for “many days” they killed the blemishless lambs and offered them without knowing why, but in total confidence that there was righteous purpose in the law and that the reason would unfold later after compliance (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 140).
From the “philosophies of the world” some have argued in derision that “obeying God without understanding why” is “blind” obedience. President Kimball discusses this doctrine of the devil:
To obey! To hearken! What a difficult requirement! Often we hear: “Nobody can tell me what clothes to wear, what I shall eat or drink. No one can outline my Sabbaths, appropriate my earnings, nor in any way limit my personal freedoms! I do as I please! I give no blind obedience!”
Blind obedience! How little they understand! …
When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience. How different is the cowering of a subject to his totalitarian monarch and the dignified, willing obedience one gives to his God. The dictator is ambitious, selfish, and has ulterior motives. God’s every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. The first may be blind obedience, but the latter is certainly faith obedience. …
Is it blind obedience when one regards the sign “High Voltage—Keep Away” or is it the obedience of faith in the judgment of experts who know the hazard?
Is it blind obedience when the air traveler fastens his seat belt as that sign flashes or is it confidence in the experience and wisdom of those who know more of hazards and dangers?
Is it blind obedience when the little child gleefully jumps from the table into the strong arms of its smiling father, or is this implicit trust in a loving parent who feels sure of his catch and who loves the child better than life itself? …
Is it then blind obedience when we, with our limited vision, elementary knowledge, selfish desires, ulterior motives, and carnal urges, accept and follow the guidance and obey the commands of our loving Father who … created a world for us, loves us, and has planned a constructive program for us, wholly without ulterior motive, whose greatest joy and glory is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of all his children? [See Moses 1:39.]
It is not blind obedience, even without total understanding, to follow a Father who has proved himself (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 139-40).
Brigham Young also comments on this false idea:
In rendering that strict obedience, are we made slaves? No, it is the only way on the face of the earth for you and me to become free (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 73).
A wonderful principle found in John 7:17 is definitely a great addition to this lesson. President John Taylor explained:
As Latter-day Saints we believe this Gospel has been restored, and further, we know that we are in possession of it. I do for one, and so do you; and through obedience to its principles and the reception of the Holy Ghost you Latter-day Saints do know that this is the work of God, and if you don’t know it, it is because you are not living your religion and keeping the commandments of God; “if any man will do his will,” says Christ, “he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” [John 7:17.] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 35).
Brigham Young gave the following encouraging counsel:
The Saints who live their religion will be exalted, for they never will deny any revelation which the Lord has given or may give, though, when there is a doctrine coming to them which they cannot comprehend fully, they may be found saying, “The Lord sendeth this unto me, and I pray that he will save and preserve me from denying anything which proceedeth from him, and give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 75).
3 - - God Will Prepare the Way
Understandably, obedience is a huge doctrine crucial to the scope of the Plan of Happiness, so all aspects of this doctrine could not be included in this lesson. However, an important concept missing that still may need to be dealt with is the fact that God prepares the way for obedience through covenants. President Grant elucidated:
I earnestly desire that I may be able, in connection with the rest of the Latter-day Saints, to so order my life that my mind may never become darkened, that I may never depart from the truth, or break any of the covenants which I have made with the Lord (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 26).
Joseph Smith taught this about God’s commandments:
God will not command any thing, but what is peculiarly adapted in itself, to ameliorate [improve] the condition of every man under whatever circumstances it may find him, it matters not what kingdom or country he may be in (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 163).
One way our Loving Father “prepares a way” is by giving us only commandments that are only for our good. Concerning this, President Grant said:
The object of our being placed upon this earth is that we may work out an exaltation, that we may prepare ourselves to go back and dwell with our Heavenly Father; and our Father, knowing the faults and failings of men, has given us certain commandments to obey, and if we will examine those requirements…we will find that they are all for our individual benefit and advancement. The school of life in which we are placed and the lessons that are given to us by our Father will make of us exactly what He desires, so that we may be prepared to dwell with Him (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 30).
To this, President Grant added:
The Lord, knowing what is best for you and for me and for every individual, has given to us laws, which, if we obey, will make us more Godlike, will fit and qualify and prepare us to go back and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father and to receive that plaudit: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” [Matthew 25:21] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 29).
4 - - No Commandment Is Too Small or Too Great to Obey
Concerning the sacrifice Abraham made as discussed in this section, President Kimball commented:
Exceeding faith was shown by Abraham when the superhuman test was applied to him. His young “child of promise,” destined to be the father of empires, must now be offered upon the sacrificial altar. It was God’s command, but it seemed so contradictory! How could his son, Isaac, be the father of an uncountable posterity if in his youth his mortal life was to be terminated? Why should he, Abraham, be called upon to do this revolting deed? It was irreconcilable, impossible! And yet he believed God. His undaunted faith carried him with breaking heart toward the land of Moriah with this young son. …
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
“And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Rom. 4:20-21.)
Father Abraham and Mother Sarah knew—knew the promise would be fulfilled. How—they did not know and did not demand to know. Isaac positively would live to be the father of a numerous posterity. They knew he would, even though he might need to die. They knew he could still be raised from the dead to fulfil the promise, and faith here preceded the miracle (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 141).
President Grant had this to say about sacrifice:
There are no people that make the sacrifices that we do, but for us it is not a sacrifice but a privilege—the privilege of obedience, the privilege of entering into a working partnership with our Father in Heaven and earning the choice blessings promised to those who love Him and keep His commandments (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 27).
Joseph Smith added:
If Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and the children of Israel, and all God’s people were saved by keeping the commandments of God, we, if saved at all, shall be saved upon the same principle.
These promises, when obtained, if ever by us, will not be because Peter, John, and the other Apostles … walked in the fear of God and had power and faith to prevail and obtain them; but it will be because we, ourselves, have faith and approach God in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, even as they did… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 161, 6-7).
A very small statement in this section, “Yet he [Abraham] chose to obey God” (p. 203) may need more attention than it receives. Brigham Young taught:
God has placed within us a will, and we should be satisfied to have it controlled by the will of the Almighty (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 65).
President Young also added:
He [God] has given them the privilege of choosing for themselves, whether it be good or evil; but the result of our choice is still in his hand.
…the intelligence in us is as independent as the Gods (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 72).
There is a terrific quote from Elder Boyd K. Packer found in New Era, Jan 1981, 58 (also in chapter 4 of this blog) about giving our agency to God in obedience that supplements this idea nicely.
Concerning these teachings, President Grant stated:
The devil is ready to blind our eyes with the things of this world, and he would gladly rob us of eternal life, the greatest of all gifts. But it is not given to the devil, and no power will ever be given to him to overthrow any Latter-day Saint that is keeping the commandments of God.
There is no power given to the adversary of men’s souls to destroy us if we are doing our duty. If we are not absolutely honest with God, then we let the bars down, then we have destroyed part of the fortifications by which we are protected, and the devil may come in. But no man has ever lost the testimony of the Gospel, no man has ever turned to the right or to the left, who had the knowledge of the truth, who was attending to his duties… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 27).
Concerning this “will” Brigham Young added:
This people have got to become of one heart and one mind. They have to know the will of God and do it, for to know the will of God is one thing, and to bring our wills, our dispositions, into subjection to that which we do understand to be the will of God is another (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 74).
These ideas are summed up in wonderful way by President Lee:
The plan [of salvation] embodied three distinctive principles:
First, the privilege to be given to every soul to choose for himself “liberty and eternal life” through obedience to the laws of God, or “captivity and death” as to spiritual things because of disobedience. (See 2 Nephi 2:27.) (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 4).
The other two principles discussed by President Lee were the Atonement and the first principles as found in Articles of Faith # 4.
5 - - Jesus Christ Obeyed His Father
Be sure to not overlook the question at the end of this section, “How can remembering the Savior’s example help us be obedient?” (p. 204). President Joseph F. Smith helps us apply this idea:
He that is most pliant and submissive to the will of God shows the greatest wisdom among all men. He that sets up his opinion in opposition to the wishes and purposes of the Lord is of all men the farthest from God in that regard. Though he may be fashioned and formed in the image and likeness of the Father, yet he is most unlike the Son unless he can say in his heart, “Father, not my will, but thine, be done.” [Luke 22:42.] It is the will of the Lord that we should possess this spirit, and understand this truth. It is true that there is to us but one God, the Father, and that all men will have to be subject unto Him and are required to obey His commandments, in order that they may be free and the disciples of Christ indeed (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 292).
Joseph Smith taught concerning the principles found in this section:
If we keep the commandments of God, we should bring forth fruit and be the friends of God, and know what our Lord did (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 163).
Brigham Young added:
If you wish to receive and enjoy the favor of our Heavenly Father, do his will. …
All who receive eternal life and salvation will receive it on no other conditions than believing in the Son of God and obeying the principles that he has laid down. Can we devise any other means and plan of salvation? We cannot (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 74).
6 - - Results of Obedience and Disobedience
Perhaps the first result is best described by Joseph Smith:
…in obedience there is joy and peace unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness, … He never has—He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 256).
At the very heart of this whole lesson is D&C 130:20-21. President Joseph F. Smith taught:
There are … certain blessings which God bestows upon the children of men only upon the condition of the rightful exercise of this agency. For instance, no man can obtain a remission of his sins but by repentance, and baptism by one having authority. If we would be free from sin, from its effects, from its power, we must obey this law which God has revealed, or we never can obtain a remission of sins. Therefore, while God has bestowed upon all men, irrespective of condition, this agency to choose good or evil, he has not and will not bestow upon the children of men a remission of sins but by their obedience to law.
God has not and will not suffer the gift of the Holy Ghost to be bestowed upon any man or woman, except through compliance with the laws of God. Therefore, no man can obtain a remission of sins; no man can obtain the gift of the Holy Ghost; no man can obtain the revelations of God; no man can obtain the Priesthood, and the rights, powers and privileges thereof; no man can become an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ, except through compliance with the requirements of heaven. …these privileges and blessings when obtained may be forfeited, and perhaps lost for all eternity, unless we continue steadfast in the course that is marked out for us to pursue (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 289).
As to “blessings” mentioned in D&C 130, Brigham Young promised:
The Latter-day Saints who hearken to the words of the Lord, given to them touching their political, social, and financial concerns, I say, and say it boldly, that they will have wisdom which is altogether superior to the wisdom of the children of darkness, or the children of this world. I know this by the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the results of my own actions. They who have hearkened to the counsels given to them in temporal matters, have invariably bettered their condition temporally and spiritually (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 74).
President Taylor also promised:
It is obedience to the oracles of God that are in our midst; and so long as we keep the commandments of God, we need not fear any evil; for the Lord will be with us in time and in eternity.
When men are humble, pure and virtuous, and seek unto the Lord for His guidance, for the light of His Holy Spirit to lead them unto the paths of life, that they may comprehend His law, His word and His will—and then obey it as it is made manifest to them—such persons, those brethren and sisters who follow this plan, are a thousand times more likely to comprehend the things of God… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 34-6).
In addition, President Taylor also explained:
Our safety and happiness and our wealth depend upon our obedience to God and His laws, and our exaltation in time and eternity depends upon the same thing. If we have means placed in our hands we will ask our Father to enable us to do what is right with it, and, as I have said, we will ask Him for our daily bread, and thank Him for it; just the same as the children of Israel did. They had manna brought to them from time to time by the angels. I do not know what kind of mills they had or who were their bakers; but they brought the manna. …God does take care of us, and I feel all the day long like blessing the name of the God of Israel; and if we fear God and work righteousness, … we, the people of Zion, will be the richest of all people (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 36).
Many times courage is necessary to be obedient. A great example of the courage in obedience, as well as the results of disobedience is told by President McKay:
A young boy … decided to be an apprentice in one of the carpenters’ societies. He was a bright young boy in his teens, and the men were very glad to admit him. They said, ‘Come on, let’s drink to the entrance of this young man to our group!’ They poured out the beer [and] handed him the glass.
He said, “No, thank you, I do not drink.”
“Well,” said a gruff old member, “we’re not going to have any teetotalers [or nondrinkers] in our group.”
“Well,” said the young boy, “you’ll have one if you have me.”
Another seized him by the collar and said, “Young man, you’ll have this beer either inside or outside!”
“Very well, I came here with a clean jacket and a clear conscience. You may soil my jacket if you wish, but you shall not soil my character” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 171).
In light of deaths due to college students drinking right here in Utah, this story is still current.
I love the following example from Joseph Smith concerning courage:
The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 161).
A good discussion of John 8:31-32 may help us understand the foundation principles of freedom. President Joseph F. Smith expounded on this:
[Jesus Christ] not only had intelligence, but He applied that intelligence in the doing of good and in the making of men free from the errors of the world and the evil traditions of the fathers. He declared in words of truth and soberness, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” [John 8:31-32.] No man is like God unless he is free. God is free. Why? Because He possesses all righteousness, all power, and all wisdom. He also possesses His agency, and His agency is exercised in doing that which is good, and not that which is evil. So no man can be like unto Him until he can subject himself unto that which is righteous, pure, and good, and until he can forsake error and sin and overcome himself (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 291-2).
President Taylor also explained:
Some of the Latter-day Saints…say…“I am a free man; I will be damned if I don’t do as I please, etc.” Well, I will tell you another part of that story. You will be damned if you do act as you please, unless you please to do and to keep the laws of God. We cannot violate his laws with impunity nor trample under foot these eternal principles which exist in all nature. If all nature is compelled to be governed by law or suffer loss, why not man?
We cannot run our own way and have the blessing of God. Every one who attempts it will find he is mistaken. God will withdraw his Spirit from such, and they will be left to themselves to wander in the dark, and go down to perdition (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 33).
He went on to warn:
We are not here to do our own will, but the will of our heavenly Father. Some men who think they are doing pretty well, and doing, according to their own expression, “as they darned please,” will wake up to find they have not been doing the will of God. They may have thought that they had wives and children, but they will wake up to find that they have not got them, and that they are deprived of many of those great blessings they anticipated enjoying (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 34).
It is most fitting that the title to the chapter in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith is “Liberty through Obedience.” He affirmed:
We believe that God’s will is to exalt men; that the liberty that comes through obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest measure of liberty that can come to man.
Brethren and sisters, let us be free. I contend—and I think I have a right to do so—that I am a free man, in accordance with my observance of the commandments of God. If I do wrong, I am in bondage to that wrong. If I commit sin, I am in bondage to that sin (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 290).
A terrific caution about distinguishing between obedience and disobedience is from President Grant:
When you are in the line of your duty it is like standing in front of a line of posts, and every post is in line. But step one step aside, and every post looks as though it were not quite in line. The farther you get away from that straight line, the more crooked the posts will appear. It is the straight and narrow path of duty that will lead you and me back to the presence of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 29).
President Heber J. Grant explained a great difference between obedience and disobedience:
The Lord also tells us that those who hear His sayings and doeth them shall be likened unto the wise man who built his house upon the rock, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell not, because it was founded upon a rock. On the other hand, those who heard His sayings and did them not, the Savior likened unto a foolish man, who built his house on the sand, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall thereof. [See Matthew 7:24-27.] There are many Latter-day Saints who are building their houses upon the sand. They are failing to carry out the commandments of our Heavenly Father that come to us from time to time through His inspired servants (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 25-6).
The last quote in this section is from King Benjamin, “He [God] doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you” (p. 205).
This little word “do” may require much more discussion that found in this whole lesson. Joseph said:
Any man may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and be happy in that belief, and yet not obey his commandments, and at last be cut down for disobedience to the Lord’s righteous requirements (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 162).
I love the following quote from Elder L. Tom Perry that seems to summarize the ideas in this section:
The gospel is so very simple when we understand it properly. It is always right, it is always good, it is always uplifting. Obedience to gospel principles brings forth joy and happiness. Disobedience has a day of reckoning and will only bring forth heartache, misery, strife, and unhappiness (New Era, July 2010, 3).
We love the following concept that can help us to measure our progression in obedience:
Our lives are made up of thousands of everyday choices. Over the years these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov. 1980, 21).
7 - - The Obedient Gain Eternal Life
D&C 14:7 is quoted first thing in this section. Eternal life is a gift that can only come from God. Concerning this gift, President Grant explained:
We are in a school, fitting, qualifying, and preparing ourselves that we may be worthy and capable of going back and dwelling in the presence of our Heavenly Father, and the man who claims that he knows the gospel is true and then does not live it, does not keep the commandments of God. Such a man will never attain to that strength, to that power, to that eminence, and to that capacity in the Church and Kingdom of God that he would attain if he obeyed the laws of God.
Let us all do the will of our Father in heaven to-day, and we will then be prepared for the duty of to-morrow, also for the eternities which are to come. Never forget that it is the pearl of great price—life eternal—that we are working for (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 29-30).
Joseph Smith stated:
To get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 161).
President Grant explained how obedience leads to the gift of eternal life:
…I say to each and every Latter-day Saint, who desires to grow and enlarge in the Gospel, he must keep the commandments of God. As we keep the commandments of God and live god-like lives, we become full of charity, long-suffering and love for our fellows, and we grow and increase in all those things that go to make us noble and god-like (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 26).
He also added:
No obstacles are insurmountable when God commands and we obey (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 27).
In the quote in this section from D&C 76: 7 are the ideas “mysteries” and “hidden mysteries.” President Taylor expanded thusly:
It is for us to live our religion, to fully appreciate the gospel we possess, and fully obey its requirements, submit to its laws, and yield to its dictations, following the direction of the holy priesthood, which holds the keys of the mysteries of the revelations of God, magnifying our callings, and honoring our God, that we may be prepared to fulfil our destiny upon the earth, and be enabled to be a blessing to those around us, and to pour blessings upon our posterity, and spread forth the great principles of eternity, which are calculated to bless, enlighten, ennoble, and exalt all who will yield obedience to their dictates (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 32).
When the goal of eternal life seems just too hard to reach, President Grant’s counsel may help:
It has been said … that we are not doing all we can. I do not believe that any man lives up to his ideals, but if we are striving, if we are working, if we are trying, to the best of our ability, to improve day by day, then we are in the line of our duty. If we are seeking to remedy our own defects, if we are so living that we can ask God for light, for knowledge, for intelligence, and above all for His Spirit, that we may overcome our weaknesses, then, I can tell you, we are in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal; then we need have no fear (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 31).
Some of the most important ideas found this lesson could be better understood by a discussion about what President McKay calls “The Dual Nature of Man” (Chapter 2 of Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay). An outline of this whole idea, with quotes from Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and others is found in this blog, 2010, February, Chapter 7 (The Holy Ghost) under the section “Mission of the Holy Ghost.”
The new website “lds.org” is wonderful. On the first page, there is a link in the upper right-hand corner, “Search all LDS.org” which, if you type in “obedience” yields terrific quotes and talks.
A great introductory statement for this chapter comes from President David O. McKay:
Let us never lose sight of the principles of obedience. Obedience is heaven’s first law (Pearl of Great Price Institute Manual, 16).
This manual (as well as all of the best in the Church) can be found at “institute.lds.org.”
1 - - We Should Obey God Willingly
The first quote in this section is Matthew 22:36-40. After quoting this, President Heber J. Grant said:
The longer I live, the more I study the gospel, the more I come in contact with men, the more forcibly am I impressed with the truth of the sayings of our Savior in the words that I have just read to you. If we did in every deed love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, there would be no need of urging from time to time upon the people the necessity of keeping the commandments of the Lord. It would be a pleasure to them to serve God and keep His commandments. We are told that where a man’s treasure is, there will his heart be also [see Matthew 6:21], and if we loved the Lord with all our heart and mind and soul, serving Him would be the great object of our lives, and the treasure we would work to gain would be His love. If we followed that second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourself, … our difficulties would all be settled amicably. … It would be almost [unnecessary] to appeal to the people for donations, to urge them to be liberal, to be generous, to strive for the benefit and welfare of their fellows (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 25).
Concerning this love, President Joseph F. Smith stated:
It is only by obedience to the laws of God, that men can rise above the petty weaknesses of mortality and exercise that breadth of affection, that charity and love, that should actuate the hearts and the motives of the children of men (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 290).
President Kimball added:
We render intelligent, constructive obedience when we voluntarily, humbly, and happily obey the commands of our Lord (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 139).
Concerning loving “with all thy heart” (p. 201) Brigham Young taught:
All that the Lord requires of us is strict obedience to the laws of life. All the sacrifice that the Lord asks of his people is strict obedience to our own covenants that we have made with our God, and that is to serve him with an undivided heart (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 73).
This section also discusses obedience thru “fear.” In the scriptures there are two kinds of fear. The Bible Dictionary (see “fear”) helps us better understand this concept. President Smith explained:
We do not preach the gospel of fear. We do not seek to terrorize the souls of men. We do not ask a man to be righteous because of the terrors of the damned. We do not want you to be good because you fear the punishment of the wicked. We do not want you to do right because of the penalty that attaches to the doing of wrong. We want you to choose the right because it is right, and because your heart loves the right, and because it is choice above everything else. …We should be good because we love to be good, and not because we fear the consequences of evil.
The Lord does not accept obedience from men except that which they render cheerfully and gladly in their hearts, and that is all that is desired by his servants. That is the obedience we ought to render, and if we do not we are under condemnation (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 291).
President John Taylor added to this idea:
…we have learned that it is the height of human happiness to fear God and observe his laws and keep his commandments; we have learned that it is a duty devolving upon us to try and make all men happy and intelligent, which happiness and intelligence can only be obtained through obedience to the laws of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 35).
Brigham Young yearned for our acceptance of the principles taught in this section:
How I long to see the brethren, when they hear the words of truth poured upon them, ready to receive those words because they are perfectly congenial to their feelings, and every soul exclaim, “Those words savor of the Spirit that is in me; they are my delight, my meat, and my drink; they are the streams of eternal life. How congenial they are, instead of their being contrary to my feelings (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 74).
He also added:
Do you think that people will obey the truth because it is true, unless they love it? No, they will not. Truth is obeyed when it is loved. Strict obedience to the truth will alone enable people to dwell in the presence of the Almighty (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 75).
Brigham Young also added to the doctrine in D&C 58:28-29 by commenting:
Blessed are they who obey when the Lord gives a direct commandment, but more blessed are they who obey without a direct commandment (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 73).
One of my all-time favorite quotes on obedience is from President Ezra Taft Benson by way of a talk (the whole talk is good) in conference by Elder Donald L. Staheli, of the Seventy:
When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power (Ensign, May 1998, 81).
2 - - We Can Obey without Understanding Why
In this section it states:
Sometimes we do not know the reason for a particular commandment. However, we show our faith and trust in God when we obey Him without knowing why (p. 202).
President Harold B. Lee drew a terrific parallel between this idea and the mission of Apollo 13:
Some months ago, millions of watchers and listeners over the world waited breathlessly and anxiously the precarious flight of Apollo 13. The whole world, it seemed, prayed for one significant result: the safe return to earth of three brave men.
When one of them with restrained anxiety announced the startling information, “We have had an explosion!” the mission control in Houston immediately mobilized all the technically trained scientists who had, over the years, planned every conceivable detail pertaining to that flight.
The safety of those three now depended on two vital qualifications: on the reliability of the skills and the knowledge of those technicians in the mission control center at Houston, and upon the implicit obedience of the men in the Aquarius to every instruction from the technicians, who, because of their understanding of the problems of the astronauts, were better qualified to find the essential solutions. The decisions of the technicians had to be perfect or the Aquarius could have missed the earth by thousands of miles.
This dramatic event is somewhat analogous to these [troubled] times in which we live. … Many are frightened when they see and hear of unbelievable happenings the world over—political intrigues, wars and contention everywhere, frustrations of parents endeavoring to cope with social problems that threaten to break down the sanctity of the home, the frustrations of children and youth as they face challenges to their faith and their morals.
Only if you are willing to listen and obey, as did the astronauts on the Aquarius, can you and all your households be guided to ultimate safety and security in the Lord’s own way
If the children of the Lord, which includes all who are upon this earth, regardless of nationality, color, or creed, will heed the call of the true messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as did the three astronauts on the Aquarius to the trained technicians at Mission Control in the hour of their peril, each may in time see the Lord and know that he is, as the Lord has promised…
So would have been the fate of the three astronauts on the Aquarius if they had refused to give heed to the minutest instruction from Houston Control. Their very lives depended upon obedience to the basic laws which govern and control the forces of the universe
(Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 2, 6).
The astronauts aboard certainly did not have the combined knowledge and technological controls at Houston Control, but their lives depended upon their obedience Houston’s instructions.
President Lee also described the opposite result of a story apparently in the news at the time of his conference address quoted from above:
Or will we be like those foolhardy ones on the river above the Niagara Falls who were approaching the dangerous rapids? Despite warnings of the river guards to go toward safety before it was too late, and in complete disregard of the warnings, they laughed, they danced, they drank, they mocked, and they perished (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 6).
President Kimball also illustrated this idea of obedience without understanding wonderfully:
The exercising of faith is a willingness to accept without total regular proof and to move forward and perform works… A real faith pushes one forward to constructive and beneficial acts as though he knew in absoluteness.
One may enjoy the benefits of the miracles in the physical world without a complete knowledge of the underlying principles involved. He may turn darkness into light by pushing a button and read in the darkest night. He need not be able to develop the electricity, nor to have the knowledge to wire the home. But he must have the faith sufficient to secure lamps and faith to turn the switch. He then may receive the light. … He may turn a dial and enjoy sweet music from afar without being able to fashion a radio or understand fully its workings, but the blessing will never be his unless he connects his set with the power, and turns the dial correctly. In like manner, one may receive spiritual blessings and manifestations, by establishing contact turning the dial. Faith manifested by prayer and works is that key (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 137-8).
Today the above quote could be used replacing radio with television and internet.
A wonderful illustration of obedience without knowledge is found in the story related by Elder Russell M. Nelson at the funeral for President Spencer W. Kimball (Ensign, Dec 1985, 39) concerning the heart surgery Elder Kimball considered not having and the Prophet, President Lee’ intervention.
In the second paragraph of this section the sacrifice of Adam and Eve was discussed.
Following the principles President Kimball explained in the above quote, he also discussed this sacrifice:
Blind obedience? Assuredly not. They had known Jehovah, heard his voice, walked with him in the Garden of Eden, and knew of his goodness, justice, and understanding. And so for “many days” they killed the blemishless lambs and offered them without knowing why, but in total confidence that there was righteous purpose in the law and that the reason would unfold later after compliance (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 140).
From the “philosophies of the world” some have argued in derision that “obeying God without understanding why” is “blind” obedience. President Kimball discusses this doctrine of the devil:
To obey! To hearken! What a difficult requirement! Often we hear: “Nobody can tell me what clothes to wear, what I shall eat or drink. No one can outline my Sabbaths, appropriate my earnings, nor in any way limit my personal freedoms! I do as I please! I give no blind obedience!”
Blind obedience! How little they understand! …
When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience. How different is the cowering of a subject to his totalitarian monarch and the dignified, willing obedience one gives to his God. The dictator is ambitious, selfish, and has ulterior motives. God’s every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. The first may be blind obedience, but the latter is certainly faith obedience. …
Is it blind obedience when one regards the sign “High Voltage—Keep Away” or is it the obedience of faith in the judgment of experts who know the hazard?
Is it blind obedience when the air traveler fastens his seat belt as that sign flashes or is it confidence in the experience and wisdom of those who know more of hazards and dangers?
Is it blind obedience when the little child gleefully jumps from the table into the strong arms of its smiling father, or is this implicit trust in a loving parent who feels sure of his catch and who loves the child better than life itself? …
Is it then blind obedience when we, with our limited vision, elementary knowledge, selfish desires, ulterior motives, and carnal urges, accept and follow the guidance and obey the commands of our loving Father who … created a world for us, loves us, and has planned a constructive program for us, wholly without ulterior motive, whose greatest joy and glory is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of all his children? [See Moses 1:39.]
It is not blind obedience, even without total understanding, to follow a Father who has proved himself (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 139-40).
Brigham Young also comments on this false idea:
In rendering that strict obedience, are we made slaves? No, it is the only way on the face of the earth for you and me to become free (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 73).
A wonderful principle found in John 7:17 is definitely a great addition to this lesson. President John Taylor explained:
As Latter-day Saints we believe this Gospel has been restored, and further, we know that we are in possession of it. I do for one, and so do you; and through obedience to its principles and the reception of the Holy Ghost you Latter-day Saints do know that this is the work of God, and if you don’t know it, it is because you are not living your religion and keeping the commandments of God; “if any man will do his will,” says Christ, “he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” [John 7:17.] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 35).
Brigham Young gave the following encouraging counsel:
The Saints who live their religion will be exalted, for they never will deny any revelation which the Lord has given or may give, though, when there is a doctrine coming to them which they cannot comprehend fully, they may be found saying, “The Lord sendeth this unto me, and I pray that he will save and preserve me from denying anything which proceedeth from him, and give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 75).
3 - - God Will Prepare the Way
Understandably, obedience is a huge doctrine crucial to the scope of the Plan of Happiness, so all aspects of this doctrine could not be included in this lesson. However, an important concept missing that still may need to be dealt with is the fact that God prepares the way for obedience through covenants. President Grant elucidated:
I earnestly desire that I may be able, in connection with the rest of the Latter-day Saints, to so order my life that my mind may never become darkened, that I may never depart from the truth, or break any of the covenants which I have made with the Lord (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 26).
Joseph Smith taught this about God’s commandments:
God will not command any thing, but what is peculiarly adapted in itself, to ameliorate [improve] the condition of every man under whatever circumstances it may find him, it matters not what kingdom or country he may be in (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 163).
One way our Loving Father “prepares a way” is by giving us only commandments that are only for our good. Concerning this, President Grant said:
The object of our being placed upon this earth is that we may work out an exaltation, that we may prepare ourselves to go back and dwell with our Heavenly Father; and our Father, knowing the faults and failings of men, has given us certain commandments to obey, and if we will examine those requirements…we will find that they are all for our individual benefit and advancement. The school of life in which we are placed and the lessons that are given to us by our Father will make of us exactly what He desires, so that we may be prepared to dwell with Him (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 30).
To this, President Grant added:
The Lord, knowing what is best for you and for me and for every individual, has given to us laws, which, if we obey, will make us more Godlike, will fit and qualify and prepare us to go back and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father and to receive that plaudit: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” [Matthew 25:21] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 29).
4 - - No Commandment Is Too Small or Too Great to Obey
Concerning the sacrifice Abraham made as discussed in this section, President Kimball commented:
Exceeding faith was shown by Abraham when the superhuman test was applied to him. His young “child of promise,” destined to be the father of empires, must now be offered upon the sacrificial altar. It was God’s command, but it seemed so contradictory! How could his son, Isaac, be the father of an uncountable posterity if in his youth his mortal life was to be terminated? Why should he, Abraham, be called upon to do this revolting deed? It was irreconcilable, impossible! And yet he believed God. His undaunted faith carried him with breaking heart toward the land of Moriah with this young son. …
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
“And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Rom. 4:20-21.)
Father Abraham and Mother Sarah knew—knew the promise would be fulfilled. How—they did not know and did not demand to know. Isaac positively would live to be the father of a numerous posterity. They knew he would, even though he might need to die. They knew he could still be raised from the dead to fulfil the promise, and faith here preceded the miracle (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 141).
President Grant had this to say about sacrifice:
There are no people that make the sacrifices that we do, but for us it is not a sacrifice but a privilege—the privilege of obedience, the privilege of entering into a working partnership with our Father in Heaven and earning the choice blessings promised to those who love Him and keep His commandments (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 27).
Joseph Smith added:
If Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and the children of Israel, and all God’s people were saved by keeping the commandments of God, we, if saved at all, shall be saved upon the same principle.
These promises, when obtained, if ever by us, will not be because Peter, John, and the other Apostles … walked in the fear of God and had power and faith to prevail and obtain them; but it will be because we, ourselves, have faith and approach God in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, even as they did… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 161, 6-7).
A very small statement in this section, “Yet he [Abraham] chose to obey God” (p. 203) may need more attention than it receives. Brigham Young taught:
God has placed within us a will, and we should be satisfied to have it controlled by the will of the Almighty (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 65).
President Young also added:
He [God] has given them the privilege of choosing for themselves, whether it be good or evil; but the result of our choice is still in his hand.
…the intelligence in us is as independent as the Gods (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 72).
There is a terrific quote from Elder Boyd K. Packer found in New Era, Jan 1981, 58 (also in chapter 4 of this blog) about giving our agency to God in obedience that supplements this idea nicely.
Concerning these teachings, President Grant stated:
The devil is ready to blind our eyes with the things of this world, and he would gladly rob us of eternal life, the greatest of all gifts. But it is not given to the devil, and no power will ever be given to him to overthrow any Latter-day Saint that is keeping the commandments of God.
There is no power given to the adversary of men’s souls to destroy us if we are doing our duty. If we are not absolutely honest with God, then we let the bars down, then we have destroyed part of the fortifications by which we are protected, and the devil may come in. But no man has ever lost the testimony of the Gospel, no man has ever turned to the right or to the left, who had the knowledge of the truth, who was attending to his duties… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 27).
Concerning this “will” Brigham Young added:
This people have got to become of one heart and one mind. They have to know the will of God and do it, for to know the will of God is one thing, and to bring our wills, our dispositions, into subjection to that which we do understand to be the will of God is another (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 74).
These ideas are summed up in wonderful way by President Lee:
The plan [of salvation] embodied three distinctive principles:
First, the privilege to be given to every soul to choose for himself “liberty and eternal life” through obedience to the laws of God, or “captivity and death” as to spiritual things because of disobedience. (See 2 Nephi 2:27.) (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 4).
The other two principles discussed by President Lee were the Atonement and the first principles as found in Articles of Faith # 4.
5 - - Jesus Christ Obeyed His Father
Be sure to not overlook the question at the end of this section, “How can remembering the Savior’s example help us be obedient?” (p. 204). President Joseph F. Smith helps us apply this idea:
He that is most pliant and submissive to the will of God shows the greatest wisdom among all men. He that sets up his opinion in opposition to the wishes and purposes of the Lord is of all men the farthest from God in that regard. Though he may be fashioned and formed in the image and likeness of the Father, yet he is most unlike the Son unless he can say in his heart, “Father, not my will, but thine, be done.” [Luke 22:42.] It is the will of the Lord that we should possess this spirit, and understand this truth. It is true that there is to us but one God, the Father, and that all men will have to be subject unto Him and are required to obey His commandments, in order that they may be free and the disciples of Christ indeed (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 292).
Joseph Smith taught concerning the principles found in this section:
If we keep the commandments of God, we should bring forth fruit and be the friends of God, and know what our Lord did (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 163).
Brigham Young added:
If you wish to receive and enjoy the favor of our Heavenly Father, do his will. …
All who receive eternal life and salvation will receive it on no other conditions than believing in the Son of God and obeying the principles that he has laid down. Can we devise any other means and plan of salvation? We cannot (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 74).
6 - - Results of Obedience and Disobedience
Perhaps the first result is best described by Joseph Smith:
…in obedience there is joy and peace unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness, … He never has—He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 256).
At the very heart of this whole lesson is D&C 130:20-21. President Joseph F. Smith taught:
There are … certain blessings which God bestows upon the children of men only upon the condition of the rightful exercise of this agency. For instance, no man can obtain a remission of his sins but by repentance, and baptism by one having authority. If we would be free from sin, from its effects, from its power, we must obey this law which God has revealed, or we never can obtain a remission of sins. Therefore, while God has bestowed upon all men, irrespective of condition, this agency to choose good or evil, he has not and will not bestow upon the children of men a remission of sins but by their obedience to law.
God has not and will not suffer the gift of the Holy Ghost to be bestowed upon any man or woman, except through compliance with the laws of God. Therefore, no man can obtain a remission of sins; no man can obtain the gift of the Holy Ghost; no man can obtain the revelations of God; no man can obtain the Priesthood, and the rights, powers and privileges thereof; no man can become an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ, except through compliance with the requirements of heaven. …these privileges and blessings when obtained may be forfeited, and perhaps lost for all eternity, unless we continue steadfast in the course that is marked out for us to pursue (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 289).
As to “blessings” mentioned in D&C 130, Brigham Young promised:
The Latter-day Saints who hearken to the words of the Lord, given to them touching their political, social, and financial concerns, I say, and say it boldly, that they will have wisdom which is altogether superior to the wisdom of the children of darkness, or the children of this world. I know this by the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the results of my own actions. They who have hearkened to the counsels given to them in temporal matters, have invariably bettered their condition temporally and spiritually (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 74).
President Taylor also promised:
It is obedience to the oracles of God that are in our midst; and so long as we keep the commandments of God, we need not fear any evil; for the Lord will be with us in time and in eternity.
When men are humble, pure and virtuous, and seek unto the Lord for His guidance, for the light of His Holy Spirit to lead them unto the paths of life, that they may comprehend His law, His word and His will—and then obey it as it is made manifest to them—such persons, those brethren and sisters who follow this plan, are a thousand times more likely to comprehend the things of God… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 34-6).
In addition, President Taylor also explained:
Our safety and happiness and our wealth depend upon our obedience to God and His laws, and our exaltation in time and eternity depends upon the same thing. If we have means placed in our hands we will ask our Father to enable us to do what is right with it, and, as I have said, we will ask Him for our daily bread, and thank Him for it; just the same as the children of Israel did. They had manna brought to them from time to time by the angels. I do not know what kind of mills they had or who were their bakers; but they brought the manna. …God does take care of us, and I feel all the day long like blessing the name of the God of Israel; and if we fear God and work righteousness, … we, the people of Zion, will be the richest of all people (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 36).
Many times courage is necessary to be obedient. A great example of the courage in obedience, as well as the results of disobedience is told by President McKay:
A young boy … decided to be an apprentice in one of the carpenters’ societies. He was a bright young boy in his teens, and the men were very glad to admit him. They said, ‘Come on, let’s drink to the entrance of this young man to our group!’ They poured out the beer [and] handed him the glass.
He said, “No, thank you, I do not drink.”
“Well,” said a gruff old member, “we’re not going to have any teetotalers [or nondrinkers] in our group.”
“Well,” said the young boy, “you’ll have one if you have me.”
Another seized him by the collar and said, “Young man, you’ll have this beer either inside or outside!”
“Very well, I came here with a clean jacket and a clear conscience. You may soil my jacket if you wish, but you shall not soil my character” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 171).
In light of deaths due to college students drinking right here in Utah, this story is still current.
I love the following example from Joseph Smith concerning courage:
The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 161).
A good discussion of John 8:31-32 may help us understand the foundation principles of freedom. President Joseph F. Smith expounded on this:
[Jesus Christ] not only had intelligence, but He applied that intelligence in the doing of good and in the making of men free from the errors of the world and the evil traditions of the fathers. He declared in words of truth and soberness, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” [John 8:31-32.] No man is like God unless he is free. God is free. Why? Because He possesses all righteousness, all power, and all wisdom. He also possesses His agency, and His agency is exercised in doing that which is good, and not that which is evil. So no man can be like unto Him until he can subject himself unto that which is righteous, pure, and good, and until he can forsake error and sin and overcome himself (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 291-2).
President Taylor also explained:
Some of the Latter-day Saints…say…“I am a free man; I will be damned if I don’t do as I please, etc.” Well, I will tell you another part of that story. You will be damned if you do act as you please, unless you please to do and to keep the laws of God. We cannot violate his laws with impunity nor trample under foot these eternal principles which exist in all nature. If all nature is compelled to be governed by law or suffer loss, why not man?
We cannot run our own way and have the blessing of God. Every one who attempts it will find he is mistaken. God will withdraw his Spirit from such, and they will be left to themselves to wander in the dark, and go down to perdition (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 33).
He went on to warn:
We are not here to do our own will, but the will of our heavenly Father. Some men who think they are doing pretty well, and doing, according to their own expression, “as they darned please,” will wake up to find they have not been doing the will of God. They may have thought that they had wives and children, but they will wake up to find that they have not got them, and that they are deprived of many of those great blessings they anticipated enjoying (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 34).
It is most fitting that the title to the chapter in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith is “Liberty through Obedience.” He affirmed:
We believe that God’s will is to exalt men; that the liberty that comes through obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest measure of liberty that can come to man.
Brethren and sisters, let us be free. I contend—and I think I have a right to do so—that I am a free man, in accordance with my observance of the commandments of God. If I do wrong, I am in bondage to that wrong. If I commit sin, I am in bondage to that sin (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 290).
A terrific caution about distinguishing between obedience and disobedience is from President Grant:
When you are in the line of your duty it is like standing in front of a line of posts, and every post is in line. But step one step aside, and every post looks as though it were not quite in line. The farther you get away from that straight line, the more crooked the posts will appear. It is the straight and narrow path of duty that will lead you and me back to the presence of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 29).
President Heber J. Grant explained a great difference between obedience and disobedience:
The Lord also tells us that those who hear His sayings and doeth them shall be likened unto the wise man who built his house upon the rock, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell not, because it was founded upon a rock. On the other hand, those who heard His sayings and did them not, the Savior likened unto a foolish man, who built his house on the sand, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall thereof. [See Matthew 7:24-27.] There are many Latter-day Saints who are building their houses upon the sand. They are failing to carry out the commandments of our Heavenly Father that come to us from time to time through His inspired servants (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 25-6).
The last quote in this section is from King Benjamin, “He [God] doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you” (p. 205).
This little word “do” may require much more discussion that found in this whole lesson. Joseph said:
Any man may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and be happy in that belief, and yet not obey his commandments, and at last be cut down for disobedience to the Lord’s righteous requirements (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 162).
I love the following quote from Elder L. Tom Perry that seems to summarize the ideas in this section:
The gospel is so very simple when we understand it properly. It is always right, it is always good, it is always uplifting. Obedience to gospel principles brings forth joy and happiness. Disobedience has a day of reckoning and will only bring forth heartache, misery, strife, and unhappiness (New Era, July 2010, 3).
We love the following concept that can help us to measure our progression in obedience:
Our lives are made up of thousands of everyday choices. Over the years these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov. 1980, 21).
7 - - The Obedient Gain Eternal Life
D&C 14:7 is quoted first thing in this section. Eternal life is a gift that can only come from God. Concerning this gift, President Grant explained:
We are in a school, fitting, qualifying, and preparing ourselves that we may be worthy and capable of going back and dwelling in the presence of our Heavenly Father, and the man who claims that he knows the gospel is true and then does not live it, does not keep the commandments of God. Such a man will never attain to that strength, to that power, to that eminence, and to that capacity in the Church and Kingdom of God that he would attain if he obeyed the laws of God.
Let us all do the will of our Father in heaven to-day, and we will then be prepared for the duty of to-morrow, also for the eternities which are to come. Never forget that it is the pearl of great price—life eternal—that we are working for (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 29-30).
Joseph Smith stated:
To get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 161).
President Grant explained how obedience leads to the gift of eternal life:
…I say to each and every Latter-day Saint, who desires to grow and enlarge in the Gospel, he must keep the commandments of God. As we keep the commandments of God and live god-like lives, we become full of charity, long-suffering and love for our fellows, and we grow and increase in all those things that go to make us noble and god-like (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 26).
He also added:
No obstacles are insurmountable when God commands and we obey (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 27).
In the quote in this section from D&C 76: 7 are the ideas “mysteries” and “hidden mysteries.” President Taylor expanded thusly:
It is for us to live our religion, to fully appreciate the gospel we possess, and fully obey its requirements, submit to its laws, and yield to its dictations, following the direction of the holy priesthood, which holds the keys of the mysteries of the revelations of God, magnifying our callings, and honoring our God, that we may be prepared to fulfil our destiny upon the earth, and be enabled to be a blessing to those around us, and to pour blessings upon our posterity, and spread forth the great principles of eternity, which are calculated to bless, enlighten, ennoble, and exalt all who will yield obedience to their dictates (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 32).
When the goal of eternal life seems just too hard to reach, President Grant’s counsel may help:
It has been said … that we are not doing all we can. I do not believe that any man lives up to his ideals, but if we are striving, if we are working, if we are trying, to the best of our ability, to improve day by day, then we are in the line of our duty. If we are seeking to remedy our own defects, if we are so living that we can ask God for light, for knowledge, for intelligence, and above all for His Spirit, that we may overcome our weaknesses, then, I can tell you, we are in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal; then we need have no fear (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 31).
Some of the most important ideas found this lesson could be better understood by a discussion about what President McKay calls “The Dual Nature of Man” (Chapter 2 of Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay). An outline of this whole idea, with quotes from Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and others is found in this blog, 2010, February, Chapter 7 (The Holy Ghost) under the section “Mission of the Holy Ghost.”
Monday, January 31, 2011
Chapter 34: Developing Our Talents
There is one resource for this lesson in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, Chapter 4. This can be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.
Again, the new website for the Church “lds.org” is helpful. On the first page, there is a link in the upper right-hand corner, “Search all LDS.org” where, if you type in “talent” you will find some useful resources.
We All Have Different Talents and Abilities
The first sentence in this section reads, “We all have special gifts, talents, and abilities given to us by our Heavenly Father” (p. 197). Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Seventies Quorum, wrote a terrific article concerning Jesus’ parable of the talents for the Ensign. In it he taught:
Every one of us has been blessed with many marvelous capabilities, and one of the great objectives of our journey through mortality is to improve upon them (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
Elder Rasband, whose article is quoted above, also gave a talk at BYU-Idaho on “Increasing Talents.” In it he stated:
Each of you has been blessed with divine talents by our Father in Heaven. He is waiting for you to identify, develop and magnify those talents He has blessed you with. We must never forget or stop acknowledging that all talents and abilities come from God. Some were given before birth, while others have been acquired as we have developed. However, in both cases, they are gifts from a benevolent Heavenly Father, whose gracious blessings are also the means for improving (Church News, Jan. 29, 2001, 4).
D&C 46:8-11, 32 will also be helpful to understanding this section.
The next sentence in this paragraph reads, “When we were born, we brought these gifts, talents, and abilities with us (see chapter 2 in this book)” (p. 197). From Chapter 2 of this blog we repeat a terrific quote from Elder Joseph Fielding Smith:
The spirits of men were created with different dispositions and likes and talents. Some evidently were mechanically inclined, from them have come our inventors. Some loved music and hence they have become great musicians. We evidently brought to this world some if not all of the inclinations and talents that we had there (Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:138).
In his article, Elder Rasband quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as declaring:
Each person in this life is endowed with those talents and capacities which his pre-earth life entitle him to receive. Some by obedience to law acquired one talent and some another (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
We Should Use and Improve Our Talents
The first sentence in this section reads, “We have a responsibility to develop the talents we have been given” (p. 197).
In the Ensign article earlier discussed by Elder Rasband, he instructed:
The Lord made it clear that it is not good enough for us simply to return to Him the talents He has given us. We are to improve upon and add to our talents. He has promised that if we multiply our talents we will receive eternal joy (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
In this section it states, “Sometimes we think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with more abilities than we possess” (p. 197). President Heber J. Grant declared:
I believe that we can accomplish any object that we make up our minds to, and no boy or girl ought to sit down and say, because they cannot do as well as somebody else, that they will not do anything. God has given to some people ten talents; to others, he has given one; but they who improve the one talent will live to see the day when they will far outshine those who have ten talents but fail to improve them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).
President Grant also had a personal experience that illustrates this idea:
President Heber J. Grant wrote about his experience in first reading the Book of Mormon:
“I can remember very distinctly when Uncle Anthony Ivins . . . said to me and to his son, Anthony C. Ivins:
“‘Heber, Anthony, have you read the Book of Mormon?'
“We answered, ‘No.’
“He said, ‘I want you to read it. I want you to pledge to me that you will not skip a word, and to the one who reads it first, I will give a pair of ten dollar buckskin gloves with beaver tops.’
“Any boy of fourteen who had a pair of those gloves thought he was ‘it.’ I remember that my mother had urged me to read systematically the Book of Mormon, but I had not done it. I determined to read the book, say, twenty-five pages a day and get the benefit of its contents. I believed its contents were true because my mother and many others had told me so; and because of the testimony of the teacher of the class that Richard W. Young and I attended, I thought that to win the gloves I would have to read the book so rapidly that I would get no benefit; and therefore decided to let Anthony win the gloves.
“I met my cousin, Anthony C., the next morning, and he asked, ‘How many pages have you read?’
“I said: ‘I have read twenty-five pages.’
“He said: ‘I have read over one hundred and fifty. I sat up until after midnight.’
“I said: ‘Good-bye gloves.’
“I went on reading twenty-five pages a day and occasionally I got so interested that I read fifty or seventy-five pages, and, lo and behold, I got through first and got the gloves. He got such a good start he did not bother to read any more until after I got through with the book” (The Presidents of the Church Institute Manual, 114-5).
In this section we also read, “Sometimes we think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with more abilities than we possess” (p. 197). Concerning this, in his first talk as an apostle, Elder Quentin L. Cook taught:
A third area of distraction that can destroy joy is comparing our talents and blessings with others. The growth in our own talents is the best measure of personal progress. In recent years the concept of “personal best” has become widely accepted. This has great merit. Remember we usually judge others at their best and ourselves at our worst. In the parable of the talents, the servants who received five talents and two talents were praised by the Lord for increasing their talents and told to “enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” The servant who was rebuked was the servant who buried the talent given him. (See Matt. 25:14-30.) Comparing blessings is almost certain to drive out joy. We cannot be grateful and envious at the same time. If we truly want to have the Spirit of the Lord and experience joy and happiness, we should rejoice in our blessings and be grateful (Ensign, Nov 1996, 28).
In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband also explained:
Sometimes we have fear of using our talents. We use excuses such as “I know I can’t do that,” or “Someone else can do it much better than I,” or “Those listening to me, or watching me, will criticize and judge me” (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).
A wonderful article, entitled “I don’t have any talents. I can’t play an instrument, sing, dance, or draw. And I’m not a very good student. We have lessons about how we should develop our talents, but what if you don’t have any?” and complete with answers from teenage members is found in New Era, Jan. 1996, 17.
In this section we read, “Sometimes we do not use our talents because we are afraid…” (p. 197).
This “fear” is mentioned in the parable of the talents:
…I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth… (Matthew 25:25).
A discussion about how to get help in conquering our fears may be helpful. The 3rd verse of Hymn 85 (“How Firm a Foundation”) gives wonderful ideas for this help.
In this section we read:
We should evaluate ourselves to find our strengths and abilities. Our family and friends can help us do this (p. 197).
In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband added:
Siblings, aunts, uncles, extended family members; we all have many opportunities to help others identify their talents… The successes in life of those we assist, sponsor, mentor and lift as they pursue their own talents can bring us great joy and satisfaction (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).
From the wonderful suggestions in this section we read, “First, we must discover our talents (p. 197). In the Ensign article by Elder Rasband, he gave three principles concerning the wise use of talents. The first is:
Seek earnestly to discover the talents the Lord has given you. The talents God has given us first become apparent in the interests we pursue. If you are wondering about your talents, make a list of the things you like to do. Include all the activities you enjoy from different dimensions of your life—spiritual, musical, dramatic, academic, athletic, and so on. Study and ponder your patriarchal blessing for insights and inspiration. Consult family members, trusted friends, teachers, and leaders; others often can see in us what we find difficult to see in ourselves.
I remember a wonderful Primary teacher who frequently invited me to read the scriptures in front of the class. She told me what a nice reading voice I had and how well I read. What she said and the way she encouraged me helped me gain confidence and realize a talent from the Lord at an early age.
As a 19-year-old missionary, I yearned to know if I had been blessed with any helpful missionary-related talents. I felt a great desire to know how I could magnify whatever gifts I had so that I could be a more effective servant of the Lord. As I studied the scriptures and my patriarchal blessing, prayed fervently, and had various missionary experiences, several of my talents were made known to me (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
Also in the first of these suggestions we read, “We should evaluate ourselves to find our strengths and abilities. Our family and friends can help us do this. We should also ask our Heavenly Father to help us learn about our talents” (p. 197-8). While the following from the life of President Heber J. Grant fits with this, it also illustrates the fact that sometimes an honest evaluation, with help from real friends, will reveal that we may not have a talent which we desire:
As with baseball and penmanship [both discussed later in this blog], Heber J. Grant was determined to learn to sing, despite the negative opinions of others. Years of practicing brought moderate success. He wrote:
“My mother tried to teach me when I was a small child to sing but failed because of my inability to carry a tune.
“Upon joining a singing class taught by Professor Charles J. Thomas, he tried and tried in vain to teach me when ten years of age to run the scale or carry a simple tune and finally gave up in despair. He said that I could never, in this world, learn to sing. Perhaps he thought I might learn the divine art in another world.
Ever since this attempt, I have frequently tried to sing when riding alone many miles from anyone who might hear me, but on such occasions could never succeed in carrying the tune of one of our familiar hymns for a single verse, and quite frequently not for a single line.
“When I was about twenty-five years of age, Professor Sims informed me that I could sing, but added, ‘I would like to be at least forty miles away while you are doing it.’. . .
“Upon my recent trip to Arizona, I asked Elders Rudger Clawson and J. Golden Kimball if they had any objections to my singing one hundred hymns that day. They took it as a joke and assured me that they would be delighted. We were on the way from Holbrook to St. Johns, a distance of about sixty miles. After I had sung about forty tunes, they assured me that if I sang the remaining sixty they would be sure to have nervous prostration. I paid no attention whatever to their appeal, but held them to their bargain and sang the full one hundred. One hundred and fifteen songs in one day, and four hundred in four days, is the largest amount of practicing I ever did (The Presidents of the Church Institute Manual, 116-7).
The next suggestion in this section is, “Second, we must be willing to spend the time and effort to develop the talent we are seeking (p. 198). The example of President Grant and learning baseball is terrific:
Throughout his life, Heber J. Grant worked diligently to improve himself, believing that “every individual can improve from day to day, from year to year, and have greater capacity to do things as the years come and the years go.” He became known for his persistence, and it was said of him that “he never criticized other men’s weaknesses but made war on his own.” He told the following story about a time in his youth when he displayed the quality of persistence:
“When I joined a base ball club, the boys of my own age, and a little older, played in the first nine, those younger than myself played in the second, and those still younger in the third, and I played with them. One of the reasons for this was that I could not throw the ball from one base to the other; another reason was that I lacked physical strength to run or bat well. When I picked up a ball, the boys would generally shout, ‘Throw it here, sissy!’ So much fun was engendered on my account by my youthful companions that I solemnly vowed that I would play base ball in the nine that would win the championship of the Territory of Utah.
“My mother was keeping boarders at the time for a living, and I shined their boots until I saved a dollar, which I invested in a base ball. I spent hours and hours throwing the ball at a neighbor’s barn, (Edwin D. Woolley’s,) which caused him to refer to me as the laziest boy in the Thirteenth Ward. Often my arm would ache so that I could scarcely go to sleep at night. But I kept on practicing, and finally succeeded in getting into the second nine of our club. Subsequently I joined a better club, and eventually played in the nine that won the championship of the Territory. Having thus made good my promise to myself, I retired from the base ball arena.”
President Grant later acknowledged that he had “partially wasted” the “hours and days and weeks and months” he had spent throwing a baseball against his neighbor’s barn. He said: “I am impressed with the thought that I was not … engaged in the highest employment of which my nature was capable. … There was one thing, however, accomplished by my experience as a ball player, namely, the fulfilling of a promise made to myself” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 33-4).
The next suggestion in this section is, “Third, we must have faith that our Heavenly Father will help us, and we must have faith in ourselves” (p. 198). In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband promised blessings of the faith to use talents wisely:
By focusing on serving the Savior, individuals are guided in making proper decisions in their daily lives, Elder Rasband said. That perspective prepares individuals to do whatever the Lord may ask of them at any time (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).
Next in this list of suggestions in this manual is:
Fourth, we must learn the skills necessary for us to develop our talents. We might do this by taking a class, asking a friend to teach us, or reading a book (p. 198).
President Grant learning to write (remember this was before typewriters or computers) is a great example. The following is copied from Chapter 27 of this blog, but really fits better here:
When [I was] a youth, attending school, a man was pointed out to me who kept books in Wells, Fargo and Co’s. Bank, in Salt Lake City, and it was said that he received a salary of one hundred and fifty dollars a month. Well do I remember figuring that he was earning six dollars a day, Sundays omitted, which seemed to me an enormous amount. … I dreamed of being a book-keeper, and of working for Wells, Fargo & Co., and immediately joined the book-keeping class in the Deseret University [now the University of Utah], in the hope some day of earning what I thought at that time to be an immense salary.
I quote with pleasure … from Lord Bulwer Lytton: “What man wants [this word, “wants,” as used here, is synonymous with “lacks”] is not talent, it is purpose; not power to achieve, but the will to labor.” Samuel Smiles has said: “Purposes, like eggs, unless they are hatched into action, will run into decay.”
Lord Lytton took it for granted undoubtedly that where a youth dreamed nobly and manfully, that it would inspire him to have a purpose in life, and to ‘hatch the same into action,’ and not allow it to ‘run into decay.’ Having purposed to become a book-keeper, I immediately set to work to attain this object. Well do I remember the amusement I furnished my fellow-students. One remarked when looking at my books, ‘What is it; hen tracks?’ Another said, ‘Has lightning struck an ink bottle?’ These remarks and others, while not made to hurt my feelings but in good-natured fun, nevertheless cut deep, and aroused within me a spirit of determination. I resolved to live to set copies for all who attended the university, and to be the teacher of penmanship and book-keeping in that institution. Having a purpose and also ‘the will to labor,’ and agreeing with Lord Lytton that, ‘In the bright lexicon of youth there’s no such word as fail,’ I commenced to employ my spare time in practicing penmanship, continuing year after year until I was referred to as ‘the greatest scribbler on earth.’
The result was that some years later, I secured a position as book-keeper and policy clerk in an insurance office. Although at fifteen, I wrote a very nice hand, and it was all that was needed to satisfactorily fill the position which I then held, yet I was not fully satisfied but continued to dream and ‘scribble,’ when not otherwise occupied. I worked in the front part of A. W. White & Co’s. bank, and, when not busy, volunteered to assist with the bank work, and to do anything and everything I could to employ my time, never thinking whether I was to be paid for it or not, but having only a desire to work and learn. Mr. Morf, the book-keeper in the bank, wrote well, and took pains to assist me in my efforts to become proficient as a penman. I learned to write so well that I often earned more before and after office hours by writing cards, invitations, etc., and making maps, than the amount of my regular salary. Some years later, a diploma at the Territorial Fair was awarded me for the finest penmanship in Utah. When I engaged in business for myself, there was a vacancy at the university in the position of teacher of penmanship and book-keeping, and to make good the promise to myself, made when a youth of twelve or thirteen, that I would some day teach these branches, I applied for the situation. My application was accepted, and my obligation to myself was thus discharged (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 109).
Another suggestion states:
Fifth, we must practice using our talent. Every talent takes effort and work to develop. The mastery of a talent must be earned (p. 198).
President Grant explained:
I believe unless we have ambition to accomplish things and to do things that we amount to but very little in the battle of life… Every individual should have a desire to grow and increase in capacity and in ability to do things. Certainly by mere exertion of the will, by mere desire, we accomplish nothing. We must put with that desire the labor to accomplish the things we desire. I am sure that a young man who is perfectly satisfied with what he is doing, although he may be doing very little, and has no ambition to do more, will stand still. But I am convinced that every individual can improve from day to day, from year to year, and have greater capacity to do things as the years come and the years go. I believe in that with all my heart.
It is by exercise and by practice that we become proficient in any of the vocations or avocations of life, whether it be of a religious or of a secular character (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).
In the article he wrote for the Ensign, Elder Rasband also taught:
I am thankful for the knowledge He has given us—that we are His children and that we are to magnify and multiply our talents to our fullest potential. I know that if we will work hard and do our best, using our talents to bless others and build the kingdom of God, we will be brought back into His presence and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21) (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
The principle both of these quotes discuss is that of eternal progression.
Again, from the talk Elder Rasband gave at BYU-Idaho, he declared:
I am thankful for the knowledge the Lord has given us—that we are His children and that we are to magnify and multiply our talents to our fullest potential. The experiences you have each day, if you will allow them to be, can and will be stepping stones that will help to shape each of your lives, as they have mine. They will assist you in finding your gifts and talents that will be used as you progress through mortality here upon the earth (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).
Some additional great ideas for developing talents is found in an article titled, “"Discovering and Developing Your Talents", found in the church magazine Liahona, May 1999, p. 40.
We Can Develop Our Talents in Spite of Our Weaknesses
A discussion of Exodus 4:10-12 may be very instructive for better understanding of this section.
Concerning the motto of President Heber J. Grant quoted in this section:
President Heber J. Grant often quoted the following statement, which is sometimes attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do—not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased.” President Grant exemplified this truth, particularly in serving the Lord. Despite hardships such as poverty and the early death of his father, he persisted in keeping the commandments, fulfilling his Church callings, and doing all he could to build the kingdom of God on the earth (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 34-5).
Although as discussed earlier in this blog, President Grant apparently lacked the talent to become a “great” singer, did become an “adequate” singer by plain persistence. From his history we read:
Having learned in his youth the power of persistence, he continued to apply the principle as he grew older. For example, he determined that he would learn to sing. He recalled: “From the time I was a child of nine, I tried to sing. I tried time and time again without any apparent success. When I was about forty-three years of age, I had a private secretary with a beautiful baritone voice. I told him I would give anything in the world if I could only carry a tune. He laughed and said, ‘Anybody who has a voice and perseverance can sing.’ I immediately appointed him as my singing teacher.
“My singing lessons started that night. At the end of two hours’ practice I still couldn’t sing one line from the song we had been practicing. After practicing that one song for more than five thousand times, I made a mess of it when I tried to sing it in public. I practiced it for another six months. Now I can learn a song in a few hours.”
President Grant was good-natured about his struggle to learn to sing, and he did not let his mistakes or the laughter and criticism of others deter him. In an address to the youth of the Church, he said:
“When I was learning to sing… I practiced [a certain] song one day twelve times at one sitting. There are three verses in it; so I sang thirty-six verses, and by actual count I made five mistakes to a verse, which made 180 mistakes in one practice, and I knew nothing about it. When I first began to learn to sing, it took me from three to four months to learn two simple hymns. I learned a hymn a few weeks ago in three hours—half an hour’s practice every evening for six days, and I had it all right.”
To supplement the above quote from President Grant that ends this section he further stated:
I know of no easy formula to success. Persist, persist, PERSIST; work, work, WORK—is what counts in the battle of life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).
At the Women’s’ Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley gave wise counsel concerning this section:
Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you… Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart (Ensign, May 2001, 93).
The Lord Will Bless Us If We Use Our Talents Wisely
Along with the President Joseph F. Smith quote which begins this section, President James E. Faust added:
The Lord entrusts all of His servants…with spiritual talents. The Lord, who endows us with these talents, tells us: “I believe you can. I believe you can.” While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude, and strength, we have different opportunities to employ these spiritual gifts, and we will all be accountable for the use of the gifts and opportunities given to us (Ensign, Nov 2002, 49).
This section refers to Matthew 25:14-30. From Wikipedia we learn that a talent, according to JewishEncyclopedia.com, is about 130 pounds in our weight system. It is assumed by scholars that the talent was one of gold. An internet search also reveals that the current (as of January 2011) the cost of gold is $19, 578 per pound. Thus to update this parable, “the Lord” gave each “servant” talents worth about $2.5 million each. This then was no small sum for which to be accountable to the Lord.
President Joseph F. Smith, as quoted in the first paragraph of this section, told us “each will be held to strict account” (p. 199) for our talents. Concerning what he referred to as the Savior’s parable of the stewards, Joseph Smith declared:
You know, brethren, that when the Master in the Savior’s parable of the stewards called his servants before him he gave them several talents to improve on while he should tarry abroad for a little season, and when he returned he called for an accounting. So it is now. Our Master is absent only for a little season, and at the end of it He will call each to render an account; and where the five talents were bestowed, ten will be required; and he that has made no improvement will be cast out as an unprofitable servant, while the faithful will enjoy everlasting honors. Therefore we earnestly implore the grace of our Father to rest upon you, through Jesus Christ His Son, that you may not faint in the hour of temptation, nor be overcome in the time of persecution (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 68).
President James E. Faust spoke of Matthew 25:29 and then warned and then promised:
Some of us are too content with what we may already be doing. We stand back in the “eat, drink, and be merry” mode when opportunities for growth and development abound. We miss opportunities to build up the kingdom of God because we have the passive notion that someone else will take care of it. The Lord tells us that He will give more to those who are willing. They will be magnified in their efforts (Ensign, Nov 2002, 49).
Another warning comes from President Thomas S. Monson:
Don’t forget: one of the saddest things in life is wasted talent (New Era, Aug. 2008, 2).
In this section we read, “The Lord is pleased when we use our talents wisely. He will bless us if we use our talents to benefit other people and to build up His kingdom here on earth” (p. 199).
Elder Rasband explained his second principle concerning the wise use of talents:
Use your talents to build up the kingdom of God. Our first priority in helping others is our family. Parents are in a unique and powerful position to encourage and support their children in developing their talents. We also have many opportunities to help others identify their talents. I am grateful for the many people who have helped me add to my talents. The successes in life of those we assist, sponsor, mentor, and lift as they pursue their own talents can bring us great joy and satisfaction.
Focusing on serving the Savior can guide us toward making proper decisions in our daily lives. This perspective prepares us to do whatever the Lord may ask of us at any time. President Gordon B. Hinckley exemplifies this important attitude: “My talents may not be great, but I can use them to bless the lives of others. I can be one who does his work with pride in that which comes from his hand and mind” (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
Again, the new website for the Church “lds.org” is helpful. On the first page, there is a link in the upper right-hand corner, “Search all LDS.org” where, if you type in “talent” you will find some useful resources.
We All Have Different Talents and Abilities
The first sentence in this section reads, “We all have special gifts, talents, and abilities given to us by our Heavenly Father” (p. 197). Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Seventies Quorum, wrote a terrific article concerning Jesus’ parable of the talents for the Ensign. In it he taught:
Every one of us has been blessed with many marvelous capabilities, and one of the great objectives of our journey through mortality is to improve upon them (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
Elder Rasband, whose article is quoted above, also gave a talk at BYU-Idaho on “Increasing Talents.” In it he stated:
Each of you has been blessed with divine talents by our Father in Heaven. He is waiting for you to identify, develop and magnify those talents He has blessed you with. We must never forget or stop acknowledging that all talents and abilities come from God. Some were given before birth, while others have been acquired as we have developed. However, in both cases, they are gifts from a benevolent Heavenly Father, whose gracious blessings are also the means for improving (Church News, Jan. 29, 2001, 4).
D&C 46:8-11, 32 will also be helpful to understanding this section.
The next sentence in this paragraph reads, “When we were born, we brought these gifts, talents, and abilities with us (see chapter 2 in this book)” (p. 197). From Chapter 2 of this blog we repeat a terrific quote from Elder Joseph Fielding Smith:
The spirits of men were created with different dispositions and likes and talents. Some evidently were mechanically inclined, from them have come our inventors. Some loved music and hence they have become great musicians. We evidently brought to this world some if not all of the inclinations and talents that we had there (Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:138).
In his article, Elder Rasband quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as declaring:
Each person in this life is endowed with those talents and capacities which his pre-earth life entitle him to receive. Some by obedience to law acquired one talent and some another (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
We Should Use and Improve Our Talents
The first sentence in this section reads, “We have a responsibility to develop the talents we have been given” (p. 197).
In the Ensign article earlier discussed by Elder Rasband, he instructed:
The Lord made it clear that it is not good enough for us simply to return to Him the talents He has given us. We are to improve upon and add to our talents. He has promised that if we multiply our talents we will receive eternal joy (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
In this section it states, “Sometimes we think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with more abilities than we possess” (p. 197). President Heber J. Grant declared:
I believe that we can accomplish any object that we make up our minds to, and no boy or girl ought to sit down and say, because they cannot do as well as somebody else, that they will not do anything. God has given to some people ten talents; to others, he has given one; but they who improve the one talent will live to see the day when they will far outshine those who have ten talents but fail to improve them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).
President Grant also had a personal experience that illustrates this idea:
President Heber J. Grant wrote about his experience in first reading the Book of Mormon:
“I can remember very distinctly when Uncle Anthony Ivins . . . said to me and to his son, Anthony C. Ivins:
“‘Heber, Anthony, have you read the Book of Mormon?'
“We answered, ‘No.’
“He said, ‘I want you to read it. I want you to pledge to me that you will not skip a word, and to the one who reads it first, I will give a pair of ten dollar buckskin gloves with beaver tops.’
“Any boy of fourteen who had a pair of those gloves thought he was ‘it.’ I remember that my mother had urged me to read systematically the Book of Mormon, but I had not done it. I determined to read the book, say, twenty-five pages a day and get the benefit of its contents. I believed its contents were true because my mother and many others had told me so; and because of the testimony of the teacher of the class that Richard W. Young and I attended, I thought that to win the gloves I would have to read the book so rapidly that I would get no benefit; and therefore decided to let Anthony win the gloves.
“I met my cousin, Anthony C., the next morning, and he asked, ‘How many pages have you read?’
“I said: ‘I have read twenty-five pages.’
“He said: ‘I have read over one hundred and fifty. I sat up until after midnight.’
“I said: ‘Good-bye gloves.’
“I went on reading twenty-five pages a day and occasionally I got so interested that I read fifty or seventy-five pages, and, lo and behold, I got through first and got the gloves. He got such a good start he did not bother to read any more until after I got through with the book” (The Presidents of the Church Institute Manual, 114-5).
In this section we also read, “Sometimes we think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with more abilities than we possess” (p. 197). Concerning this, in his first talk as an apostle, Elder Quentin L. Cook taught:
A third area of distraction that can destroy joy is comparing our talents and blessings with others. The growth in our own talents is the best measure of personal progress. In recent years the concept of “personal best” has become widely accepted. This has great merit. Remember we usually judge others at their best and ourselves at our worst. In the parable of the talents, the servants who received five talents and two talents were praised by the Lord for increasing their talents and told to “enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” The servant who was rebuked was the servant who buried the talent given him. (See Matt. 25:14-30.) Comparing blessings is almost certain to drive out joy. We cannot be grateful and envious at the same time. If we truly want to have the Spirit of the Lord and experience joy and happiness, we should rejoice in our blessings and be grateful (Ensign, Nov 1996, 28).
In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband also explained:
Sometimes we have fear of using our talents. We use excuses such as “I know I can’t do that,” or “Someone else can do it much better than I,” or “Those listening to me, or watching me, will criticize and judge me” (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).
A wonderful article, entitled “I don’t have any talents. I can’t play an instrument, sing, dance, or draw. And I’m not a very good student. We have lessons about how we should develop our talents, but what if you don’t have any?” and complete with answers from teenage members is found in New Era, Jan. 1996, 17.
In this section we read, “Sometimes we do not use our talents because we are afraid…” (p. 197).
This “fear” is mentioned in the parable of the talents:
…I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth… (Matthew 25:25).
A discussion about how to get help in conquering our fears may be helpful. The 3rd verse of Hymn 85 (“How Firm a Foundation”) gives wonderful ideas for this help.
In this section we read:
We should evaluate ourselves to find our strengths and abilities. Our family and friends can help us do this (p. 197).
In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband added:
Siblings, aunts, uncles, extended family members; we all have many opportunities to help others identify their talents… The successes in life of those we assist, sponsor, mentor and lift as they pursue their own talents can bring us great joy and satisfaction (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).
From the wonderful suggestions in this section we read, “First, we must discover our talents (p. 197). In the Ensign article by Elder Rasband, he gave three principles concerning the wise use of talents. The first is:
Seek earnestly to discover the talents the Lord has given you. The talents God has given us first become apparent in the interests we pursue. If you are wondering about your talents, make a list of the things you like to do. Include all the activities you enjoy from different dimensions of your life—spiritual, musical, dramatic, academic, athletic, and so on. Study and ponder your patriarchal blessing for insights and inspiration. Consult family members, trusted friends, teachers, and leaders; others often can see in us what we find difficult to see in ourselves.
I remember a wonderful Primary teacher who frequently invited me to read the scriptures in front of the class. She told me what a nice reading voice I had and how well I read. What she said and the way she encouraged me helped me gain confidence and realize a talent from the Lord at an early age.
As a 19-year-old missionary, I yearned to know if I had been blessed with any helpful missionary-related talents. I felt a great desire to know how I could magnify whatever gifts I had so that I could be a more effective servant of the Lord. As I studied the scriptures and my patriarchal blessing, prayed fervently, and had various missionary experiences, several of my talents were made known to me (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
Also in the first of these suggestions we read, “We should evaluate ourselves to find our strengths and abilities. Our family and friends can help us do this. We should also ask our Heavenly Father to help us learn about our talents” (p. 197-8). While the following from the life of President Heber J. Grant fits with this, it also illustrates the fact that sometimes an honest evaluation, with help from real friends, will reveal that we may not have a talent which we desire:
As with baseball and penmanship [both discussed later in this blog], Heber J. Grant was determined to learn to sing, despite the negative opinions of others. Years of practicing brought moderate success. He wrote:
“My mother tried to teach me when I was a small child to sing but failed because of my inability to carry a tune.
“Upon joining a singing class taught by Professor Charles J. Thomas, he tried and tried in vain to teach me when ten years of age to run the scale or carry a simple tune and finally gave up in despair. He said that I could never, in this world, learn to sing. Perhaps he thought I might learn the divine art in another world.
Ever since this attempt, I have frequently tried to sing when riding alone many miles from anyone who might hear me, but on such occasions could never succeed in carrying the tune of one of our familiar hymns for a single verse, and quite frequently not for a single line.
“When I was about twenty-five years of age, Professor Sims informed me that I could sing, but added, ‘I would like to be at least forty miles away while you are doing it.’. . .
“Upon my recent trip to Arizona, I asked Elders Rudger Clawson and J. Golden Kimball if they had any objections to my singing one hundred hymns that day. They took it as a joke and assured me that they would be delighted. We were on the way from Holbrook to St. Johns, a distance of about sixty miles. After I had sung about forty tunes, they assured me that if I sang the remaining sixty they would be sure to have nervous prostration. I paid no attention whatever to their appeal, but held them to their bargain and sang the full one hundred. One hundred and fifteen songs in one day, and four hundred in four days, is the largest amount of practicing I ever did (The Presidents of the Church Institute Manual, 116-7).
The next suggestion in this section is, “Second, we must be willing to spend the time and effort to develop the talent we are seeking (p. 198). The example of President Grant and learning baseball is terrific:
Throughout his life, Heber J. Grant worked diligently to improve himself, believing that “every individual can improve from day to day, from year to year, and have greater capacity to do things as the years come and the years go.” He became known for his persistence, and it was said of him that “he never criticized other men’s weaknesses but made war on his own.” He told the following story about a time in his youth when he displayed the quality of persistence:
“When I joined a base ball club, the boys of my own age, and a little older, played in the first nine, those younger than myself played in the second, and those still younger in the third, and I played with them. One of the reasons for this was that I could not throw the ball from one base to the other; another reason was that I lacked physical strength to run or bat well. When I picked up a ball, the boys would generally shout, ‘Throw it here, sissy!’ So much fun was engendered on my account by my youthful companions that I solemnly vowed that I would play base ball in the nine that would win the championship of the Territory of Utah.
“My mother was keeping boarders at the time for a living, and I shined their boots until I saved a dollar, which I invested in a base ball. I spent hours and hours throwing the ball at a neighbor’s barn, (Edwin D. Woolley’s,) which caused him to refer to me as the laziest boy in the Thirteenth Ward. Often my arm would ache so that I could scarcely go to sleep at night. But I kept on practicing, and finally succeeded in getting into the second nine of our club. Subsequently I joined a better club, and eventually played in the nine that won the championship of the Territory. Having thus made good my promise to myself, I retired from the base ball arena.”
President Grant later acknowledged that he had “partially wasted” the “hours and days and weeks and months” he had spent throwing a baseball against his neighbor’s barn. He said: “I am impressed with the thought that I was not … engaged in the highest employment of which my nature was capable. … There was one thing, however, accomplished by my experience as a ball player, namely, the fulfilling of a promise made to myself” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 33-4).
The next suggestion in this section is, “Third, we must have faith that our Heavenly Father will help us, and we must have faith in ourselves” (p. 198). In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband promised blessings of the faith to use talents wisely:
By focusing on serving the Savior, individuals are guided in making proper decisions in their daily lives, Elder Rasband said. That perspective prepares individuals to do whatever the Lord may ask of them at any time (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).
Next in this list of suggestions in this manual is:
Fourth, we must learn the skills necessary for us to develop our talents. We might do this by taking a class, asking a friend to teach us, or reading a book (p. 198).
President Grant learning to write (remember this was before typewriters or computers) is a great example. The following is copied from Chapter 27 of this blog, but really fits better here:
When [I was] a youth, attending school, a man was pointed out to me who kept books in Wells, Fargo and Co’s. Bank, in Salt Lake City, and it was said that he received a salary of one hundred and fifty dollars a month. Well do I remember figuring that he was earning six dollars a day, Sundays omitted, which seemed to me an enormous amount. … I dreamed of being a book-keeper, and of working for Wells, Fargo & Co., and immediately joined the book-keeping class in the Deseret University [now the University of Utah], in the hope some day of earning what I thought at that time to be an immense salary.
I quote with pleasure … from Lord Bulwer Lytton: “What man wants [this word, “wants,” as used here, is synonymous with “lacks”] is not talent, it is purpose; not power to achieve, but the will to labor.” Samuel Smiles has said: “Purposes, like eggs, unless they are hatched into action, will run into decay.”
Lord Lytton took it for granted undoubtedly that where a youth dreamed nobly and manfully, that it would inspire him to have a purpose in life, and to ‘hatch the same into action,’ and not allow it to ‘run into decay.’ Having purposed to become a book-keeper, I immediately set to work to attain this object. Well do I remember the amusement I furnished my fellow-students. One remarked when looking at my books, ‘What is it; hen tracks?’ Another said, ‘Has lightning struck an ink bottle?’ These remarks and others, while not made to hurt my feelings but in good-natured fun, nevertheless cut deep, and aroused within me a spirit of determination. I resolved to live to set copies for all who attended the university, and to be the teacher of penmanship and book-keeping in that institution. Having a purpose and also ‘the will to labor,’ and agreeing with Lord Lytton that, ‘In the bright lexicon of youth there’s no such word as fail,’ I commenced to employ my spare time in practicing penmanship, continuing year after year until I was referred to as ‘the greatest scribbler on earth.’
The result was that some years later, I secured a position as book-keeper and policy clerk in an insurance office. Although at fifteen, I wrote a very nice hand, and it was all that was needed to satisfactorily fill the position which I then held, yet I was not fully satisfied but continued to dream and ‘scribble,’ when not otherwise occupied. I worked in the front part of A. W. White & Co’s. bank, and, when not busy, volunteered to assist with the bank work, and to do anything and everything I could to employ my time, never thinking whether I was to be paid for it or not, but having only a desire to work and learn. Mr. Morf, the book-keeper in the bank, wrote well, and took pains to assist me in my efforts to become proficient as a penman. I learned to write so well that I often earned more before and after office hours by writing cards, invitations, etc., and making maps, than the amount of my regular salary. Some years later, a diploma at the Territorial Fair was awarded me for the finest penmanship in Utah. When I engaged in business for myself, there was a vacancy at the university in the position of teacher of penmanship and book-keeping, and to make good the promise to myself, made when a youth of twelve or thirteen, that I would some day teach these branches, I applied for the situation. My application was accepted, and my obligation to myself was thus discharged (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 109).
Another suggestion states:
Fifth, we must practice using our talent. Every talent takes effort and work to develop. The mastery of a talent must be earned (p. 198).
President Grant explained:
I believe unless we have ambition to accomplish things and to do things that we amount to but very little in the battle of life… Every individual should have a desire to grow and increase in capacity and in ability to do things. Certainly by mere exertion of the will, by mere desire, we accomplish nothing. We must put with that desire the labor to accomplish the things we desire. I am sure that a young man who is perfectly satisfied with what he is doing, although he may be doing very little, and has no ambition to do more, will stand still. But I am convinced that every individual can improve from day to day, from year to year, and have greater capacity to do things as the years come and the years go. I believe in that with all my heart.
It is by exercise and by practice that we become proficient in any of the vocations or avocations of life, whether it be of a religious or of a secular character (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).
In the article he wrote for the Ensign, Elder Rasband also taught:
I am thankful for the knowledge He has given us—that we are His children and that we are to magnify and multiply our talents to our fullest potential. I know that if we will work hard and do our best, using our talents to bless others and build the kingdom of God, we will be brought back into His presence and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21) (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
The principle both of these quotes discuss is that of eternal progression.
Again, from the talk Elder Rasband gave at BYU-Idaho, he declared:
I am thankful for the knowledge the Lord has given us—that we are His children and that we are to magnify and multiply our talents to our fullest potential. The experiences you have each day, if you will allow them to be, can and will be stepping stones that will help to shape each of your lives, as they have mine. They will assist you in finding your gifts and talents that will be used as you progress through mortality here upon the earth (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).
Some additional great ideas for developing talents is found in an article titled, “"Discovering and Developing Your Talents", found in the church magazine Liahona, May 1999, p. 40.
We Can Develop Our Talents in Spite of Our Weaknesses
A discussion of Exodus 4:10-12 may be very instructive for better understanding of this section.
Concerning the motto of President Heber J. Grant quoted in this section:
President Heber J. Grant often quoted the following statement, which is sometimes attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do—not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased.” President Grant exemplified this truth, particularly in serving the Lord. Despite hardships such as poverty and the early death of his father, he persisted in keeping the commandments, fulfilling his Church callings, and doing all he could to build the kingdom of God on the earth (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 34-5).
Although as discussed earlier in this blog, President Grant apparently lacked the talent to become a “great” singer, did become an “adequate” singer by plain persistence. From his history we read:
Having learned in his youth the power of persistence, he continued to apply the principle as he grew older. For example, he determined that he would learn to sing. He recalled: “From the time I was a child of nine, I tried to sing. I tried time and time again without any apparent success. When I was about forty-three years of age, I had a private secretary with a beautiful baritone voice. I told him I would give anything in the world if I could only carry a tune. He laughed and said, ‘Anybody who has a voice and perseverance can sing.’ I immediately appointed him as my singing teacher.
“My singing lessons started that night. At the end of two hours’ practice I still couldn’t sing one line from the song we had been practicing. After practicing that one song for more than five thousand times, I made a mess of it when I tried to sing it in public. I practiced it for another six months. Now I can learn a song in a few hours.”
President Grant was good-natured about his struggle to learn to sing, and he did not let his mistakes or the laughter and criticism of others deter him. In an address to the youth of the Church, he said:
“When I was learning to sing… I practiced [a certain] song one day twelve times at one sitting. There are three verses in it; so I sang thirty-six verses, and by actual count I made five mistakes to a verse, which made 180 mistakes in one practice, and I knew nothing about it. When I first began to learn to sing, it took me from three to four months to learn two simple hymns. I learned a hymn a few weeks ago in three hours—half an hour’s practice every evening for six days, and I had it all right.”
To supplement the above quote from President Grant that ends this section he further stated:
I know of no easy formula to success. Persist, persist, PERSIST; work, work, WORK—is what counts in the battle of life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).
At the Women’s’ Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley gave wise counsel concerning this section:
Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you… Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart (Ensign, May 2001, 93).
The Lord Will Bless Us If We Use Our Talents Wisely
Along with the President Joseph F. Smith quote which begins this section, President James E. Faust added:
The Lord entrusts all of His servants…with spiritual talents. The Lord, who endows us with these talents, tells us: “I believe you can. I believe you can.” While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude, and strength, we have different opportunities to employ these spiritual gifts, and we will all be accountable for the use of the gifts and opportunities given to us (Ensign, Nov 2002, 49).
This section refers to Matthew 25:14-30. From Wikipedia we learn that a talent, according to JewishEncyclopedia.com, is about 130 pounds in our weight system. It is assumed by scholars that the talent was one of gold. An internet search also reveals that the current (as of January 2011) the cost of gold is $19, 578 per pound. Thus to update this parable, “the Lord” gave each “servant” talents worth about $2.5 million each. This then was no small sum for which to be accountable to the Lord.
President Joseph F. Smith, as quoted in the first paragraph of this section, told us “each will be held to strict account” (p. 199) for our talents. Concerning what he referred to as the Savior’s parable of the stewards, Joseph Smith declared:
You know, brethren, that when the Master in the Savior’s parable of the stewards called his servants before him he gave them several talents to improve on while he should tarry abroad for a little season, and when he returned he called for an accounting. So it is now. Our Master is absent only for a little season, and at the end of it He will call each to render an account; and where the five talents were bestowed, ten will be required; and he that has made no improvement will be cast out as an unprofitable servant, while the faithful will enjoy everlasting honors. Therefore we earnestly implore the grace of our Father to rest upon you, through Jesus Christ His Son, that you may not faint in the hour of temptation, nor be overcome in the time of persecution (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 68).
President James E. Faust spoke of Matthew 25:29 and then warned and then promised:
Some of us are too content with what we may already be doing. We stand back in the “eat, drink, and be merry” mode when opportunities for growth and development abound. We miss opportunities to build up the kingdom of God because we have the passive notion that someone else will take care of it. The Lord tells us that He will give more to those who are willing. They will be magnified in their efforts (Ensign, Nov 2002, 49).
Another warning comes from President Thomas S. Monson:
Don’t forget: one of the saddest things in life is wasted talent (New Era, Aug. 2008, 2).
In this section we read, “The Lord is pleased when we use our talents wisely. He will bless us if we use our talents to benefit other people and to build up His kingdom here on earth” (p. 199).
Elder Rasband explained his second principle concerning the wise use of talents:
Use your talents to build up the kingdom of God. Our first priority in helping others is our family. Parents are in a unique and powerful position to encourage and support their children in developing their talents. We also have many opportunities to help others identify their talents. I am grateful for the many people who have helped me add to my talents. The successes in life of those we assist, sponsor, mentor, and lift as they pursue their own talents can bring us great joy and satisfaction.
Focusing on serving the Savior can guide us toward making proper decisions in our daily lives. This perspective prepares us to do whatever the Lord may ask of us at any time. President Gordon B. Hinckley exemplifies this important attitude: “My talents may not be great, but I can use them to bless the lives of others. I can be one who does his work with pride in that which comes from his hand and mind” (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).
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