Obedience and Agency

When one hears the term "obedience" in our modern world, it might make them turn away. Obedience today is seen as a negative word. No one wants to be controlled. An individual's right to choose is the rule.

However this is an example of how satan has twisted a God given principle. Satan seeks to make obedience to God a violation of ones right to choose for themselves.

Never mind the fact that just because someone is being obedient to God, doesn't mean they have lost any power to choose. In fact, they are exorcising their power to choose in the most positive way.

Choosing the good, or choosing God is often portrayed as mindless faith in our current media. While those who choose evil are portrayed as free and unchained from the old morality.

But it doesn't take long to see who is really free. God gave us commandments for our own benefit. He is not trying to control us or make us slaves to his whim, but instead he wants us to be free from Satan's traps and snares that bring us into bondage, sorrow, and sin.

For example:

He has given us the Word of Wisdom to help us be free from all of the problems associated with any kind of addiction.

He has given us the Law of Chastity to keep us free from sexually transmitted disease, broken homes, and broken hearts.

He has given us the Ten Commandments to help us live together in a free and mutually beneficial society without fear of being killed, stolen from, lied to, etc.

God does not force us to keep his commandments. He gives us commandments for our blessing. After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, the Lord gave them commandments to show them the way back to Him:

Alma 12: 31-34
31 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as Gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good—
32 Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.
33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;
34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.


Jesus has told us that the keeping of his commandments is the litmus test of our love for Him:

John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.


The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said:
Isa. 1: 19
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land

Notice that Isaiah says we must be "willing". In other words it is our choice. And when we make that good choice, we are blessed from the Lord. (in this case we shall eat the good of the land.)

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Nephi said:

31 ...Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.

The Lord can't wait to give you blessings. He has an endless supply of blessings that he is willing to give. But you must be obedient to his commands for him to give you those blessings.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, a modern day book of scripture which records many of the revelations given to prophets who have lived since the restoration, this was given:

20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21 And when we obtain any ablessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

Commit yourself right now to do all you can to bring your life into conformity to Gods will. If you do this, you are not loosing your freedom, but gaining blessing that you have never known existed. God wants you to bless you and fill your life with joy, peace, prosperity, and happiness. True freedom will be found. Your right to choose will not be lost but enhanced... as now you can use your agency to better your life, and bring you back to that God who made you and loves you.

One of the best ways to get started on this path to freedom is by committing to obey His command to be baptized a member of His church. I testify that on the other side of the waters of baptism, there is great Joy and blessings beyond my ability to describe.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Click here for Missionaries