Have you ever
considered why God gives commandments to His children? He sees all and knows all. Why can’t He simply tell us what we need to
know? Well, He actually does tell us through
personal revelation and the words written by prophets in our scriptures, both
ancient and modern. He gives us
commandments to help us learn to be more like Him!
Imagine for a moment that you
are traveling along a mountain road.
This road was built into the side of the mountain with a steep cliff on
the side of the road. There is a
guardrail along the side of the road between the road and the cliff. Consider for a moment that the guardrail
represents God’s commandments along the road of life. Just as a guardrail keeps cars from going off
the side of the mountain, commandments are there to keep us on the road back to
Heavenly Father’s presence. The road
could also be a symbol for the commandments in that obedience to the commandments
helps us move closer to Heavenly Father and makes us happy.
Someone once that that when we
want to talk with Heavenly Father, we pray.
When we want to hear from Heavenly Father, we read the scriptures. I think of the scriptures as letters from a
loving Father to His children who are away at school. He sends loving instructions in each of His
letters to help us become more like Him.
Through His commandments, He teaches us what He would like us to do and
become. He also shows us how to treat
each other and overcome our natural man.
When we obey His commandments, we are making preparations to return to
God’s presence; by our obedience we can become like Him and live with Him for
all eternity. We should consider the
commandments as blessings rather than burdens.
Studying the scriptures can help
us understand better why God gives us commandments. The following scriptures teach some of the
instructions that Heavenly Father wants us to learn.
The scriptures
help us understand God’s will for us. “And now, Israel,
what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to
walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all
thy heart and with all thy soul.
“To keep the commandments of the
Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good”
(Deuteronomy 10:12-13; emphasis added).
The scriptures teach us the commandment to love one another. “But when the Pharisees had heard that he
had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
“Then one of them, which was a
lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
“Master, which is the great
commandment in the law?
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind.
“This is the first and great
commandment.
“And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
“On these two commandments hang
all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:34-40).
The scriptures teach us that we obey the commandments because we love
God. “If ye love me, keep my
commandments” (John 14:15).
The scriptures teach us that we will eventually receive of God’s
fulness if we obey His commandments. “For
if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified
in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace
for grace” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:20).
Another scripture explains why
God gives commandments to us. Doctrine
and Covenants 82:8-10 reads, ““And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new
commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you;
“Or, in other words, I give unto
you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your
salvation.
“I, the Lord, am bound when ye
do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” (Emphasis added.)
We can be assured that God has
purposes behind His commandments. In
October 2011, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke at the Relief Society broadcast
about what the sisters should not forget.
The fourth “forget-me-not” was:
“Forget not the `why’ of the gospel.”
“Sometimes, in the routine of
our lives, we unintentionally overlook a vital aspect of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, much as one might overlook a beautiful, delicate forget-me-not. In our diligent efforts to fulfill all of the
duties and obligations we take on as members of the Church, we sometimes see
the gospel as a long list of tasks that we must add to our already impossibly
long to-do list, as a block of time that we must somehow fit into our busy
schedules. We focus on what the Lord wants us to do and how we might do it, but we sometimes
forget why. My dear sisters, the gospel of Jesus
Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in
Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible
fulfillment in the life to come. The
gospel is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us.
“While understanding the “what”
and the “how” of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the
gospel springs from the “why.” When we
understand why our Heavenly Father
has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the
gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a
delight. It becomes precious and sweet.
“Let us not walk the path of
discipleship with our eyes on the ground, thinking only of the tasks and
obligations before us. Let us not walk
unaware of the beauty of the glorious earthly and spiritual landscapes that
surround us.
“My dear sisters, seek out the
majesty, the beauty, and the exhilarating joy of the `why’ of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
“The `what’ and `how’ of
obedience mark the way and keep us on the right path. The `why’ of obedience sanctifies our
actions, transforming the mundane into the majestic. It magnifies our small acts of obedience into
holy acts of consecration.” (See “Forget Me Not,” Ensign, November 2011, pp.
120-123.)
Elder D. Todd Christofferson spoke
at General Conference in May 2011 about keeping the commandments: “Our Heavenly Father is a God of high
expectations. His expectations for us
are expressed by His Son, Jesus Christ, in these words: `I would that ye should be perfect even as I,
or your Father who is in heaven is perfect’ (3 Nephi 12:48). He proposes to make us holy so that we may
`abide a celestial glory’ (D&C 88:22) and `dwell in his presence’ (Moses
6:57). He knows what is required, and
so, to make our transformation possible, He provides His commandments and
covenants, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and most important, the Atonement and
Resurrection of His Beloved Son.
“In all of this, God’s purpose
is that we, His children, may be able to experience ultimate joy, to be with
Him eternally, and to become even as He is.
Some years ago Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained: `The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation
of a sum total of good and evil acts – what we have done. It is not enough for
anyone just to go through the motions.
The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list
of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that
shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.’” (See “`As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten,’” Ensign, May 2011, pp.
97-100.)
While speaking to priesthood
holders in April 1996, Elder Robert D. Hales spoke about why the Lord gives
commandments to us: “Some may ask, `Why
did the Lord give us commandments?’ In
premortal councils, He determined that we, His spirit children, would be given
commandments by which to live during our mortal lives. Jehovah, the firstborn spirit child of our
Heavenly Father, said: `We will go … and
we will make an earth whereon these [God’s other spirit children] may dwell,
“`And we will prove them
herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God
shall command them;
“`And they who keep their first
estate shall be added upon’ (Abraham 3:24-26; emphasis added).
“These commandments are loving
instructions provided by God our Father for our physical and spiritual
well-being and happiness while in mortality.
Commandments allow us to know the mind and will of God regarding our
eternal progression. And they test our
willingness to be obedient to His will.
“The commandments are not a
burden or a restriction. Every
commandment of the Lord is given for our development, progress, and
growth. The Prophet Joseph Smith
taught: `God has designed our happiness. … He never will institute an ordinance or
give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to
promote that happiness which He has designed’ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith
[1976], 256).
“How I love the commandments of
the Lord! They guide and protect us and
allow us to return back into the presence of our Heavenly Father. If we faithfully obey the commandments, we
are promised the blessings of eternal life.
Eternal life, `the greatest of all the gifts of God’ (D&C 14:7), is
to be exalted and to live with Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ in all the
eternities to come. He dearly wants us
to return to Him.
“We don’t need to wait, however,
until the next life to receive many of the promised blessings. In this life, the obedient may enjoy peace of
mind, happiness, and `joy in the Holy Ghost’ (Romans 14:17).
“Living the commandments brings
us into harmony with Deity; we become one in purpose with the Father and the
Son. When we are one with God, we walk with spiritual light. Our diligence in keeping the commandments
allows the Holy Ghost to dwell within us.
We are given the gift of personal revelation. This is a spiritual light that protects us
and serves as a beacon, guiding us in righteous ways. It dispels the darkness of the adversary….
“Brethren, choosing to live the
commandments frees us from the shackles of sin and allows us to experience true
happiness….
“To know and keep the
commandments, we must know and follow the Savior and the prophets of God….
“Each of us is free to accept or
reject the commandments, but none of us is free to modify them to suit our
personal preferences. Priesthood leaders
do not have the right to change revealed principles and commandments just for
the sake of being popular with the world.
Nor do prophets have the authority to alter God’s commandments in order to
make them more palatable to those who are weak in their resolve to live
worthily….” (See “If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep theCommandments,” Ensign, May 1996.)
I
know that Heavenly Father loves you and me and wants us to be happy. I know that He gives us commandments for our
own good. I know He knows we can be most
happy when we obey His commandments and follow the teachings of His Son Jesus
Christ. I know that we can become more
like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by keeping the commandments.