Good morning Brothers and Sisters. As we study the scriptures diligently, we notice a few doctrinal pairs that show up now and then. Some of these are Agency and Responsibility, Mercy and Justice, or Faith and Works. But today, I will be talking about the doctrinal pair of Obedience and a Hardened Heart.
First off, Obedience is doing the Father’s will. It is listening to the spiritual promptings that he gives to you byway of the Holy Spirit. It is applying the Gospel truths, that you learn, into your daily life. So think back, How many times have you received a prompting from the Lord and followed that prompting? How many times have you gained a deeper understanding of gospel truths and applied them in your life? All of these small, but seemingly hard, acts of following the Lord’s will, are acts of obedience. It is by these “small and simple things” (Alma 37:7), that the Lord says,” I… am bound [because] ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”(D&C 82:10) When we are obedient we become bound to our Saviour, Why? Because of the promised blessings that he gives to those who keep his commandments.
For example, in the sacrament prayers, we promise “to take upon [us] the name of [God’s] Son, and [to] always remember him, and [to] keep his commandments which he hath given [us].” (Moroni 4:3) By following this promise, the Lord is bound to fulfill his part, which is “that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us].”
In a similar case, Nephi’s people had their blessings fulfilled because “[they] did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things” and inturn, “[they] did prosper exceedingly; for [they] did sow seed, and... did reap again in abundance, and… began to raise flocks, and heards, and animals of every kind.” (2 Nephi 5:10-11)
We can see from these two examples, that the Lord is bound to give us these blessings, as we are obedient to the commandments that he has given us. These are his promised blessings to those who listen to his voice.
Secondly, we have all heard that the first law of heaven is obedience, but what does that mean? Joseph Smith taught that “when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:21) In addition, Nephi taught that, through Jesus Christ, “there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.” (2 Nephi 31:21) Lastly, Alma taught that “there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.” (Alma 42:22)
For Jesus Christ to be our Saviour, he too has to obey the Laws that are set, because if he didn’t obey, he would “cease to be God.” (Alma 42:23) Through Christ’s obedience to these laws that he is given, we can obtain mercy, be saved, and ultimately have eternal life, but it all starts with obedience. It starts with Jesus Christ obtaining power to be our Saviour through obedience. Now if Christ has to be obedient to obtain the power to be our Saviour, we too must need to be obedient, because it is by our obedience that we receive the enabling power of Jesus Christ’s atonement, to change and return back home to our Heavenly Father.
In contrast to being obedient, we have a perfect example of what it means to not be obedient, or in other words, what it means to harden our hearts. Nephi said to his brothers, Laman and Lemuel,” Ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder… O… why is it, that ye can be so hard in your hearts?” (1 Nephi 17:45-46)
Laman and Lemuel weren’t bad people. They helped their brother build a boat, they provided for their family, and they went and got the brass plates from Laban, but they hardened their hearts to the whisperings of the Spirit. They forgot the Lord, so the Lord had no promise to give them. He couldn’t give them the enabling power to change or to be saved. Instead, He looked in sadness, like a father looks at his child, while they took their journey away from the safety of the home.
In conclusion, Brothers and Sisters, as we look at the doctrinal pair of being obedient and a hardened heart, we will begin to realize the importance of obedience in our lives. Because, if you are like me, sometimes we unconsciously become like Laman and Lemuel and harden our hearts to the council and promptings that come from the Lord.
Let’s be obedient together and follow the promptings that the Lord gives to us. Let’s soften our hearts and be the disciples that the Lord has called us to be. Because, I know the Lord will bless you beyond measure, as you are obedient to his voice. I know that we will receive power from God, when we strive to be obedient to his commandments. I know that He will give you the blessings that you need, because I know He cares deeply about you and he knows your circumstances or trials that you bear. He wants to bless you, but you have to be obedient to what he says. I know that He loves you. He sees you. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.