"A father and his young son visited a
local toy store. While there, they came upon a bozo bop bag—you
might not recognize it by its formal name, but it is the toy that is painted
like a clown on an inflatable bag and when you knock it down, it will pop back
up. After his son had punched it a few times, the father asked- “Why
do you think it pops back up?” The son thought for a moment and then
said, “I don’t know. Maybe he is always standing up inside.” This
story was shared in a conference talk by Elder Gary Sabin. That
concept of “standing up inside” struck me. I think it has several
applications. I like the visual-- Are
you always “standing up inside”-- choosing the right and obeying the
commandments as faithful sons and daughters of God?
Sister Melanie Rasband reminded the
young adults during the 2022 Devotional with her husband that. “Our prophet is inviting each of us to be
willing to stand out, step up more faithfully, and courageously step into our
role as sons and daughters of God in these last days, to gather and build God’s
kingdom on both sides of the veil and prepare for the return of the Son of
God…”
That
call is to all of us—young adults and us seniors, Primary children and youth
and parents in the midst of family raising and career building. We need to
learn how to be willing to stand out and step up and take our place in the army
of God in preparing the earth for the Second Coming. We can do that by being exact in obedience to
our Heavenly Father’s commandments recorded in scriptures, given to us by our
leaders, or in personal revelation from the Holy Ghost.
Sister
Melanie Rasband shared this personal story: “I was taught a valuable lesson
by a personal experience I … had with President Nelson a number of years ago
when my husband served as the Senior President of the seven Presidents of the
Seventy and President Nelson was the quorum President of the Twelve Apostles.
We
were at an annual mission leadership seminar in Provo, Utah. I happened to come
late to a meeting focused on counseling the mission presidents’ wives. The room
was full of our devoted sisters. I stepped in near the back of the room,
looking for a seat I could slip into. Straight up the aisle from me, though,
where I stood, my eye caught Elder Nelson on the stand.
He
smiled. I smiled back, despite my embarrassment for being late.
Elder
Nelson, though, held my gaze, and he took his finger and he pointed to a seat
on the front row.
Sister
Rasband continued: I kind of shrugged, not wanting to make a scene or in any
way disrupt the meeting. And I indicated that maybe I could just take a seat
right here by where I was standing. Elder Nelson smiled, and with his pointing
finger he beckoned me to come forward and take the front-row seat with my name on
it.
There
was power in that pointing finger. (can you imagine what that might have felt
like?)
She
went on: “I smiled back, this time with a determined yet timid desire to do as
he asked me to do. So I literally took a deep breath and walked the long walk
to the seat awaiting me on the front row.
After
the meeting, I bolted from my seat to catch Elder Nelson and ask his
forgiveness as I feebly tried to repent for not responding to his request the
first time.
Elder
Nelson smiled and in loving forgiveness simply said,
“Thank
you for being obedient.”
I’ve
thought a lot about that simple experience and what it taught me about myself,
about obedience and following our sustained and ordained leaders.
…President Nelson’s request of me was a loving invitation to come
forward and be where I was asked to be, to not just settle on a seat near the
back but step up and be accountable for who I am and serve in a holier way.”
I
loved watching her face as she told of this experience. I could totally imagine her desire to find a
seat in the back, to not disrupt the meeting—but then making a choice to follow
the instructions of President Nelson—to be obedient. It was a simple experience but impactful to
her—why? Because choosing to be obedient
even in simple ways shows our desire to stand up inside—to choose God and
Christ and to follow our leaders with faith and courage.
I have
had my own “simple” experience that made me reflect on my own desire and
commitment to be obedient—in this case, to a prompting from the Holy Ghost. Years ago, we lived in Plano, Texas with our
family of five kids. As often was the
case, Saturday night I realized we didn’t have enough milk to make it through
Sunday, so I headed out to make a run to the local grocery store about 10
pm. Frequently I would run into other
ward members making a similar Saturday night grocery run—maybe that happens in
Alma, too. As I drove down the street
which took me out of our neighbo1rhood, the prompting came that I should turn
left and go to the grocery store further away.
Since turning right and going to the local store was quicker, I first
started arguing with the prompting—I don’t know if you do things like
that. Why shouldn’t I go right? Was there someone that I needed to talk to at
the store to the left? Would I get in an
accident if I went to the right? And on and on the discussion went in my
head. The thought came that I should go
right, so I could see why I shouldn’t go right—like prove the prompting! How ridiculous is that? However, as I approached the intersection,
the thought came to me “What do I want to show the Lord about myself? I want Him to know that I follow
promptings. I am obedient.” And then it
was simple—I turned to the left and went to the grocery store farther
away. And no, I didn’t see anyone that I
needed to talk to nor were there any accidents or robberies at the closer
store. But again, that simple moment allowed me to identify for myself—once
again that I choose to be obedient—exactly a.
And many times since then, that experience comes to mind when I start to
hesitate in following a prompting. I am
not perfect at it at all, but I am grateful for that time that I choose to
“stand up inside” and to obey the prompting.
As
children, we are taught by our parents to obey rules—when to go to bed, to wash
our hands before we eat, and to pick up our toys. School teachers and others
also teach us rules—waiting in line, taking turns, and being kind. Some rules
are easy for us, some are hard, but we practice, our parents and teachers
correct, remind, and reteach us. And eventually, we generally learn. In most
situations, parents and teachers love us and are trying to help us be a good
human being and to function in the world we live in.
It
isn’t any different with our Heavenly Parents. Scriptures, promptings from the
Holy Ghost, counsel and direction from our leaders all provide us the road map
and warnings to help us navigate mortal life.
Like the traffic laws put in place to keep us safe and the traffic
running smoothly, the commandments from all of these sources are in place for
one reason—to help us safely return back to our Heavenly Father’s home. They have a significant side benefit of
making mortal life easier and more clear.
In our
“modern world,” obedience has developed a negative connotation. We are told to “find your own truth” “Do what
feel right to you” and “be your own person.”
But we are not simply mortal beings—we all are sons and daughters of
Heavenly Parents and we are here—not on a spring vacation where anything
goes—but to gain experiences and to learn to become like our Elder Brother and
our Heavenly Father. Learning to be willingly obedient to God’s commandments is
part of that journey.
In
John 14:15: Jesus taught “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” It sounds simple and it is—if we keep our
focus and the purpose of our obedience firmly on our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus
Christ.
As a
child, we might obey our parents because we want to please them or to avoid a
negative consequence. And as we learn the commandments of God we may obey them
for the same reasons—to please others or to avoid a negative outcome. That is not a bad place to start—there are
blessings for obedience to God’s laws at that beginning level. You may pay your tithing as an 8-year-old
without a complete testimony of that commandment or even understanding of what
it all means. However, as you grow in
your testimony, it is important that your discipleship changes and grows as
well. Instead of obeying to get rewards
or avoid punishment, it needs to become centered fully on the Savior and our
love of Him and our Heavenly Father.
Elder
Bednar stated: “Obedience is the exercise of moral agency to learn about,
understand, and live according to God’s commandments. Adherence to gospel
truths and keeping the commandments are not confining constraints we must
somehow suffer through during mortality.
Rather Heavenly Father’s commandments are liberating and
enlivening. Obedience to eternal laws is
the ultimate source of true happiness.
Enduring joy is the precious fruit of willful obedience.” I like that phrase “willful obedience.”
Elder
Bednar commented:” Progressing to a higher and holier level of obedience is
not simply a matter of more personal determination more persistence, and more
will power, rather, it is accomplished through the strengthening power of the
Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
President
Ezra Taft Benson taught “When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes
our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.”
Nephi
was a great example of a person quick to be obedient to commandments. Many of us probably have used his words in 1
Nephi 3:7 as we have faced challenges in our lives-- “I will go and do the
things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no
commandments to the children of men, save he prepare a way for them that they
may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”
I love
his follow up testimony in 1 Nephi 17:3: “And thus we see that
the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of
men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and astrengthen them, and provide means whereby they can
accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did bprovide means for us while we did sojourn in the
wilderness.”
Have you seen how God has nourished you, strengthen you, and
provided the way to accomplish the thing—or the trial, the struggles, the
calling, the assignments, and the list can go on—whatever you have to do?---Do
you see how He has provided the means as you have sojourned in your
wildernesses? These are promises as you
offer your willful obedience to the commandments of God, to following his
leaders, and to listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
In August of 2005, President Gordon B, Hinckley invited the
members of the Church to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. I
chose not to do that. I had reasons—I
had just finished the Book of Mormon a few months before, I was teaching Gospel
Doctrine in my ward and focused on the Doctrine & Covenants, I was working
part time, life was busy,, …. You recognize them as excuses. Around me, I saw people following the
counsel—in the dentist office’s, on airplanes, waiting in lines—I saw people
usually with the small blue Book of Mormons reading. This was before we all
carried our scriptures on our phones. As the end of the year approached, it
became more pronounced, and they even had a small news story about the Book of
Mormons being seen everywhere “around town” as Saints followed the invitation
of our prophet. Nothing terrible happened to me because I didn’t accept that
invitation—but I learned an important lesson—we miss out when ever we choose to
not willing obey. I felt bad and even now remember “missing out” on a shared
experience that many members of the Church had during the time of reading
together in response to an invitation from a prophet. I can’t undo that choice, but I can repent,
learn from that experience, and keep moving forward. I have read the Book of Mormon many times
since then and still responded quickly to a similar invitation by President
Nelson in 2018.
Like the clown bozo toy, I want to be found “standing up
inside” and stepping forward to be willing obedient in following the
commandments of God—in the scriptures, from our leaders, and promptings from the Holy Ghost. Think about
why you obey the commandments of God—or if you are not, start now to be more
exact and willful in your obedience. Strive to grow in your joy at obeying the
commandments of God. I testify as we
choose to obey the commandments of God because of our great love for Him and
our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ—we will be nourished, strengthen, and provided
means as we sojourn in our wildernesses of life and even in the good
times. We will be blessed with joy—the
eternal joy- the precious fruit of willful obedience."
I ended with my testimony.
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