Choose the Right . . . .
By Brother Keith L. Brown

The following Sacrament talk was delivered to the congregatiom of the Severna Park Ward on Sabbath Day morning, 20 July 2003. 

Choose the right road . . . . the road that leads to life eternal

“God had decreed that all who will not obey His voice shall not escape the damnation of hell. What is the damnation of hell? To go with that society who have not obeyed His commands.” – Joseph Smith (TPJS, p.198.)

In Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 we are taught, “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of the world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” What is obedience? President Boyd K. Packer once said, “Obedience is a powerful spiritual medicine. It comes close to being a cure-all.”  (Ensign, November 1977, p.60.) [ Also read "The Holy Temple" by President Boyd K. Packer.] President Joseph F. Smith taught, “Obedience is a requirement of heaven and is therefore a principle of the gospel.” (JD, 19:193.)

No one is compelled to do anything. . .

Sometimes because of our membership in the Church, we are called upon to do difficult things or to make hard decisions. Each of us has been given the agency to make those choices or decisions for ourselves. What is this agency? President Joseph F. Smith answered the question in this manner: “God has given to all men an agency and has granted to us the privilege to serve him or not, to do that which is right or that which is wrong, and this privilege is given to all men irrespective of creed, color or condition. The wealthy have this agency, the poor have this agency, and no man is deprived by any power of God from exercising it to the fullest and in the freest manner. This agency has been given to all. This is a blessing that God has bestowed upon the world of mankind, upon all his children alike.” (JD, 24:175.) Therefore, no one is compelled to do anything in the Church and Kingdom of God.

"When the Lord commands, do it."

However, because of our understanding of the doctrine of agency and obedience, we know that our true peace, happiness, and power come only when we subject our will to the will of the Father, and exercise faith unto consistent obedience to the commandments of God and to the counsel of His prophet. President Lorenzo Snow taught, “Let us be like little children, ready and willing to do as we are commanded by the powers that we should obey. Let us be obedient to the voice of truth, and ever be found in the path of duty; and there let us continue.” The prophet Joseph Smith summed up this matter when he said, “I made this my rule, ‘When the Lord commands, do it.’” (HC, 2:170.)

“. . . . I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded. . . .”  -- 1 Nephi 3:7 

Your agency. . . .use it wisely. . . .

God granted each of us the gift of free agency as a part of His eternal plan as we are taught in Moses 4:1-4 where we read these words:

1 AND I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.

We have all been given the gift of free agency. The question is how will we use it? – To obey God or disobey God?

With our agency, we have the right to choose whether we will obey God’s laws or not. The freedom to choose is inseparably tied to the consequences associated with that choice. When we choose to obey, blessings follow. If we don’t, we do not put ourselves in a position to receive those blessings.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught that, for agency to be in effect, the following 4 principles must apply:

1.   Laws must exist – laws ordained by an Omnipotent power, laws which can be obeyed or disobeyed;

2.   Opposites must exist – good and evil, virtue and vice, right and wrong – that is there must be opposition, one force pulling . . . the other;

3.   A knowledge of good and evil must be had by those who are to enjoy the agency, that is, they must know the difference between the opposites; and,

4.   An unfettered power of hoice must prevail.  (Mormon Doctrine)

These principles are taught clearly in the Book of Mormon.

Lehi taught in 2 Nephi 2:11-13:

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.  If not so, my first–born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.  Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation.  Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin.  If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness.  And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness.  And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery.  And if these things are not there is no God.  And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away. 

Helaman expressed these principles as follows in Helaman 14:30-31:

30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

31 He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.

Consistent obedience is required of all who receive baptism (Mosiah 18:10), the Sacrament (D&C 20:77), receive the Priesthood (D&C 84:44), or the blessings of the Temple. However, this obedience is not “blind”. Elder Packer wrote: “Those who talk of blind obedience may appear to know many things, but they do not understand the doctrines of the gospel. There is an obedience that comes from the knowledge of the truth that transcends any form of external control. We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see.” (Ensign. May 1983, p.66.)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught, “Obedience is the first law of heaven, the cornerstone upon which all righteousness and progression rest.” We are obedient to God’s commands because we have faith, we love the Lord (John 14:15), and because we have committed to do so. This is our offering to Him.

The words of 2 Nephi 9:41 sum up this discussion appropriately:

O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One.  Remember that his paths are righteous.  Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

I do solemnly testify that as we choose to obey the commandments of God and the counsel of a Living Prophet we will be showered with blessings. I leave you this testimony in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.  

Tags: Agency Decisions Doctrine Truth