Obedience — Missionary Training Center talk
Obedience — MTC talk (this talk was usually presented in Sacrament meetings)
As missionaries, we are expected to keep the commandments and to obey all missionary rules. We should reach the point where we are obedient WILLINGLY, a situation where we have submitted our will to the will of Heavenly Father. President Nelson recently taught us that disobedience brings consequences, obedience brings blessings, and exact obedience brings miracles. President Nelson has also pointed out that there is a significant difference between obedience and exact, perfect obedience. The difference lies in the motivation for our obedience. Is our obedience a result of mere duty, obligation, fear, because we have been “told to” or because we “have to”, or is our obedience a result of devotion, personal desire, love, because we “want to”? The Savior said to his disciples, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Obedience then becomes a sincere expression of love. That moves obedience simply from the realm of the mind (the practical, the dutiful) to the realm of the heart (love and discipleship). Obedience is general, exact obedience is a personal, direct expression of gratitude and worship to the Savior and the Father.
Page 122 of Preach My Gospel contains a pertinent quote from Elder L. Tom Perry: “The discipline contained in daily obedience…builds an armor around you of protection and safety from temptations…”. This armor of obedience is described in great detail in Ephesians chapter 6 and in Doctrine and Covenants 27. Let’s review some of the incredible pieces of spiritual armor that become ours when we are obedient.
- Having your loins girt about with truth — our loins bring to mind moral and sexual cleanliness and purity. The ‘truth’ that we will be blessed with is that the Lord’s standard is total avoidance of improper sexual thoughts, actions, or inclinations before marriage and total, appropriate fidelity to our spouse after marriage. As missionaries, letting ‘virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly’.
- Having on the breastplate of righteousness — righteousness is the state of living in total compliance with the Lord’s doctrine, will, and commandments. The breastplate protects the heart and lungs, absolutely vital organs. Our lungs allow the breath of life to influence us, and the heart is the seat of all godly emotions. Righteousness, another name for obedience, enlivens our very best spiritual inclinations.
- Having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace — can we imagine preparing for battle with no shoes on? Our feet are shod in the gospel of peace, or the gospel of our Savior. His doctrine, his covenants, his teachings provide the ability and motivation to move forward, for it is our feet that propel us forward and into the field of labor.
- Having the shield of faith — the shield was used by a warrior to deflect arrows, swords, the blows of the adversary. The fiery darts of the adversary include disobedience, false doctrine, apostates and detractors, but our faith and hope will deflect and defeat these negative influences.
- Having on the helmet of salvation — helmets protect the head, the brain, the center of our thoughts and decisions and ultimately all our actions. Obedience will strap that essential helmet firmly in place, causing all thoughts and desires to be centered in God’s laws and helping us to ‘always remember Him’.
- Having the Sword of the Spirit, or the word of God — the word of God is the iron rod, and obedience keeps our hand tightly wrapped around that rod, not clinging on to, or lightly grasping the rod, but firmly and decidedly relying on God’s word to guide and direct our lives.
Did you notice how ever part of the armor of obedience is grounded in our Savior? 1) Loins girt about with truth? The Savior said, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the light” 2) The breastplate of righteousness? Names of the Savior include SON of Righteousness, the fountain of all righteousness, and the King of Righteousness 3) Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace? Our Savior is the Prince of Peace, and he said in John 14, ‘my peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto to…’ 4) Shield of faith? Our faith is in Christ, for we know that we can do all things through him (Philippians 4:13) 5) Helmet of Salvation? Our salvation is totally dependent upon the Lord. “There is no other name given under heaven whereby men can be SAVED!” 6) Sword of the spirit, or the word of God? Those words emanate from our Savior, for in those words are to be found the ‘words of eternal life’.
Obedience builds our armor – our armor is grounded in the Savior – in the Savior we can do all things. Some missionaries feel that the mission rules and commandments are restrictive, burdensome, confining. They feel that their freedom is restricted by rules. But in actuality, just the opposite is true. The Savior said, “And if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. Obedience to the commandments brings liberty, spiritual liberty and freedom. Disobedience brings captivity, loss of the Spirit, and dire consequences.
Every blessing, every tender mercy, every gift of the Spirit we enjoy is due to obedience to a divine law. In fact, PMG teaches that obedience is the first law of heaven. Have we carefully considered this beautiful verse from Section 130 of the Doctrine and Covenants? “There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundation of this earth upon which all blessings are predicated. And when we receive any blessing from God, it is by OBEDIENCE to that law upon which it is predicated.” Every blessing is preceded by obedience to a law. That is true in our daily lives, and especially true in the mission field. You want to see miracles? Be obedient. Do you want to be spiritually endowed with the powers of heaven? Be obedient. Do you want to be a precision instrument in the hands of the Lord? Be precisely obedient. We hear of the incredible daily miracles that occur in the mission field, of missionaries being led and directed and inspired and prompted, leading to beautiful conversions of God’s children. Do you think those great events occur in the lives of missionaries who sleep in, start their days late, disregard rules, consider the counsel of leaders to be trivial or bothersome? No, these Ammon – stripling warrior experiences are reserved for the obedient!
Do you remember the story of Naaman the leper in the Old Testament? He was a mighty man, a warrior, the captain of the Syrian armies, but he had leprosy. Due to a series of very fortunate events, he ended up at the door of Elisha, the prophet of the Lord in Israel. Naaman brought with him many riches, a letter from the very king of Syria, and a huge entourage of people. He requested the Elisha heal him of his disease. Elisha didn’t even come out to meet Naaman personally, but sent a servant to tell him to wash 7 times in the River Jordan. What, bellowed Naaman? No way! He demanded that Elisha come out personally, call on his God, touch his diseased skin, to heal me! In other words, do it my way! I am the mighty person here! The River Jordan? Get serious. We have much bigger, cleaner rivers in Syria. He was enraged! Naaman’s servants suggested that since he was seeking a blessing at the hands of this prophet, perhaps he should humble himself, be submissive, be obedient. Naaman had enough spiritual sensitivity to do just that, which resulted in his miraculous healing. Can you picture a missionary saying, “What? Follow a list of rules? No way. I make my own rules. I am the person actually doing the work here. I know a better way. Rules and commandments are too restrictive.”
This majestic work can ONLY be done the Lord’s way. Elder Bruce R. McConkie has stated, “I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master, and he has chosen me to represent Him – to stand in His place, to say and do the very things He would say and do if he were personally ministering to the very people He has sent me to. My voice is His voice; my acts are His acts; my doctrine is His doctrine. My commission is to do what He wants done, to say what He wants said.” That great missionary commission can only be accomplished by obedience to all that the Lord asks of us, and what he asks of us is found in scripture, in PMG, in the Handbook, and in the inspired counsel of our leaders. “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but if ye do not what I say, ye have NO promise.”
One of the ultimate examples of blessings flowing from obedience comes from the life of Elder Parley P. Pratt, an early apostles and missionary of the Church. At the time of this story, Parley had already served many missions and had devoted his life to the Church. He was finally settled in a log cabin near Kirtland. His wife was now pregnant but having a very difficult pregnancy, being afflicted with tuberculosis. Parley was about to commence spring planting, a critical time for his family. Brother Heber C. Kimball — Canada — blessed him and his wife — healthy boy who would do much for the Kingdom and your family shall not want in your absence. Parley left without hesitation, with no money and 1 set of clothing. He was able to wagon rides to New York, but he had to make his way around Lake Erie on muddy spring roads. — Prayed in a grove — Approached by a stranger — need money? — I have a friend in Toronto that might be interested in your message — John Taylor — found a group seeking the true Church of Christ — John Taylor and his wife Leonora Cannon, sister of George Cannon, father of George Q. Cannon — Joseph Fielding and his sister Mary, future wife of Hyrum Smith and mother of Joseph F. Smith, grandmother of Joseph Fielding Smith. ALL THIS DUE TO PARLEY’S STRICT, UNWAVERING OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD, HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND HIS COVENANTS.
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