I had an interesting talk with my kids today. We talked about obedience and I said that sometimes obedience isn't enough.
I think that in our church we sometimes seem to emphasize keeping the commandments and obeying the prophets but don't always stress the "why". I pointed out that Laman and Lemuel were obedient. When their dad told them to pack their bags to leave Jerusalem, they obeyed. When Lehi sent them back to retrieve the plates, Laman and Lemuel went. They obeyed and did what they were told to do so why wasn't that enough? Why are they the "bad guys"?
Could it be that obedience, in and of itself, is not the total answer?
I think Laman and Lemuel were missing the reason for being obedient - loving the Lord and desiring to serve Him. We need the right motivation which then gives us the right attitude which then leads to changed hearts. God doesn't just want us saved (everyone is saved). He wants us redeemed (changed into something better).
It made for an interesting discussion.
2 weeks ago
VERY WELL PUT!!!
ReplyDeleteOne of my deepest convictions is you must know God, to love him. Not that you know OF Him but that you know Him, as a loving father who is interested and cares for you individually. Without that essential piece obedience is just doing, not truly coming unto Christ. How we teach our children and those around us to truly know God is a question without a good answer because, it is not learned like math or baking a cake. It is something that comes on such a personal level and must be felt in the heart.
ReplyDeleteChristine