obedience

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.