Choosing to follow God

So here is something that I learned on Sunday. I was in divisiones with Hermana S., she is from Utah and just a gem. Love her to death. She got sick so we couldn't work so while she laid in bed we talked Gospel.

What is obedience?

Hermana V. once told me that people are obedient for 3 different reasons:

1)Because they know they should

2) Because they want blessings

3) Because they love God

 

I think that with each commandment each one of us can be using one of these reasons. Maybe we know that if we pay our tithing we will receive blessings, maybe we follow the Word of Wisdom because we know we should. But when we reach the ability to completely obey because we generally love our Father in Heaven, then we are living the law of Consecration.

But how do we get to that point? I certainly am nowhere near living all the commandments because I love God. Don't get me wrong, I do love God but not a lot the commandments just have clicked in my brain in that way yet. I obey because I know I should.

Until yesterday. I realized that at this point of my mission and in my life. I follow one commandment sí o sí because I love God. And that is reading the Book of Mormon. When I was younger I read the Book of Mormon every day from age 14 until now. I missed a couple days but no more that I can count on one hand. But I was reading because I knew I should and I knew I would get blessing and strength. I had a testimony because I did it. But I wasn't converted because I didn't do it out of love and a pure desire to follow God's will. I hadn't made a choice. I was reading in Helaman 14: 30-31 which says: 

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

I don't know why this made me think of obedience, but when we choose to be obedient we are choosing to follow God. And if we can get to the point to choose to do the things of the Lord not because they are an obligation but rather because we just want to do God's will because we just love the guy so much, that's when we are the closest to him and our Savior. That is when we are the most Christlike, and that is when trials and tribulations are but a small moment and we have an unshakeable faith and an unbreakable attitude of hope.

I sincerely hope that one day in my life I will be wise enough to choose this path in my life. That I can be so above temptation that I choose to obey because I love.

 

Tell Corinne that I love her and that she should have come and said hi to me! She is awesome, I learned so much from her when she was my YW president. I am eternally grateful for her example and love. Like my second mom.

 

Love always 

Hermana Farner