So today in Gospel Principles something interesting came up. The chapter is 35 on Obedience in the Gospel Principles manual.
When we came into class the question on the board was something like this;
Are we willing to follow Christ through obedience? Why is it important for us to follow obediently?
This is such a cool idea. The distinction between following with love and loyalty compared to with resentment shows in our lives and in the things we want in our future. If we follow through love and loyalty we can have a great future. If we follow through resentment at some point our future is cut off because following through resentment creates anger and rebellion.
We need to follow through Love;
John 21:17
New Testament
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
D&C 42:29
Doctrine and Covenants
If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments.
(How did they get pulled away from love of Jesus? They had it once. Pride is part of the answer, but also...)
Alma 11:24
Book of Mormon
Believest thou that there is no God? I say unto you, Nay, thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him.
3 Nephi 9:20
Book of Mormon (They offered up a sacrifice of their whole heart unto God humble enough to accept him into their hearts with love)
And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit
Mormon 2:14
Book of Mormon
And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives. (Bad example)
Alma 23:
6 And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.7 For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren.
8 Now, these are they who were converted unto the Lord: (Later it says that despite afflictions more than a man can bear almost as it were they would refuse to deny Christ such was their faith. What a great example.)
D&C 121:38 (And the bad example)
Doctrine and Covenants
Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. (Resentment and illwill grew to the point of war.)
OK so based on above...we need to offer ourselves willingly with love, and willing to follow, not compelled to follow and not rebelling.
Some take this out of context. They say, we shouldn't follow leaders blindly. But Christ says nothing about following blindly. In fact, he heals blindness.
Guess what...there's no scripture in the standard works about 'following blindly'. So this saying about following blindly is false. Also there's references of rejecting the testimonies of others and what can happen if we do. What scriptures there are on blindness talk about the Gentiles being blind and being lifted up in the pride of our hearts being unable to follow him because of this blindness in part caused by love of materialism.
1 Nephi 13:32
Book of Mormon
Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen.
Any saying about gaining a testimony should be encouraged to do just that gain a testimony. But people take it out of context to say it means to challenge the apostles and prophets in rebellion. There's nothing good in the scriptures about challenging the apostles...except a few scriptures like this;
Alma 15:3
And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his wickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin,...
And this...
Alma Chapter 14
Alma and Amulek are imprisoned and smitten—The believers and their holy scriptures are burned by fire—These martyrs are received by the Lord in glory—The prison walls are rent and fall—Alma and Amulek are delivered, and their persecutors are slain. About 82–81 B.C.
So great was the rebellion against church leaders that they were under Satans power in anger and rebellion to the point of throwing church members into the fire.
8 And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.
9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene?
Still think its good to challenge leaders, such as the apostles and prophets? or those that follow them? If you aren't careful you could be one of those people throwing women and children into the flames.
