Dear Sisters and Elders –
Please find below experiences that a few of you shared with me recently:
“We just keep receiving referrals and it’s so awesome. I've been kind of wondering where and how all these referrals came to us and I feel strongly that it is because we have been obedient missionaries. We received 7 referrals in the past 10 days. Obedience brings blessings (miracles)!”
“During personal study I began pondering and praying to know how I could come closer to the Lord. I received a really special answer: ‘By doing My will you get to know Me.’ As I pondered about the answer, I began to understand what this means. By being obedient to God's will we begin to understand Him. As we put our faith in Him, we will begin to know Him. As we begin to know Him, our faith becomes stronger and our obedience becomes easier.”
”It was 8:40 PM and we couldn't think of anyone else to visit. We were debating if we should go home or not, but we knew we still had 20 minutes left to give the Lord. So we decided to go to a grocery store near our house and see if we could find someone. When we got there, we found a woman and started talking to her. She had a ton of questions about our religion, and we got her information and are going to teach her. She was really interested. I know that if we follow the rules with exact obedience we will be blessed.”
Each of these experiences involves blessings resulting from obedience. As full-time missionaries, we promised to live a higher standard of obedience during our tenure of service. These higher standards are contained in the scriptures, Preach My Gospel, and the Missionary Handbook.
Why Obedience?
“As a missionary, [we] are expected to keep the commandments willingly, to obey mission rules, and to follow the counsel of [our] leaders. Obedience is the first law of heaven. It is an act of faith. [We] may sometimes be required to do things [we] do not completely understand” (PMG, 122).
Obedience takes discipline and effort, and at times, is difficult. Why then does God require our obedience? Why is obedience the first law of heaven? Why is obedience such an important part of our missionary service? Though not exhaustive, please find below several reasons:
First, “Obedience shows our love for God” (PMG, 72). God is our loving Heavenly Father and sent His Son to be our Savior and Redeemer (John 3:16; Romans 8:32). Jesus Christ suffered infinitely and performed the Atonement (D&C 19:16-19). They demonstrate their love for us through the Atonement and through the blessings they give us every day. When we obey, we show our gratitude and love for them (John 14:15, 21).
Second, “[God] blesses us as we strive to obey His commandments” (PMG, 72). When we willingly obey, we always receive a blessing (D&C 130:20-12; D&C 82:10; D&C 132:5). As full-time missionaries, some important blessings we receive through obedience include:
- The companionship of the Holy Ghost (MH, 4; D&C 121:45-46)
- More answers to prayers (1 John 3:22)
- Gospel knowledge (D&C 93:24, 27–28)
- Protection from the adversary (PMG, 122)
- Greater faith (John 7:17; PMG, 116)
- Added capacity to love others (John 15:9-11; PMG 118)
- Personal peace and happiness (Mosiah 2:41; D&C 59:23; Alma 41:10; D&C 105:6)
Even when it is difficult to obey, due to personal sacrifice or peer pressure, obedience brings blessings and ultimately joy (Alma 8:13-15).
Third, our choice to obey or disobey always impacts others (Romans 5:19). Like it or not, every choice we make has a “ripple” effect on someone else—a missionary, an investigator, a member, or even a family member. When tempted to disobey, please do not give into one of Satan’s most effective rationalizations: “I am not hurting anyone but myself.”
Fourth, we gain the trust and confidence of God and others when we obey the commandments and the missionary standards (MH, 4). Obedience to the commandments and the missionary standards demonstrate personal integrity and our loyalty to God and His Son. Missionaries, investigators, and members will have more confidence in us as we are obedient.
Invitation
This week, I invite each of us to review completely the Missionary Handbook. Identify areas where you are doing well. Also, write down ways that you can be more obedient to the Lord’s standards for missionaries. Exercise the faith to implement necessary changes. As you do, I promise that you will receive added blessings from God and a greater power to influence others for good.
Important to remember is that obedience involves living both the spirit and the letter of the law. In fact, our understanding of the spirit of the law grows and develops as we live the letter of the law (Proverbs 16:3). The Prophets of the Lord have asked us to obey the standards in the Missionary Handbook. Not following the seemingly less important standards keeps us from enjoying greater blessings (Alma 37:6).
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 2007, 160). Let’s make this our rule also. It is much easier than reconsidering anew each decision we face.
Please know of the great respect we have for you and your sincere efforts to serve the Lord through obedience. We are grateful for your examples. We love serving with you!
Love,
President Pingree