I had to give a talk on my 29 wedding anniversary! Br. Joe Hensley asked me to give a talk on Mother's Day, but I manipulated my way out of that!
Here is my outline of my talk on:
Obedience to Law is Liberty
Elder L. Tom Perry
OBEDIENCE TO LAW IS LIBERTY
Before embarking on assigned military mission during WW2, LDS Servicemen were presented with a book of from the then first presidency of the church with the intent that communication would be limited during their tour. Elder L Perry, who has since passed away, received this book of instructions.
The book Obedience to Law Is Liberty.”draws a parallel between military law and divine law. Military law is often strict and defined as is “for the good of all who are in the service,”
Direct passage written by prophets
“In the universe, too, where God is in command, there is law--universal, eternal … law--with certain blessings and immutable penalties.”
The final words of the book focus on obedience to God’s law:
“If you wish to return to your loved ones with head erect, … if you would be a man and live abundantly--then observe God’s law. In so doing you can add to those priceless freedoms which you are struggling to preserve, another on which the others may well depend,
freedom from sin; for truly ‘obedience to law is liberty.’” END QUOTE
America's PRICELESS Freedom will be celebrated this month, JULY 4 certainly military obedience and law also.
During preparation for this message on obedience,
A recent image of two 90-year-old men embracing has been seared into my brain. ONe a veteran---one a jew.
A WWII US Soldier who participated in the liberation of many surviving jews of a particular concentration camp was reunited with one of those captured and imprisoned young boys who he aided--stripped of freedoms and dignity.
The video highlights all the posterity of these 2 obedient, faithful, and honorable men who survived well-documented horrors during war time.
---We all hope to never be apart of wars where all freedoms are denied.
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O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken itWherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27).
Todays prophets warn of another WAR--It is a war of thoughts, words, and deeds. a war with sin,
For much of the civilized world, particularly the Judeo-Christian world, the Ten Commandments have been the most accepted and enduring delineation between good and evil.
L Tom Perry commits to believing that four of the Ten Commandments are taken as seriously today as ever.
--Take a moment and review in your head-the Ten Commandments. Which four cause serious consequences?
murder, stealing, and lying, and we still believe in the responsibility of children to their parents.
What about the other six commandments:
-- “other gods”
expressed by devotion to celebrities, of lifestyles, of wealth, and yes, sometimes of graven images or objects.
--We use the name of God in all kinds of profane ways, including our exclamations and our swearing.
--We use the Sabbath day for our biggest games, our most serious recreation, our heaviest shopping, and virtually everything else but worship.
--We treat sexual relations outside marriage as recreation and entertainment.
--And coveting has become a far too common way of life.
A war with SIN-----
THOMAS S MONSON: There is no need for you or for me, in this enlightened age when the fulness of the gospel has been restored, to sail uncharted seas or to travel unmarked roads in search of truth. A loving Heavenly Father has plotted our course and provided an unfailing guide--even obedience. A knowledge of truth and the answers to our greatest questions come to us as we are obedient to the commandments of God.
EXTRA QUOTES
L TOM PERRY: There are moral absolutes. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us of His blessings. These things do not change.
In a world where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ never wavers, nor should its stakes and wards, its families, or its individual members. We must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but acknowledge all of God’s commandments. We must stand firm and steadfast, having perfect confidence in the Lord’s consistency and perfect trust in His promises.
D&C 130:20–21). The Prophet Joseph Smith taught “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated”
” (Mosiah 2:41).
King Benjamin taught this principle. “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God,” he counseled. “For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.
WHAT ARE SOME THE BLESSINGS of obeying God's law?
What are some of the MOTIVATIONS behind obedience?
Pattern in D&C scriptures and elsewhere WHEN JS obeyed GOD out of fear of punishment or hope for reward, the Lord called him MY SERVANT.
When he obeyed out of sense of duty or responsibility, the Lord called him my SON,
but when he obeyed out of a sense of love for the LORD, he called him MY FRIEND.
CONNECT WITH JOHN 15:15
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
SERVANT/Employer. fear of punishment or hope for reward
SON/DAUGHTER. GRANDCHILD. PARENT. sense of duty or responsibility,
FRIEND/CONFIDANT. SPOUSE. sense of love AND RESPONSIBILITY
RELATIONSHIPS: blessings Relationships with God and his children are built upon our levels of obedience.
Obey out of love for the LORD, he gives us his VISION as to what the purpose of those commandments but a greater vision of his holy purposes or his work and glory.
Living gospel principle afford many more options and opportunities resulting in blessings
BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE:
YW recite these values EVERY week
Faith • Divine Nature • Individual Worth • Knowledge • Choice and Accountability • Good Works • Integrity • and Virtue
Noble character building attributes: physical stamina, energy equal to one's commitments,, loyal, honest, true, chaste, benevolent, trustworthy, in doing good to all men
Specific blessings because of righteous AGENCY and obedience--
--Law of Chastity. 29 years ago
--4 children sealed in covenant
---2 endowed sons who served faithful missions
--4 baptisms--
--1 granddaughter
--provident living
--WORD OF WISDOM
develop addictions
--law of chastity. No sexual relations before marriage and only with spouse after
--LIVE PRUDENTLY so we have options. Facility to resources available on short notice
PAY TITHING. How to live prudently
--as a youth, I rarely questioned the validity of the LDS doctrine I learned nor did I choose to NOT follow our modern day prophet. A Molly Mormon might of been how my dear friends described me.
--As a result, the Lord provided options that opened doors for blessings to me because of this obedience.
--went to BYU and easily obeyed the honor code
--sealed in temple 29 years ago with 4 children sealed to us for eternity and 1 granddaughter
--provident living during 12 years of training including full tithe payers enabled us peace through financial struggles
OBEDIENCE SETS YOU FREE and opens doors of righteous opportunity
Conclusion:
BROWN BOOK LDS SERVICEMEN
“If you wish to return to your loved ones with head erect, … OF COURSE this was directed WHEN THE SOLDIERS COMPLETED THEIR MILITARY MISSION living loved ones
It's deeper meaning one could interpret it to mean upon one's death. Meeting loved ones past on
if you would be a man and live abundantly--then observe God’s law. In so doing you can add to those priceless freedoms which you are struggling to preserve, another on which the others may well depend,
--
I challenge you to ponder upon your own motivations for obedience to God's law and blessings experienced.
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