My Talk that I gave in sacrament meeting

As my mom would lovingly point out I still haven't learned to make paragraphs.  Here it is:
Right now Ohio is going through some rough times. Employment rates are low and those who are employed are not making the money that they need to keep up with the costs of daily living. There is an air of anxiety. Many families are turning to church right now for a lot of different reasons. Church is free. Church can bring hope and calm in the midst of this hard time. I also feel like we are re examining our lives and trying to make hard decisions. Church helps remind us of our values, of the commandments which God gave us to help us make these hard decisions. I was asked today to talk about Keeping these Commandments.




Heavenly Father created us and our world. He sent us his son as an example and to teach us how to return to our Father in Heaven. In his earthly ministry Jesus taught us “If Ye love me, keep my commandments”. As I have studied the scriptures and this past conference Love of God is the ultimate reason to keep the commandments. It is also the first and greatest commandment and we are taught that if we keep this commandment that everything else will follow.



President Dieter F Uchtdorf gave a talk last weekend called “The Love of God” and stated the following:

“Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our church callings, and in our livelihood…When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as Disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden.”

Keeping the commandments, especially this first and greatest commandment to Love God transforms our lives. Right now when fear and doubt are rampant, where there is less certainty about jobs and money we can be certain about our values. As we love God and try to develop our relationship with him “confusion clears and our priorities align”. I am reminded of Nephi when his life was in upheaval. His father Lehi had a vision and he was asked to leave everything behind. Then after he had given up the comforts of his life he was asked to return to Jerusalem and retrieve the plates. I believe that as he proceeded through this journey that it was his Love of God that allowed him to remain faithful to his task and proclaim that “I awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” His love of God allowed him to retain his values even under hard circumstances. Likewise we can use our relationship with God to anchor us in righteous living when our journey is rough and feels unsure.



Keeping the commandments and loving God create a positive feedback loop. As you keep the commandments it is easier to love God and because you love God it is easier to keep his commandments.



When the commandments are viewed from the perspective of our loving Heavenly Father it is evident that he is trying to enable us to live rich full lives and not to restrict us. Each one of the commandments that he has given us protects and enables us to live full and happy lives. They prevent us from choosing heartbreak and allow us to have more freedoms, more choices, and more responsibility. We sing about this truth: “How Gentle God’s Commands, How kind his precepts are! Come cast your burden on the Lord and trust his constant care. Beneath his watchful eye, his saints securely dwell, That hand which bears all nature up shall guard his children well.”

This truth is evident in our lives and the lives of those around us. Each of us has witnessed the hard choices of people we love around us failing to keep the commandments. We have witnessed the hardships that their choices cause not only them but the people around them. As they choose a path that is contradictory to the commandments of God they suffer, for “wickedness never was happiness”. A member of my family has made some very hard choices that has lead to her to abandon her six children and remain distant and unresponsive to those who love her most. Unfortunately her actions have not only affected her children and family but the lives of countless others. As I have struggled through this experience I have thought deeply about the Love of God. The love he has for me and the wisdom in which he has created this world. I struggle as I hear of my parents sacrificing everything to start over as six children are thrust upon them and then find out about the neglect that these children have suffered. In my weakness I struggle to understand why God does not intervene and make my sister choose differently. Why does he not force parents to be good and love his children?

In Dalin H Oaks talk this last week he said “God does not intervene to forstall the consequences of some persons’ choices in order to protect the well-being of other persons—even when they kill, injure or oppress one another—for this would destroy His plan for our eternal progress. He will bless us to endure the consequences of others’s choices, but He will not prevent those choices.” Because of my personal experience it is clear to me that every commandment has been put in place by a loving, protective Father in Heaven who wants us to succeed. He will not stop others from disobeying his commandments, but he will give those who are affected by their bad choices the strength to press on. One of my favorite hymns “Come Thou Glorious Day of Promise” describes my feelings as I have watched this situation with my sister unravel:

“Come Thou Glorious day of promise; come and spread thy cheerful ray, when the scattered sheep of Israel shall no longer go astray, when Hosannas with united voice they’ll cry.

Lord, How long wilt thou be angry? Shall they wrath forever burn? Rise, redeem thine ancient people; Their transgressions from them turn. King of Israel come and set they people free.

Oh, that soon thou wouldst to Jacob thy enliv’ning spirit send. Of their unbelief and misery Make O Lord a speedy end. Lord, Messiah! Prince of Peace o’er Israel reign.”

I love that it is never too late to start following the commandments. This knowledge brings me hope and joy especially as I think of my sister. I know that at any point in time as she travels down this hard path she can turn back to the Lord. She can immediately begin the repentance process and immediately improve her life by following the commandments. I believe the improvement in life is immediate. The very moment that you make the commitment to change and follow God’s commandments is the moment that your life improves. He is there to help encourage and direct us back into the path of happiness.

As we learn to realize our potential and understand the commandments more fully things can become complicated. Let me share a very personal example. After having my daughter Abigail I was anxious to lose the weight I gained while pregnant. However I struggled to make it to the gym. I talked to a friend who said that she would reward herself for going to the gym with a candy. So I set up a rewards system for myself. It was quite motivating. You see I reasoned that if I burned 300 calories on the treadmill then I could have my favorite candy bar. I stalked up and began a very regular exercise routine. After sometime I was disappointed that the weight was not coming off. As I further examined my routine I discovered that a snickers bar is nearly 300 calories. I realized that the reward I gave myself for doing something good was replacing the goal I had set out to achieve. President Uchtdorf in his talk “The Love of God” said “…there are so many shoulds and should nots that merely keeping track of them can be a challenge. Sometimes, well-meaning amplifications of divine principles—many coming from uninspired sources—complicate matters further, diluting the purity of divine truth with man-made addenda.” I repented and gave up my snickers reward and instead allowed myself to reach the goal I had set out for myself.
As we progress through this life and learn “precept upon precept” about the gospel and the Lord’s commandments we are blessed with a Love of God, a relationship with him. This relationship will anchor us in righteous living and allow us to live up to our potential.

As we walk through the rough terrains of our life, and turn again to God for help with our hard decisions, will we receive peace and calm in our lives from keeping the commandments.