My sweet husband and his presidency for Young Mens spoke in church on Sunday. I thought they did a great job. The talk that stuck out to me the most was the one his Secretary gave. He talked about "short cuts". He talked about how we need to keep the commandments and follow the principles of the gospel and not try to find short cuts. He said there are three main reasons why we have a hard time following the commandments. 1. We simply don't want to. 2. We think it's too hard. 3. We think it does not apply to us. ALL COMMANDMENTS APPLY TO US! The Lord may even understand our thinking of why we may not think this commandment does not apply but it still doesn't make it right. It is still the Lord's commandment and we are still commanded to follow it. Although at times we may think that they are too hard or that it is restricting, it isn't. If you understand that the Lord has given us these commandments for our benefit then you will understand that the Lord would not give us anything that we can't handle. It is not too hard. It can't be. The Lord promises us that we can do it. He also promises us that when we follow His commandments he will bless us. Let me repeat...He will bless us. Lessons Learned:
1. Doctrine & Covenants 82:10 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."
2. Doctrine & Covenants 130: 20-21 "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."
3. Don't take short cuts when it comes to the Lord's will. If you stay on the narrow path he is "bound" and promises to bless us.