481. The Lord gives us commandments that we may know how to act to obtain eternal salvation.
482. When God commands, He prepares a way for us to carry out His commandments.
483. The Lord requires active obedience, not just passive acceptance.
484. A way to test a doctrine is to live it.
485. If we keep the Lord's commandments, He is bound by His promises to bless us.
488. We can find peace by obeying the commandments of God.
489. When we obey the word of the Lord our souls are enlarged.
490. We are never to disobey God because of our fear of what mortals can do to us.
479. We are to live the law of obedience (which is that the Saints of God shall do all things the Lord commands).
President Joseph Fielding Smith
We have made . . . solemn, sacred, holy covenants, pledging ourselves before gods and angels.
We are under covenant to live the law of obedience.
We are under covenant to live the law of sacrifice.
We are under covenant to live the law of consecration. . . .
It is our privilege to consecrate our time, talents, and means to build up his kingdom. We are called upon to sacrifice, in one degree or another, for the furtherance of his work. Obedience is essential to salvation; so, also, is service; and so, also, are consecration and sacrifice. CR1975Apr:76
receiving the Word of the Lord
[F]or this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony of the things which are to come; (Revelation for the elders of the Church, Aug. 1, 1831) D&C 58:6
receiving the Word of the Lord
Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy.
15. For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me. (Revelation received Aug. 6, 1833 in consequence of the persecution of the Saints in the United States) D&C 98:14-15
receiving the Word of the Lord
He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you; (Revelation, Feb. 4, 1831) D&C 41:5
receiving the Word of the Lord
And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (Revelation for David Whitmer, June 1829) D&C 14:7
recorded in Matthew
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Jesus Christ teaches the multitude, about A.D. 30) Matthew 7:21
quoted by Joseph Smith
And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
26. And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. (Abraham learns about the creation of the earth and the second estate of man) Abraham 3:25-26
If we love him [the Lord] we will keep his commandments.
Should there be any who offend or fail to keep the commandments of the Lord, then it is evidence that they do not love him. We must obey them. We show by our works that we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ we serve him and love our neighbor as ourself. This is the word of the Lord as it has been revealed in these modern times for the guidance of Israel. ("Keep the Commandments," IE1970Aug:2) DGSM:47
That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another.
God said, "Thou shalt not kill;" at another time He said "Thou shalt utterly destroy." This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted—by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire. (Essay on Happiness, Aug. 1842) HC5:135
Obedience to God can be the very highest expression of independence. Just think of giving to him the one thing, the one gift, that he would never take. Think of giving him that one thing that he would never wrest from you. . . .
Obedience—that which God will never take by force—he will accept when freely given. And he will then return to you freedom that you can hardly dream of—the freedom to feel and to know, the freedom to do, and the freedom to be, at least a thousandfold more than we offer him. Strangely enough, the key to freedom is obedience. . . .
We should put ourselves in a position before our Father in heaven and say, individually, "I do not want to do what I want to do. I want to do what thou wouldst have me do." Suddenly, like any father, the Lord could say, "Well, there is one more of my children almost free from the need of constant supervision." (Brigham Young University, 1971) DGSM:47-48
quoted by Mormon
And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. Mosiah 5:8
We who serve in this great body of the priesthood do so because each of us has been called and chosen. God wants us to serve willingly and obediently. We who have made baptismal covenants and have accepted the call to serve in the Lord’s kingdom as bearers of the holy priesthood have agreed to conform our will to His. We “should be humble, … submissive and … diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times.” My young brethren, “learn wisdom in [your] youth; yea, learn in [your] youth to keep the commandments of God.” Nothing is more important to you than obedience to God’s commandments. (CR 1994Apr; Live in Obedience, Ensign, May 1994, p.39)
480. We are to heed the words of the Lord as they come from His servants, the living and ancient prophets.
So if you really desire to avoid deceptions, if you really desire to do that which is right and proper, then you take advantage of the safeguard that the Lord has given you in the organization of this Church. And you remember that if you will follow the teachings of your inspired prophets, seers, and revelators, of your apostles, of your pastors and teachers, your bishops and your stake presidents, you won't need to wonder whether or not such and such a doctrine is a deception, whether it is false or whether it is true, because those authorized servants of the Lord will lead you into paths of righteousness, and they will keep you on the right track.
Salvation comes not by being tossed about by every wind of doctrine but by learning the truth as it is taught by the inspired, authorized leaders of the Church, and then having learned that truth, by living up to it and enduring in faithfulness unto the very end. . . .
If you would know the will of the Lord, so that you may obtain your salvation, then obtain your knowledge of the will of the Lord from his authorized servants whom he has set in this Church. CR1945Oct:92
And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
15. For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
16. They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall. (Revelation during conference of elders of the Church, Nov. 1, 1831) D&C 1:14-16
Now the only safety we have as members of this church is to do exactly what the Lord said to the Church in that day when the Church was organized. We must learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through his prophet, "as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; . . . as if from mine own mouth in all patience and faith." (D&C 21:4-5There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with your social life. . . .
. . . . Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow the ones whom the Lord has placed to preside over his church. He knows whom he wants to preside over this church, and he will make no mistake. The Lord doesn't do things by accident. . . . Let us keep our eye on the President of the Church. . . . CR1970Oct:152-53; DCSM:45
The Lord in comforting the Saints told them that if they would listen to his counsel, the gates of hell should not have power over them, and this promise is the same to you and to me inasmuch as we listen to the counsels of inspired men. As I understand the expression "the gates of hell," it means those things which lead to hell in fact are the entrances to it. How many things there are that lead to those gates. How many things we have to be warned against and which we have to watch out for, because if we yield to them, they will lead us to the gates of hell Let us each and every one examine ourselves and know well the path in which we are walking and avoid everything that we know is wrong and forbidden by the Lord, well knowing that if we yield to such we have not the promise that the gates of hell shall not have power over us; on the other hand if we perform our duty, live according to the testimony which God has given us, we need not fear, for He will lead us in the paths of righteousness that lead to eternal life. CR1913Apr:10-11
To obey the gospel law is to yield obedience to those divinely called to preside over us. ACR(Munich)1973:23
Related Witnesses:
receiving the Word of the Lord
Behold, there shall be a record kept among you; and in it thou shalt be called a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church through the will of God the Father, and the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ, . . .
4. Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;
5. For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.
6. For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name's glory. (Revelation received at the organization of the Church, April 6, 1830) D&C 21:1,4-6
Another worthy personal commitment I challenge you with this day is this. "Help me, Oh Lord, to obey thee through thine appointed leaders." Any Church member not obedient to the leaders of this Church will not have the opportunity to be obedient to the prompting of the Lord.
From the Doctrine and Covenants I quote: "For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world." (D&C 132:5) ACR(Munich)1973:23
From my earliest association with the people of God, my mind has been to let my will and my feelings be subject to the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord, and also to the counsel of the living oracles; and so far as my private feelings are concerned, if I have any, let them be thrown under the table, or kicked out of the window, or any where else to get them out of my way.
If I can learn what is the mind and will and feeling of my brethren that are placed over me, and learn what is for the interest and welfare of the kingdom of God on the earth, I am ready to endeavor to walk in that way continually that will enable me to accomplish what they desire of me. My experience has taught me from the beginning that this is the only frame of mind that can ensure us happiness, and it is the only course that can give us success; and whenever I have deviated from it I have invariably paid dearly for it. Have I learned this from my own experience, or from the experience of others? From both sources; and all my observation has taught me this principle. Naturally speaking, we all of us have our likes and dislikes, and our peculiar notions. We have a certain line of policy marked out that we think would please ourselves, and our minds are bent in that direction. But my experience has taught me that we ought not to try to please ourselves, any farther than we have the mind of Christ, and are enlightened and inspired by the Holy Ghost. Then we shall have no stakes set but those that can be easily pulled up; and as Latter-day Saints, it is in accordance with our covenants which we have entered into that we will serve God and not ourselves; that is to say, if we serve ourselves we will do it in serving our Master, and if we build ourselves up we will do it in building up the kingdom of God upon the earth. (Quoted by J.V. Long, "Remarks by Elder Erastus Snow," Deseret News Weekly, April 23, 1862, p. 338) TLDP:435
481. The Lord gives us commandments that we may know how to act to obtain eternal salvation.
receiving the Word of the Lord
And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you;
9. Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation. (Revelation, April 26, 1832) D&C 82:8-9
We cannot keep all the commandments without first knowing them, and we cannot expect to know all, or more than we now know unless we comply with or keep those we have already received. (Essay on Happiness, Aug. 1842) HC5:135
There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21. And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (Revelation, April 2, 1830) D&C 130:20-21
receiving the Word of the Lord
For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world. . . .
11. And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was?
12. I am the Lord thy God; and I give unto you this commandment—that no man shall come unto the Father but by me or by my word, which is my law, saith the Lord. (Revelation relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternal nature of the marriage covenant, July 12, 1843, [1831]) D&C 132:5,11-12
receiving the Word of the Lord
For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you. (Revelation, March 1832) D&C 78:7
There is no liberty that men enjoy or pretend to enjoy in the world that is not founded in the will and in the law of God and that does not have the truth for its underlying principle and foundation. It is error that makes bondsmen. It is untruth that degrades mankind. It is error and the lack of knowledge of God's laws and God's will that leaves men in the world on a par with the brute creation. CR1904Apr:4
quoted by Mormon
And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.
31. He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you. (Samuel preaches to the Nephites, about 6 B.C.) Helaman 14:30-31
One of the great things about the gospel is that the Lord determined that in order for us to become like him we must be held strictly in a certain line of living. We must make it clear to ourselves as we study the gospel that there is a definite way that we must travel and that we must not vary from it. The gospel is very specific. We cannot vary from the way the Lord gives us because we must consider the commandments as a formula whereby we may build into ourselves the Christlike traits of character that were required, and in doing so then we become Christlike. ACR(Manchester)1976:11
Day-to-day obedience to God’s commandments is indispensable, and it protects us during mortality and prepares us for the tremendous adventure that awaits us on the other side of the veil. (CR 1999Oct; Growing into the Priesthood, Ensign, November 1999, p.38)
Related Witnesses:
An actual knowledge to any person, that the course of life which he pursues is according to the will of God, is essentially necessary to enable him to have that confidence in God, without which no person can obtain eternal life. It was this that enabled the ancient saints to endure all their afflictions and persecutions, and to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing (not believing merely) that they had a more enduring substance. (Hebrews 10:34). . . .
4. Such was, and always will be, the situation of the saints of God, that unless they have an actual knowledge that the course they are pursuing is according to the will of God they will grow weary in their minds, and faint; . . . (Lectures on Faith delivered to the School of the Prophets, 1834-35) LOF6:2,4
[O]bedience must often precede knowledge. CR1950Apr:181
Latter-day Saints are not obedient because they are compelled to be obedient. They are obedient because they know certain spiritual truths and have decided, as an expression of their own individual agency, to obey the commandments of God. . . .
. . . . Those who talk of blind obedience may appear to know many things, but they do not understand the doctrines of the gospel. There is an obedience that comes from a knowledge of the truth that transcends any external form of control. We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see. CR1983Apr:89-90
When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience. How different is the cowering of a subject to his totalitarian monarch and the dignified, willing obedience one gives to his God. The dictator is ambitious, selfish, and has ulterior motives. God's every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. The first may be blind obedience, but the latter is certainly faith obedience. CR1954Oct:52
We do not suggest blind obedience, but obedience by faith in those things which may not be fully understood by man's limited comprehension, but which in the infinite wisdom of God are for man's benefit and blessing. CR1977Oct:67
482. When God commands, He prepares a way for us to carry out His commandments.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. (Nephi responds to his father Lehi, who has given him a commandment of the Lord, 600-592 B.C.) 1 Nephi 3:7
And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness. (Nephi writes about how the Lord sustained his family as they approached the seashore, prior to building the ship, 592 B.C.) 1 Nephi 17:3
No obstacles are insurmountable when God commands and we obey. CR1899Oct:18
[S]o long as the Latter-day Saints are content to obey the commandments of God . . . so long our heavenly Father is bound by his oath and covenant to protect them from every opposing foe, and to help them to overcome every obstacle that can possible be arrayed against them, or thrown in their pathway. (General conference, April 8, 1883, JD24:176) (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 50-51) TLDP:436
A second truth about our accountability is to know that we are not the helpless victims of our circumstances. The world tries to tell us that the opposite is true: imperfections in our parents or our faulty genetic inheritance are presented to us as absolving us of personal responsibility. But difficult as circumstances may be, they do not relieve us of accountability for our actions or our inactions. Nephi was right. God gives no commandments to the children of men save He prepares a way for them to obey. (CR 1999Oct; Do Not Delay, Ensign, November 1999, p.33)
Related Witnesses:
Strict obedience to the laws of the Lord makes a person sensitive to spiritual impressions and messages. The clean life, earnest desire and sincere prayer of Joseph Smith placed him within the range of true spiritual experience. Spiritual power always follows complete devotion to the cause of the Lord. (Man and the Dragon, p. 171) TLDP:437
Author's Note: Although the Lord will provide a way to carry out his commandments, it is possible that our enemies may come upon us and hinder our most diligent efforts to be obedient to a command of the Lord. In such cases, the Lord may require us no more to perform that work. See D&C 124:49-53.
483. The Lord requires active obedience, not just passive acceptance.
Heber C. Kimball, Jedediah M. Grant
recorded in Matthew
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Jesus Christ teaches the multitude, about A.D. 30) Matthew 7:21
receiving the Word of the Lord
He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you; (Revelation, Feb. 4, 1831) D&C 41:5
There is no reward for half-hearted obedience. We must become vigorous and enthusiastic about living our religion, for God commands that we serve him with all our heart, with all our might, with all our strength, and with the very best of our intelligence.
With him there can be no halfway measures. We must be fully for him or we may be classed with those who are against him. CR1980Apr:96
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 1:22
(First Presidency)
To the Elders abroad, we say, "be diligent in all your labours, be faithful in your testimony to the people, and when they receive the truth, learn them to live and practice their holy religion." It is easy to bear persecution, to contend for the faith, and even to die for it; the hardest of all is to live it, to be always actuated by its holy influences and practice it in all the walks of life. It is not a plaything or mere toy to believe, amuse ourselves with at our convenience, and then lay aside, but a tangible, every day experience and solid fact, entering into every avenue of business, of pastime and repose, as well as into the spiritually religious exercises of the mind.
In fact we have no requirement or duty upon this earth only to serve God, keep His commandments, gather the Saints, and build up His kingdom thereon; for this we live, for this we expect to die. But the main difficulty with the Saints is to live their holy religion, and pursue that course which will ensure unto them its blessings and privileges, and that increase of faith, intelligence, and improvement which they may enjoy.
It is a small matter to devote and dedicate ourselves and all we have to the cause of truth, and the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth, but it is of importance to rightly apply ourselves and our means where we may do the most good. It is important that we be obedient and passive in the hands of the servants of God, and when we have embraced the truth, and placed ourselves with all we have upon the altar, to so remain, regardless alike of friend or foe, sunshine or shade, peace or plenty, of war, famine, and pestilence. It is our duty not only to profess and be believers, but to work out our salvation, continuing faithful in all things, even unto the end. MOFP2:184-85
Half obedience will be rejected as readily as full violation, and maybe quicker, for half rejection and half acceptance is but a sham, an admission of lack of character, a lack of love for Him. It is actually an effort to live on both sides of the line. CR1982Apr:21
Of what good is our faith, our repentance, our baptism, and all the sacred ordinances of the gospel by which we have been made ready to receive the blessings of the Lord, if we fail, on our part, to keep the commandments? All that we expect, or all that we are promised, is predicated on our own actions, and if we fail to act, or to do the work which God has required of us, we are little better than those who have not received the principles and ordinances of the gospel. We have only started, and when we rest there, we are not following our faith by our works, and are under condemnation, our salvation is not attained. ("Commandments and Promises: A New Year's Message," IE1921Jan:259) TLDP:436
Related Witnesses:
quoted by Joseph Smith,
translating Matthew
For the day soon cometh, that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works. JST(Matthew 7:21 fn. e)
484. A way to test a doctrine is to live it.
quoted by John
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (Jesus teaches in the temple) John 7:16-17
I was brought up in scientific laboratories, where I was taught to test things, never to be satisfied unless a thing was tested. We have the right to test the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. By testing it I mean living it, trying it out. Do you question the Word of Wisdom? Try it. Do you question the law of tithing? Practice it. Do you doubt the virtue of attending meetings? Attend them. Only then shall we be able to speak of these things intelligently and in such a way as to be respected by those who listen to us. Those who live the Gospel of Jesus Christ gain this higher knowledge, this greater testimony, this ultimate assurance that this is the truth. It is the way to truth. CR1938Oct:129
All the principles and ordinances of the gospel are in a sense but invitations to learning the gospel by the practice of its teachings. No person knows the principle of tithing until he pays tithing. No one knows the principle of the Word of Wisdom until he keeps the Word of Wisdom. Children, or grownups for that matter, are not converted to tithing, the Word of Wisdom, keeping the Sabbath day holy, or prayer by hearing someone talk about these principles. We learn the gospel by living it. (Instructor, June 1963, pp. 220-24; Stand Ye in Holy Places, p. 215) TLDP:439
[P]raying is one thing and prayers are important, but living is the thing that will bring us power with our Heavenly Father. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ will give us influence with our fellows among the children of men. Keeping the commandments of God will give us strength and assurance that not anything else can give us. CR1943Apr:90
485. If we keep the Lord's commandments, He is bound by His promises to bless us.
receiving the Word of the Lord
I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise. (Revelation, April 26, 1832) D&C 82:10
There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21. And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (Revelation, April 2, 1830) D&C 130:20-21
To please [God] we must not only worship him with thanksgiving and praise but render willing obedience to his commandments. By so doing he is bound to bestow his blessings; for it is upon this principle (obedience to law) that all blessings are predicated. (Quoted by F. W. Otterstrom in "A Journey to the South: Gems from President Smith's Talks to the People on the Way," IE1917Dec:104) TLDP:436-37
So long as the Latter-day Saints are content to obey the commandments of God, to appreciate the privileges and blessings which they enjoy in the Church, and will use their time, their substance, in honor to the name of God, to build up Zion, and to establish truth and righteousness in the earth, so long our heavenly Father is bound by his oath and covenant to protect them from every opposing foe, and to help them to overcome every obstacle that can possibly be arrayed against them, or thrown in their pathway. (General conference, April 8, 1883, JD24:176) (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 50-51) TLDP:436
We must remind ourselves of how the law of forgiveness operates, for the Lord, who himself ordained the laws, is also himself bound to uphold and sustain and conform to them. The Lord forgives sins, but he does it in harmony with the laws he ordained before the world was. (The Mortal Messiah, 2:50-51) TLDP:205
May we ever remember that obedience to God’s commandments brings forth the blessings promised. (CR 1999Oct; Becoming Our Best Selves, Ensign, November 1999, p.18)
Related Witnesses:
receiving the Word of the Lord
Therefore, be ye as wise as serpents and yet without sin; and I will order all things for your good, as fast as ye are able to receive them. Amen. (Revelation, Aug. 6, 1836) D&C 111:11
Faith is a Gift of God. . . . No compulsion is used in bringing men to a knowledge of God; yet, as fast as we open our hearts to the influences of righteousness, the faith that leads to life eternal will be given us of our Father. AF:97
If we, as a people, keep the commandments of God; if we take the side of the Church on all issues, both religious and political; if we take the Holy Spirit for our guide; if we give heed to the words of the apostles and prophets who minister among us—then, from an eternal standpoint, all things will work together for our good. CR1980Apr:100
How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints. D&C 121:33
quoted by Mormon
Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land. (Jarom records how the word of the Lord was verified as the righteous Nephites successfully withstood the onslaughts of the Lamanites, 399 B.C.) Jarom 1:9
quoting Amaron
Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land. (Amaron writes the words of the Lord spoken to his ancestors) Omni 1:6
486. Those who keep the Lord's commandments may be blessed with temporal (as well as spiritual) blessings.
quoted by Mormon
And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. 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. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 2:41
If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
4. Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
6. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
7. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
8. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
9. For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.
10. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.
11. And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
12. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel) Leviticus 26:3-12
The Lord delights to give us all. He created the earth for us and gave to us as stewards all that it affords. "The fulness of the earth is yours," he said, but this fabulous gift came upon condition that we unreservedly obey his commands. ("When Is One Rich?", Salt Lake Tribune-Telegram, May 28, 1949; The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 358) TLDP:714-15
also quoting Samuel, the Israelite
Faith is a gift of God, and when people have faith to live the Gospel, and to listen to the counsel of those who preside in the wards and stakes, and of the General Authorities of the Church, it has been my experience that they have been abundantly blessed of the Lord, and that many of them have come out of great financial and other difficulties in a most miraculous and wonderful way. "Obedience [to obey] is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." [1 Samuel 15:22] ("Further Facts on Following Counsel," IE1936Jun:332) TLDP:437
Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days. (Revelation for the elders of the Church at Kirtland, Ohio, Sept. 11, 1831) D&C 64:34
I wish we could take a lesson from the testimony of a man in this city who conducts a business here, who wrote and told me about a little experience he had when during the so-called depression of the past years, he thought he was going to lose everything that he had, and so he fasted and prayed that the Lord would show him how to save his business, and he said: "One morning just as it was breaking daylight I felt the still small voice which said to me: 'If you will only but keep God's commandments, you will be given all the wisdom necessary to save your business.'"
Simple, but a great powerful truth—if we will only keep God's commandments, the wisdom sufficient to our needs will be given us CR1949Apr:51
Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. (Mormon records how the word of the Lord given to Lehi about 588 B.C. is verified in 71 B.C.) Alma 50:20
quoting Amaron
Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land. (Amaron writes the words of the Lord spoken to his ancestors) Omni 1:6
Obedience to God’s commandments is the foundation for a happy life. Surely we will be blessed with the gifts of heaven for our obedience. (CR 2004Apr; Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts, Ensign, May 2004, p.40)
Then conditions were established that allowed us to receive blessings from God—upon obedience to laws upon which those blessings were predicated. (CR 2002Apr; How Firm Our Foundation, Ensign, May 2002, p.75)
Related Witnesses:
quoted by Mormon
Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land. (Jarom records how the word of the Lord was verified as the righteous Nephites successfully withstood the onslaughts of the Lamanites, 399 B.C.) Jarom 1:9
The development of our spiritual nature should concern us most. Spirituality is the highest acquisition of the soul, the divine in man; "the supreme, crowning gift that makes him king of all created things." It is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with the infinite. It is spirituality alone which really gives one the best in life.
It is something to supply clothing to the scantily clad, to furnish ample food to those whose table is thinly spread, to give activity to those who are fighting desperately the despair that comes from enforced idleness, but after all is said and done, the greatest blessings that will accrue from the Church Security Plan [welfare program] are spiritual. Outwardly, every act seems to be directed toward the physical: remaking of dresses and suits of clothes, canning fruits and vegetables, storing foodstuffs, choosing of fertile fields for settlement—all seem strictly temporal, but permeating all these acts, inspiring and sanctifying them, is the element of spirituality. CR1936Oct:103
487. All blessings flow from obedience to laws of God (to obtain a blessing we must obey the law appointed for that blessing).
God, our Heavenly Father, governs His children by law. He has instituted laws for our perfection. If we obey His laws, we receive the blessings pertaining to those laws. If we do not obey, we receive the consequences. CR1983Apr:70
There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— 21. And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (Revelation, April 2, 1830) D&C 130:20-21
receiving the Word of the Lord
For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world. (Revelation relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternal nature of the marriage covenant, July 12, 1843, [1831]) D&C 132:5
receiving the Word of the Lord
I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise. (Revelation, April 26, 1832) D&C 82:10
To please [God] we must not only worship him with thanksgiving and praise but render willing obedience to his commandments. By so doing he is bound to bestow his blessings; for it is upon this principle (obedience to law) that all blessings are predicated. (Quoted by F. W. Otterstrom in "A Journey to the South: Gems from President Smith's Talks to the People on the Way," IE1917Dec:104) TLDP:436-37
Since President Snow has been talking so plainly upon this subject [of tithe paying], there have been a class of people who have undertaken to take advantage of his promise to the Latter-day Saints in regard to this law [of tithing], that if for the future they would observe this law faithfully the past should be forgiven. There have been men guilty of breaches of the laws of morality and honesty who have claimed that if they now pay their tithing all their sins will be forgiven them. President Snow never announced any such doctrine as that. He could not announce such a doctrine as that. But the Lord is perfectly able to say to us that if we will observe this law of finance . . . for the future and keep this commandment, our past negligence of the law of tithing will be forgiven. He is competent to say that if we will repent of [any of our] sins and serve God with all our hearts for the future, our sins will be forgiven us; but not otherwise. The forgiveness of sins is predicated upon faith in God, repentance and reformation and baptism. Sins are not forgiven through the payment of tithing, nor through the partaking of the sacrament, nor observing the Word of Wisdom, or prayer. There are blessings attached to each of these important requirements of the Gospel [italics added]; but if a man would have his sins forgiven . . . he must repent of all his sins, turn unto the Lord with full purpose of heart and sin no more. Then God will forgive him and redeem him from his sins; but not by paying tithing. . . .
[page 36] Do you not remember when the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated in 1893, how everybody was allowed to go in there, transgressors and all? . . . The prophet Wilford Woodruff announced then that the sins of the Latter-day Saints were forgiven them; but who are Latter-day Saints? Who are the men and women to whom President Woodruff referred? Any man who had not repented? No. . . . He was only announcing that the work you and I are engaged in is genuine, and that we were forgiven so far as we had complied with these laws. He never meant that a man who was an adulterer, or horse thief, was to be forgiven because he went into that Temple, without having . . . repented. President Woodruff could not say that; no Prophet could say it. The Father could not say it, only upon the principles of repentance, reformation and righteousness. CR1899Oct:34,36
I plead with you young Aaronic Priesthood bearers—and all of us—to determine now, in your youth, to put your trust in the Lord, and by obeying his commandments earn the right to receive specific blessings he has promised for specific types of living—those given in the Word of Wisdom, for example, when he said that "all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;" CR1979Apr:57
No other written testament so clearly illustrates the fact that when men [and women] and nations walk in the fear of God and in obedience to His commandments, they prosper and grow, but when they disregard Him and His word, there comes a decay that, unless arrested by righteousness, leads to impotence and death. (Blessings Resulting from Reading the Book of Mormon, CR October 2005)
Blessings bestowed by God are always predicated upon obedience to law. (CR 1997Apr; Endure and Be Lifted Up, Ensign, May 1997, p.70)
Related Witnesses:
All blessings, then, are conditional upon faithfulness. One is ordained to the priesthood with a conditional promise; one is married and sealed in the temple on condition of his faithfulness. And so far as I know there is nothing—no blessing in the world—that anyone can receive except through faithfulness. ("The Example of Abraham," EN1975Jun:3-4) TLDP:436
If a man gets a fullness of the priesthood of God, he has to get it in the same way that Jesus Christ obtained it, and that was by keeping all the commandments and obeying all the ordinances of the house of the Lord. (At the Stand in Nauvoo, Ill., June 11, 1843) HC5:424
488. We can find peace by obeying the commandments of God.
receiving the Word of the Lord
Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. (A commandment of God for Martin Harris, March 1830) D&C 19:23
Peace, joy, satisfaction, happiness, growth, contentment, all come with the righteous living of the commandments of God. The one who delights in all of the worldly luxuries of today, at the expense of spirituality, is living but for the moment. His day is coming; retribution is sure. CR1952Apr:23-24
I have a great respect for all men and their beliefs, but think it not a strange thing that in a kingdom, the kingdom of God, there should be specific requirements and commandments, and a way that God has given for our realizing the highest happiness and peace and progress. CR1961Apr:77
Why are we such a happy people? It is because of our faith, the quiet assurance that abides in our hearts that our Father in Heaven, overseeing all, will look after His sons and daughters who walk before Him with love and appreciation and obedience. We will ever be a happy people if we will so conduct our lives. Sin never was happiness. Transgression never was happiness. Falsehood in word or behavior never was happiness. Happiness lies in obedience to the teachings and commandments of God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. (CR 1998Oct; What Are People Asking about Us?, Ensign, November 1998, p.70)
The basic needs of mankind…self-esteem, peace of mind, and personal contentment—can be fully satisfied by faithful obedience to the commandments of God. This is true of any person in any country or culture. (CR 1995Apr; Heirs to the Kingdom of God, Ensign, May 1995, p.61)
Obedience brings peace in decision making. If we have firmly made up our minds to follow the commandments, we will not have to redecide which path to take when temptation comes our way. That is how obedience brings spiritual safety. (CR 1999Apr; Obedience: The Path to Freedom, Ensign, May 1999, p.45)
We develop a desire to purify and sanctify ourselves so that we might be worthy to return to God’s presence. We learn of the great plan of happiness that our Father has designed for His children, and we seek the blessings of peace and joy that are linked irrevocably to obedience to the laws of God. (CR 1996Oct; Christians in Belief and Action, Ensign, November 1996, p.70)
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “in obedience there is joy and peace unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness … he never has—He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances”. (CR 1995Apr; Answers to Life’s Questions, Ensign, May 1995, p.22)
Related Witnesses:
receiving the Word of the Lord
Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love. (Revelation to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, April 1829) D&C 6:20
489. When we obey the word of the Lord our souls are enlarged.
Frances M. Lyman
For there is an advantage, there is a blessing and an enlargement of the soul that comes to the man who obeys the word and will of the Lord. It is better that we have done God's will than that we should have need to be forgiven for neglecting it. It is better not to have been a sinner . . . God has designed that we should not be sinners, but that we should live lives of purity and righteousness and walk in obedience to His will, as the Savior did. CR1899Oct:35
He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. (Revelation May 6, 1833; Christ received a fulness of all truth and man, by obedience, may do likewise) D&C 93:28
And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments. . . .
19. . . . shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; . . . (Revelation, Feb. 27, 1833) D&C 89:18-19
The Lord will increase our knowledge, wisdom, and capacity to obey when we obey His fundamental laws. This is what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said we could have "sudden strokes of ideas" which come into our minds as "pure intelligence." (See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.151). This is revelation. We must learn to rely on the Holy Ghost so we can use it to guide our lives and the lives of those for whom we have responsibility. CR1983Apr:71-72
Listen to the spiritual promise; "All saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments . . . shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." (D&C 89:18-19
Some have thought this promise was contingent on just keeping the provisions of the Word of Wisdom. But you will notice we will walk in obedience to all the commandments. Then we shall receive specific spiritual promises. This means we must obey the law of tithing, keep the Sabbath day holy, keep morally clean and chaste, and obey all other commandments. . . .
I do not believe that a member of the Church can have an active, vibrant testimony of the gospel without keeping the commandments. A testimony is to have current inspiration to know the work is true, not something we receive only once. The Holy Ghost abides with those who honor, respect, and obey God's laws. And it is that Spirit which gives inspiration to the individual. CR1983Apr:71-72
There is only one way . . . to obtain and possess this mighty spirit . . . which guides the Church today and enlightens every soul, and that is by obeying strictly, with all our might, as far as we poor mortal beings are able, the laws of the Gospel. If we obey, if we practice in our lives the truths given us, then as certainly as we do that, the enlivening spirit of light, of revelation, of understanding will come to us, comprehension will enter our minds and hearts and we shall know the true joy of being Latter-day Saints. CR1934Oct:11
Holiness is the strength of the soul. It comes by faith and through obedience to God's laws and ordinances. (CR 2005Apr; Standing in Holy Places, Ensign, May 2005)
Related Witnesses:
The Spirit of Revelation is in connection with these blessings. A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus. (Joseph instructs the Twelve in conference, June 27, 1839) TPJS:151; DGSM:5
There is not a man born into the world, but has a portion of the Spirit of God, and it is that Spirit of God which gives to his spirit understanding. . . . [I]nasmuch as he puts forth his efforts in the proper direction, then he is entitled to an increased portion of the Spirit of the Almighty to inspire him to increased intelligence, to increased prosperity and happiness in the world; but in proportion as he prostitutes his energies for evil, the inspiration of the Almighty is withdrawn from him, until he becomes so dark and so benighted, that so far as his knowledge of God is concerned, he is quite as ignorant as a dumb brute. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 63) TLDP:365
quoted by John
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. . . .
23. . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:21,23
490. We are never to disobey God because of our fear of what mortals can do to us.
Helaman, son of Alma, the younger
For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set a naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—
8. Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble. (Revelation regarding the lost manuscript pages, July 1828) D&C 3:7-8
Much of the unrest and confusion in the world today is caused by man's fear to obey God because of the pressures of man. Certainly if we want peace, progress, and prosperity, it will come through adherence to God's principles. We have no need to fear if we keep God's commandments. ACR(Munich)1973:23
recorded in Matthew
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Christ instructs, empowers, and sends the Twelve Apostles forth to preach, minister, and heal the sick) Matthew 10:28
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? 7. The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. 8. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118:6-8
receiving the Word of the Lord
But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them.
3. And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have. (Revelation for certain elders of the Church, Aug. 8, 1831) D&C 60:2-3
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25
receiving the Word of the Lord
The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? 9. Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever. (The word of the Lord to Joseph Smith while in Liberty Jail, March 1839) D&C 122:8-9
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (Letter to the Jewish members of the Church, about A.D. 60) Hebrews 13:6
. . .I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear. (Mormon writes to his son Moroni, prior to A.D. 384) Moroni 8:16
Related Witnesses:
quoted by Mormon
Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. (Helaman's two thousand stripling sons fight with miraculous power and none of them are slain, 62 B.C.) Alma 56:47
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (A psalm of David) Psalms 23:4
No man can disobey the word of God and not suffer for so doing. No sin, however secret, can escape retribution. True, you may lie and not be detected; you may violate virtue without its being known by any who would scandalize you; yet you cannot escape the judgment that follows such transgression. The lie is lodged in the recesses of your mind, an impairment of your character that will be reflected sometime, somehow in your countenance or bearing. Your moral turpitude, though only you, your accomplice, and God may ever know it, will canker your soul. ("The Constant Operation of Divine Law," IE1941Jul:395) TLDP:440
491. Members of the Lord's church who refuse to keep His commandments will not be saved (in the celestial kingdom).
HYMNS Written by Prophets Applicable to this Topic
[T]o get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded. Men may preach and practice everything except those things which God commands us to do, and will be damned at last. We may tithe mint and rue, and all manner of herbs, and still not obey the commandments of God. The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it. (The Prophet speaks following a lecture by an Episcopalian minister in the assembly room in Nauvoo, Ill.) HC6:223
Any Church member not obedient to the leaders of this Church will not have the opportunity to be obedient to the prompting of the Lord.
From the Doctrine and Covenants I quote: "For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world." (D&C 132:5) ACR(Munich)1973:23
receiving the Word of the Lord
Hearken, O ye people who profess my name, saith the Lord your God; for behold mine anger is kindled against the rebellious, and they shall know mine arm and mine indignation, in the day of visitation and of wrath upon the nations.
2. And he that will not take up his cross and follow me, and keep my commandments, the same shall not be saved. [See Author's Note, below.] 3. Behold, I, the Lord, command; and he that will not obey shall be cut off in mine own due time, after I have commanded and the commandment is broken. (Revelation received at Kirtland, Ohio, June 1831) D&C 56:1-3
quoted by Mormon
But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 3:12
[O]ne goal that most of us share in this life is the desire to achieve true joy and lasting happiness. There is only one way to do this, and that is by being obedient to all the commandments of God. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have voluntarily entered into holy covenants, promising to obey the Lord's commandments. Willing, righteous obedience leads to celestial life: indeed, there is no eternal progress without it. CR1977Oct:26
receiving the Word of the Lord
Behold, I, the Lord, have looked upon you, and have seen abominations in the church that profess my name. . . .
8. But the hypocrites shall be detected and shall be cut off, either in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world. (Revelation for the elders of the Church, May 1831) D&C 50:4,8
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Paul's letter to the Church in Rome regarding the unrighteous, about A.D. 55) Romans 1:29-32
Related Witnesses:
If the Lord can have a people to listen to his law, there may be a chance to establish his kingdom upon the earth: if not, the only way he can establish his kingdom is to remove them from the earth, or give up his kingdom until another time; for it is impossible to establish his kingdom without having a people obedient to him. . . .
. . . [W]here there is not a feeling of obedience, the Spirit of God will be withdrawn; people cannot retain it and be in rebellion against the authorities and counsels of the church and kingdom of God. (In Bowery, Sept. 20, 1857, JD5:265) TLDP:433
For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him. (Revelation regarding the lost manuscript pages, July 1828) D&C 3:4
receiving the Word of the Lord
Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. (Revelation received 1828) D&C 10:55
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
27. A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
28. And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. (Commandments to Israel through Moses ) Deuteronomy 11:26-28
receiving the Word of the Lord
For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; . . . (Revelation through Joseph Smith during conference of elders of the Church, Nov. 1, 1831) D&C 1:31
Author's Note: All men will be saved in a kingdom of glory (except those few "sons of Perdition") but the salvation as spoken of here (D&C 56:2) appears to refer to eternal life, to the celestial kingdom.
Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice
HYMNS:21
Then heed the words of truth and light
That flow from fountains pure.
Yea, keep His law with all thy might
Till thine election's sure,
Till thou shalt hear the holy voice
Assure eternal reign,
While joy and cheer attend thy choice,
As one who shall obtain.
Savior, Redeemer of My Soul
HYMNS:112
Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous pow'r hath raised me up
And filled with sweet my bitter cup
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.
Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee.
Thy pure word, Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect thy will.
O'errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.
Chasten my soul till I shall be
In perfect harmony with thee.
Make me more worthy of thy love,
And fit me for the life above.
