Imagine, if you would please, a large party of rafters paddling and cruising down a river. Their guide calls to them its time to turn around and paddle back upstream, as danger lies ahead. But the current is flowing faster now, and the ride is much more fun and exciting, so the party ignores the warning and keeps on going. Pretty soon, the current becomes swifter, and the guide shouts a second warning to the people in the raft. Too late to get back upstream, but just get to shore, he cries out. A waterfall is just around the bend.
Again, the rafters are enjoying the ride so much that they decide to continue on as long as they can.
Then they hear the roaring sound of the waterfall. Then it comes in sight. In panic, the rafters try to paddle for the shore. Their guide no longer shouts to them to paddle ashore. No use. All he can tell them now is to rig the raft for the safest possible splashdown.
The Lord had told us: "Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day." - [1 Nephi 22:31] And He has also warned us that: "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." - [D&C 56:3] But one of the greatest lessons and examples the Lord has given us on the blessings of obedience is when Nephi, upon receiving a most challenging assignment from the Lord thru his father Lehi, replied: "I will go and do the things which the Lord has 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. - [1 Nephi 3:7] And one of the great miracles recorded in the Book of Mormon occurred to assist Nephi in his obedience to that command.
An interesting topic is obedience. The world in general is certainly ignoring God's teachings and commandments. And I think the awful situation most the world is in now is a result of people ignoring God's teachings and commandments. But how do LDSs measure up, we who have far greater understanding of Gods commandments, have the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, have the priesthood, have the Holy Ghost, and consequently have greater motivation and responsibility to do the things God has asked or commanded us to do? I am convinced the awful situation the world is in now is a result of people ignoring God's teachings and commandments. The degeneration of our circumstances I am sure is the result of our general failure to read and heed the words of the Lord. So I sure hope we are all doing our best to follow the Prophets admonitions of preparedness, including food storage. That may well be a major key now to OUR safest possible splashdown.
But please clarify for me..are you saying food storage is the most important indicator of commandment keeping? To me other commandments are far more important and if violated, would be far more displeasing to Heavenly Father.
No, Nita, I had written that as part of a longer talk for our stake conference. When we were on our mission at the Family History Library I frequently heard a statement attributed to Joseph Smith to the effect that seeking after our dead ancestors was at the top of the list.
But if there is at this time one single commandment that has been ringing like a clarion call in my head, it is that in Verse 6 of the 98th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, where we are told "Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land;". Its message is clear to me that "The Saints are to befriend the constitutional law of the land." It is preceded in Verse 4 by the statement it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I command them., and I believe, it was well echoed and even magnified by then Apostle David O. McKays statement in the October 1939 General Conference that: Next to being one in worshiping God, there is nothing in this world upon which this Church should be more united than in upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States. In my 49+ years in the Church I've found that to be one of the most neglected and scorned commandments we have been given. And frankly, in regards to preserving our Constitution, we are on our way over the waterfall.
As I was preparing that talk I was trying to remind listeners that our past disobedience to many commandments has gotten us into the situation where preparedness is now esspecially important.
