Monday, May 9, 2016

D&C 124:45-48 -- On Choosing Blessings or Cursings

"And if my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place.
But if they will not hearken to my voice, nor unto the voice of these men whom I have appointed, they shall not be blest, because they pollute mine holy grounds, and mine holy ordinances, and charters, and my holy words which I give unto them.
And it shall come to pass that if you build a house unto my name, and do not do the things that I say, I will not perform the oath which I make unto you, neither fulfil the promises which ye expect at my hands, saith the Lord.
For instead of blessings, ye, by your own works, bring cursings, wrath, indignation, and judgments upon your own heads, by your follies, and by all your abominations, which you practice before me, saith the Lord."
D&C 124:45-48


I was reading this today and seeing some parallels to Moses and the children of Israel, which we talked about a few days ago (here).  We like to think that we've move past some of the rebellion of our past, but it's interesting to see some of this in a more contemporary setting.  Here God warns us that even if we go through the motions of doing as he asks (in this case, building a temple), if we're not actively listening to him and to the prophets that we are bringing, by our own works, cursings upon ourselves rather than blessings.  If we do the things that we should, then God won't let anyone move us.

Today, let's learn from the past.  Let's make sure that we're listening *and* doing the right.  Let's hearken to the Lord's prophet and not think that we can do without that kind of revelation and guidance in our lives... or think that because it comes from God's servant and not God's actual mouth that we can discount it as no better than our own ideas.  Let's break out of the rebellious pattern of the past and look to God in all that we do.  Let's try obedience instead of resistance.  It's a hard lesson.  We aren't often eager to learn humility and patience and faith.  But God's yoke is easy, and his burden much, much lighter than the burdens we lay on ourselves by not listening, and falling into pits that we've dug for ourselves by sinning.  Let's keep our side of the oaths and promises mentioned.  If we do, God will never fail to keep his. :)

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