Line upon Line

Choose

Joshua urged his people to make the right choice—to follow the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

choose

Our ability to choose and act for ourselves is called agency. It is an important part of Heavenly Father’s plan. One purpose of this life is to show that we will choose to obey God’s commandments so that we can become more like Him. We will be judged according to our choices. (See 2 Nephi 2:27; Doctrine and Covenants 101:78; Abraham 3:25.)

this day

Joshua urged his people to choose “this day,” or right now. We can make important choices once and then try to stay committed to them. (See Psalm 37:5.)

serve

In this verse, to serve means to worship, assist, obey, and devote yourself to someone. We should serve the Lord (see Moses 1:15).

gods

Israel had been commanded to serve only the true and living God, Jesus Christ (see Exodus 20:2–5). Joshua gave examples of other gods that his people should not worship. Other gods in our lives could include possessions, the opinions of others, other interests—anything that takes us away from the Lord.

me and my house

Joshua spoke for himself and his household. He said they would serve the Lord. He wanted to lead his family righteously and teach them to follow the Lord (see Doctrine and Covenants 93:40).