“Reasons for the Rules,” For the Strength of Youth, Oct. 2023.
Reasons for the Rules
Knowing the rules is good—and understanding the reason for them is powerful and brings true joy.
It was one year ago that Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf announced the publication of For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices. That little booklet has made a difference for people clear across the globe.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong shared the guide with the vice president of Panama. Elder David A. Bednar taught from the guide in Bucharest, Romania. And President Russell M. Nelson gave youth in Nevada an assignment to teach their family members the truths in the guide. He said, “This important new guide contains vital principles that will help each person to prepare for the temple.”1
Restored Reasons
Teens and families still have rules and commandments, but the miracle of the guide is that now they are talking more about the reasons for the rules.
In Alma 12:32 we read, “Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption” (emphasis added). The Restoration of the gospel was not just a restoration of rules, but also a restoration of reasons.
The Ten Commandments made it through the Great Apostasy; it was the reasons for keeping the commandments that were lost. We find those reasons in the plan of redemption. When we truly understand the reasons, we realize that standards and commandments obeyed for the right reasons become the path that leads us to true joy.
One young man I will call Joseph said, “In my school I’ve always been known by what I can and cannot do. People say, ‘Joseph can’t drink coffee or alcohol. Joseph doesn’t look at pornography or swear.’ Now I want them to know the reasons.”
He said that when people used to ask him why he lives this way, he would say, “Because of my church.” That’s a good answer, but there are better ones. Now he refers to the principles in the For the Strength of Youth guide:
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Illustrations by Emily Davis
Why do you go to church on Sunday?
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Because I love God and others.
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Why don’t you drink coffee or alcohol?
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Because my body is sacred.
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Why don’t you look at pornography?
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Because I want to walk in the light.
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Isn’t it hard trying to be so good all the time?
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Sometimes, but Christ helps me.
One research study reported that some young people are choosing to leave religion because they don’t see the reasons for the rules and boundaries associated with religion.2 Joseph is not one of those. The For the Strength of Youth guide is helping him know those reasons for himself and share them with others. It can do the same for you.