Lesson 23 Class Preparation Material

Obedience to God’s Commandments

In this unit you will have a chance to consider how you can increase your trust in God. An important element of trusting God is learning to willingly obey His commandments. What importance do you place on following God’s commands? Is there a commandment you find especially challenging to keep? As you study the Book of Mormon in preparation for class, ponder the purpose of God’s commandments and the blessings you can receive as you seek to emulate the Savior’s example of obedience.

Section 1

What can I learn about obedience from Jesus Christ?

From the New Testament we learn that Jesus Christ went to John the Baptist to be baptized so they could “fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:13–17). As recorded in the Book of Mormon, Nephi explained why Jesus Christ, who was sinless, was baptized (see 2 Nephi 31:6–7).

Study in Preparation for Class

Read 2 Nephi 31:6–7, 10, and look for characteristics of Jesus Christ that Nephi highlighted.

When Jesus Christ appeared to the Nephites in the land of Bountiful, He emphasized the importance of obeying the commandments of His Father. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed:

Of all the messages that could come from the scroll of eternity, what was the declaration [the Savior] brought? The Nephite faithful listened as he spoke: “I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” [3 Nephi 11:11]. Fifty-six words. The essence of his earthly mission. Obedience and loyalty to the will of the Father, however bitter the cup or painful the price. (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 251)

Near the end of His ministry among the Nephites, the Lord declared, “I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me” (3 Nephi 27:13).

Ponder in Preparation for Class

What can you learn about obedience from the example of Jesus Christ?

Section 2

In what ways can I be blessed by keeping God’s commandments?

Shortly after Lehi and his family departed from Jerusalem into the wilderness, Laman and Lemuel began to murmur against their father. Grieved by their hard hearts, Nephi prayed for his brothers. In response to his plea, the Lord taught Nephi an important truth about obedience. (See 1 Nephi 2:11–12, 18–21.)

Study in Preparation for Class

Read 1 Nephi 2:20–21, and look for what Nephi learned about obedience.

Addressing the promise in this scripture, Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop, taught:

This promise is central to the story and teachings of the Book of Mormon. It appears in 18 different verses, and in seven of its 15 books. Although the blessing of prosperity mentioned in these scriptures is principally of a spiritual nature, it also includes the ability for the people of God to enjoy economic progress and become temporally self-reliant. (“The Spiritual Foundations of Church Financial Self-Reliance,” Ensign, July 2018, 46)

When King Benjamin was approaching the end of his life, he gathered his people together to deliver one last sermon. As part of his sermon, he taught that we are all “unprofitable servants” and will always be indebted to God (Mosiah 2:20–21). In the context of our indebtedness, King Benjamin taught why God requires us to keep His commandments.

Study in Preparation for Class

Read Mosiah 2:22, 41, and consider how obeying the commandments of God allows us to experience the goodness of God.

Commenting on the purpose of God’s commandments, President Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, taught:

Why does God give us commandments? Is it to keep us down, in groveling subjection to Him? Is it to remove any opportunity for real fun in this world? No, the opposite is true: God has given us commandments because He loves us. He wants to spare us heartache, misery, and regret. He knows that the only way to be truly happy in this life and experience unbounded joy in the world to come is to follow Jesus Christ’s example of obedience to the laws of God. (“Obedience Brings Blessings” [address given at Brigham Young University–Hawaii commencement, Apr. 21, 2018], speeches.byuh.edu)

Discuss in Preparation for Class

With a friend or family member, discuss how obedience to God’s commandments has blessed your lives.

Section 3

What can I learn about obedience from the stripling warriors?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “Faithfully obeying God’s commandments is essential to receiving the Holy Ghost.” He then pointed to the stripling warriors as an example of obedience and said that we “should strive to become like [them]” (“Receive the Holy Ghost,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 96, 97).

The stripling warriors were children of the Lamanites who had been converted to the Lord after they were taught by the sons of Mosiah. These Lamanites were called the people of Ammon or the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. After their conversion, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had promised God that they would never again use their weapons of war. (See Alma 23:4–7, 16–17.) Later, their young sons, who had not made this covenant, chose to join the Nephite army and defend their country. The young stripling warriors desired Helaman to be their leader. They fought in several battles against the Lamanites. While they received many injuries, miraculously, not one of them died in battle. (See Alma 53:10–19; 57:22–25; 58:39.)

Study in Preparation for Class

Read Alma 57:21, 27; 58:40. Looking beyond the context of a military conflict, see what you can learn about obedience from the examples of the stripling warriors.

Speaking to parents about teaching the importance of obedience to their children, President Russell M. Nelson provided the following counsel:

Teach of faith to keep all the commandments of God, knowing that they are given to bless His children and bring them joy [see 2 Nephi 2:25]. Warn them that they will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break. I call this the cafeteria approach to obedience. This practice of picking and choosing will not work. It will lead to misery. To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments. It takes faith to obey them, and keeping His commandments will strengthen that faith. (“Face the Future with Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 34)

Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed as we strive to keep all of the commandments of God with exactness. To help us understand how the Savior can increase our capacity to be obedient, Elder Bednar taught:

Brothers and sisters, it is vitally important for all of us to remember that progressing to higher and more spiritually demanding levels of obedience is not simply a matter of more personal determination, more grit, and more willpower; rather, it is accomplished through the enabling power of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. (“In a State of Happiness (Mormon 7:7)” [Brigham Young University–Idaho devotional, Jan. 6, 2004], byui.edu)

Ponder in Preparation for Class

Based on what you have learned about obedience in this lesson, what advice would you give to someone who is struggling to keep the commandments?

Want More? (Optional)

Where can I learn more about the blessings of obedience?

In the video “Obedience Brings Blessings” (3:26), President Thomas S. Monson teaches that following the Lord’s example of obedience unlocks God’s greatest blessings (from the talk “Obedience Brings Blessings,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 89–92).

How can exact obedience protect me from harm?

To learn more about the importance of exact obedience, watch the video “The Sting of the Scorpion” (2:50) or listen to the talk “Come unto Me with Full Purpose of Heart, and I Shall Heal You” (11:01) by Elder Patrick Kearon of the Presidency of the Seventy (see Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 50–52).