Blind Obedience

People of faith are often accused of blind obedience to the commandments of God. The next two days we will be listening to our Prophet, Apostles and other leaders teach us what God has inspired them to teach. It will not surprised me to criticized for wanting to be better and follow the counsel given in these meetings. In my studies today I came across this quote from Elder Spencer W. Kimball - “Is it then blind obedience when we, with our limited vision, elementary knowledge, selfish desires, ulterior motives, and carnal urges, accept and follow the guidance and obey the commands of our loving Father who begot us, created a world for us, loves us, and has planned a constructive program for us, wholly without ulterior motive, whose greatest joy and glory is to ‘bring to pass the immortality and eternal life’ of all his children?” I say no and I welcome the guidance we will receive the next two days in the World Wide General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If any of you fear our obedience might take away your freedoms let me quote Joseph Smith who saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and by them restored the Church for us today. These are from the Articles of Faith - #11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. And #12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

Two more thoughts come to mind - Jesus taught, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32 ) and “happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God” - the Prophet Joseph Smith.