Doctrine and Covenants 81-83
“Where Much Is Given Much Is Required”
July 21 - July 27
scripture
quotes
A Half-Hearted Commitment Will Not Guarantee Anything
<p>Covenants anchor us to the Savior and propel us along the path that leads to our heavenly home. The power of covenants helps us maintain the mighty change of heart, deepen our conversion to the Lord, and receive Christ’s image more fully in our countenance. But a half-hearted commitment to our covenants will not guarantee us anything (See D&C 82:10). We may be tempted to equivocate, throw our old ways in calm water, or bury our weapons of rebellion with the handles sticking out. But an ambivalent commitment to our covenants will not open the door to the sanctifying power of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.</p>
Dale G. Renlund, “Unwavering Commitment to Jesus Christ”, October 2019 General Conference
The Price We Pay for Happiness
<p>President Kimball has said that the price we pay for happiness is keeping the commandments. The greatest blessings of this life, together with eternal salvation and exaltation, are available to us only when we keep the commandments the Lord has given us. Remember, the Lord has told us, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise” (D&C 82:10). And remember also the great promise recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants: “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7). Now, if you want to be happy...I admonish you to keep the commandments and make every effort to secure and retain a strong testimony of the gospel.</p>
O. Leslie Stone, “Testimony”, April 1975 General Conference
The Lord Keeps Covenants
<p>“Some misunderstand the promises of God to mean that obedience to Him yields specific outcomes on a fixed schedule. They might think, ‘If I diligently serve a full-time mission, God will bless me with a happy marriage and children’ or ‘If I refrain from doing schoolwork on the Sabbath, God will bless me with good grades’ or ‘If I pay tithing, God will bless me with that job I’ve been wanting.” If life doesn’t fall out precisely this way or according to an expected timetable, they may feel betrayed by God. But things are not so mechanical in the divine economy. We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered. God will indeed honor His covenants and promises to each of us. We need not worry about that. The atoning power of Jesus Christ—who descended below all things and then ascended on high and who possesses all power in heaven and in earth—ensures that God can and will fulfill His promises. It is essential that we honor and obey His laws, but not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual.”</p>
D. Todd Christofferson, “Our Relationship with God” April 2022 General Conference
commentary
Commentary on D&C 82:5–7
<p>After declaring to the elders present that “all of you have sinned” (D&C 82:2), the Lord warns against the influence of the adversary (D&C 82:5). He points out the simple truth that “none doeth good” (D&C 82:6), or as the Book of Mormon states it, all men and women are “unprofitable servants” (Mosiah 2:21). But while the Lord recognizes the faults and sins of the leaders and members of His Church, He still sees their potential for immense good. It is important for members of the Church to recognize the same potential in their leaders and themselves.</p> <p>Elder Dale G. Renlund once quoted Nelson Mandela, who said, “I’m no saint—that is, unless you think a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.” Elder Renlund added, “This statement—‘a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying’—should reassure and encourage members of the Church. Although we are referred to as ‘Latter-day Saints,’ we sometimes flinch at this reference. The term <em>Saints</em> is commonly used to designate those who have achieved an elevated state of holiness or even perfection. And we know perfectly well that we are not perfect . . . God cares a lot more about who we are and who we are becoming than about who we once were. He cares that we keep on trying.”<a id="_ftnref1" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn1">[1]</a></p> <div class="footnotes"> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn1" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> Dale G. Renlund, “Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying,” April 2015 General Conference.</p> </div>
Doctrine and Covenants Minute by Casey Paul Griffiths
