The commandments aren’t like these signs–they have a purpose. Most of us have commandments that are more difficult to keep than others. For some, it is the Word of Wisdom, for others, the law of chastity, or pride. Even the apostle Paul said he had a “thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). One of the keys to obedience is how we view the commandments. Do we view them as laws that help make us free (John 8:32) and happy, or as irritating restrictions? President Ezra Taft Benson taught a key to gaining power over temptation: “ When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power” (quoted in Ensign, May 1998, 82). Another key is to fill your life as much as possible with things that invite the Spirit of God. Remember what King Benjamin’s people said:
“And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2).
Obedience is a skill. The more we practice it the easier it becomes. This is because each time we obey we are blessed with an increased amount of the Spirit of the Lord which strengthens us to withstand temptation. As you read these next verses keep in mind that the word “light” in the scriptures can be a synonym for the Spirit of Jesus Christ (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:45).
“He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things (Doctrine and Covenants 93:28).
So we can invite the Light of Christ into our life by living the commandments. Now notice what happens when we receive light:
“[He] that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24).
In other words, when we gain light, and continue to do what is right we will receive more light—and that light continues to grow brighter. One of the great things about receiving light is that it makes us less likely to want to do bad because “Light and truth forsake that evil one” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:37). So the more we obey, the easier it is to be obedient, and be more like our Savior.
