In the Book of Moses 5:6, we read: And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
Adam did not know why he should offer the sacrifice. He had not yet been taught the principle of sacrifice, the symbolism behind it, the ways in which it would bring him spiritually closer to Heavenly Father—all he knew was that he’d been asked to do it, and so he did. It’s as simple as that.
I’ve blogged from time to time about the importance of obedience, how obedience to a cause that is right is not blind, but wise. I know this and understand it, and yet there’s still a portion of me that sits in a corner and says, “But, but, you mean I have to be good now?” I want to follow Heavenly Father, I want to achieve the closeness that comes from being willing to listen and obey, but relinquishing those last little selfish tidbits is just so hard.
I’ve recently given up chocolate. At the time of this writing, I’ve been chocolate-free for over four months, and coming to this point has been a spiritual journey for me. But as I contemplate my next steps toward health, which would include giving up soda pop and other sweets, I find myself retreating to my corner. “But I don’t want to give up everything that’s bad for me!” I’m the same way when it comes to total repentance. “Let me keep just two or three little sins.”
It’s not possible to be completely obedient and still retain some of our sins. We can’t get where we’re trying to go with anything less than total obedience. That’s why we’re here, to learn to put aside our little petty sins and habits and learn to fully trust and fully obey. We need to be like Adam, who didn’t know why he was being told to build the altar – he did it because God said to, and that was good enough for him. He didn’t need to question. He didn’t need to deliberate or to weigh his options. His Father commanded it, he did it, and he was blessed for his unquestioning obedience. That’s what I want. It will take me, probably, my entire life and then some, but I want to learn how to give up those pesky little sins I’m so eager to hang onto. They’re not worth it.
Related Blogs:
Obedience Born of Faith in God