Commentary by Laurie McIntyre
1. JACOB 2: 16 We have discussed the idea of pride, but Jacob also says: "O that ye would LISTEN unto the word of HIS COMMANDS . . . "
2. When I was growing up in a little farming community in S.E. Idaho, we lived on a small acreage where we raised a few milk cows among other usual farm animals. We had a large pasture where these cows were allowed to graze to their hearts content. The whole pasture was fenced with a barbed wire fence, but at its northern border was a fairly large irrigation ditch and then beyond that was a well-traveled road. One would think that the fence and the ditch would be enough deterrent to keep the cows safely in the pasture which was lush with good grazing and water. However, we had one cow that refused to be content in this verdant pasture. She kept leaning over the fence trying to get a mouthful of what, apparently to her, looked like more delicious food. She would lean and push against the fence until finally she would break through. Time after time, we would have to round her up and put her back in the pasture and repair the fence, only to have her repeat the process. She not only broke the fence and let herself out, she also led other cattle in the pasture out to wander and they caused all kinds of trouble. (That's another principle in itself, right?) Finally, in desperation, my father electrified the fence, hoping this would be sufficient deterrent for this stubborn bovine. Sometimes, when the rules are broken, we need a stronger deterrent to keep us within the confines of safety, right? This cow, however, was so determined, that she still pushed against the fence, even though it was really uncomfortable for her. She kept getting shocked. One time, she broke through the fence and before anyone realized she was out, she had wandered onto the road where she was struck by a truck and killed.
3. We all know that commandments are not given to inhibit but to protect, to assist us.
4. DOC. & COV. 20: 7 And gave unto him commandments which inspired him;
5. DOC. & COV. 59: 4 And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me.
6. Blessings come with MORE commandments?
7. Elder Robert E. Hales:
8. I may have shared the following before, but it is applicable here, too. Commandments are not given to burden or restrict us. Rather, they are guideposts from an all-wise H. F. to keep us out of trouble, to bring us a fullness of happiness in this life, and to bring us safely back home to Him. In a talk at BYU in 1994, Rabbi Harold S. Kushner said:"Do you remember being afraid of the dark when you were a child? When you became frightened, you probably turned on the light or lit a candle—in fact, you lit every light in the house! When your parents came home later in the evening, they would ask, 'Why is every light in the house on?' And then they would proceed to give you a lecture, I am sure, about the family budget and the cost of electricity. You have learned, however, that by turning on an electric light or by lighting a candle, there was no more darkness, no more fear. You learned a simple law of nature, which is also a spiritual law: light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Satan and his disciples cannot tolerate the spiritual light of the gospel; they must immediately depart."
- -Ensign, May, 1996, Robert E. Hales, If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commandments. p. 35.
9. WHY do we not obey commandments?“I’m a traditional Jew, and I observe the biblical dietary laws. . . . I suspect most of you assume I go around all day saying to myself, ‘Boy, would I love to eat pork chops, but that mean old God won’t let me.’ Not so. The fact . . . is, I go around all day saying, 'Isn’t it incredible? There are five billion people on this planet and God cares what I have for lunch [and] what kind of language I use.’ . . .I am not diminished by being told there are certain things I may not do because they are wrong. Rather, it enhances me.
(”The Human Soul’s Quest for God,” BYU Magazine, Feb. 1995, 2) - - Ensign, Nov. 2006, Larry W. Gibbons , “Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts,” p. 102. (Emphasis added.)
10. Elder Bruce A. Carlson:
11. At the time of his appointment as President of the Church, Harold B. Lee said:"When we choose to disobey a commandment, it is usually because (1) we have convinced ourselves that the commandment does not apply to us; (2) we do not believe that it is important; or (3) we are certain that it is too difficult to obey.
- - Ensign, May, 2010, Bruce A. Carlson, When The Lord Commands, p. 38. (This is a great article. Elder Carlson uses the stories of Jeroboam, Laman and Lemuel and Martin Harris to illustrate these three points.)
“The safety of the Church lies in the members keeping the commandments. … As they keep the commandments, blessings will come.”12. So back to Jacob's admonition to the Nephites who were more and more turning their backs on the Lord. After leaving the Lamanites behind, they had prospered and had started indulging in selfish pursuits. In fact, he used an interesting choice of words in VERSE 5 when he said they were beginning to LABOR in sin. Instead of focusing their labors and efforts toward the building up of Zion, their forcus had shifted and thus begins the downward slippery slope.
- - Harold B. Lee, quoted in Stephen W. Gibson, “Presidency Meets the Press,” Church News, July 15, 1972, 3.
13. Elder Boyd K. Packer:
"I reluctantly make reference to two experiences. Each one taught me a significant, fundamental lesson.
"During the winter of 1943-44, World War II was raging in full intensity. I had enlisted
in the United States Army Air Force, and after a number of months of preflight training was assigned to a primary training field near Scottsdale, Arizona. We were training in bi-wing, open cockpit, single-engined Steerman trainers, an antique-type plane. We wore sheepskin jackets, helmets, and goggles, and, of course, the white silk scarf. One day a plane crashed, and one of our classmates lost his life. Flight schedules were immediately intensified. This was war; it was no time to let student pilots become jittery. The cadets in our class had all soloed, and that afternoon found us practicing landings at an auxiliary field. At the close of the day the last in turn to use the planes were to fly them back to the main field, while the remaining cadets were transported there by bus. It was my assignment to take one of the planes across the valley to the main field. Out of curiosity I decided to fly over the crash site. It was plainly visible from the air. One could see the spot where the plane had hit, burst into flames, and skidded across the desert floor, burning the chaparral in a long, sooty smear.
"My curiosity satisfied, I then headed for the base. We had been taught the various maneuvers: stalls, loops, spins, chandelles. In order to lose altitude to enter the flight pattern I decided to put the plane into a practice spin-the quickest way, of course, to lose altitude. I followed the proper procedure, and the plane entered a normal spin. Somehow in making the recovery from the spin (perhaps nervous at the thoughts of the accident) I was clumsy, and I overcorrected. Instead of making a recovery the plane shuddered violently, stalled, and then flipped over into a secondary spin. Never have I known such panic-before or since. I found myself clawing at the controls. Finally the plane pulled out in a long, sweeping skid just feet above the desert floor. I don't know what happened. I think probably I let go of the controls. The plane, although antique, was used heavily as a trainer because it had the capacity almost to fly itself if left alone. I quickly recovered my composure and made a normal landing, hoping that no one had seen the circus performance.
"When we have had a frightening experience, shock sometimes doesn't set in until we have retired. For a long time that night I tossed and fretted, experiencing almost the same panic as I had in the plane. My buddy, a member of the Church from Salina, Utah, was sleeping in the lower bunk and was awakened in the wee hours of the morning by my restlessness. We went out on the barracks steps and talked. I told him what had happened and asked, "What did I do wrong?" Then he told me that his instructor, early in their flight training, had warned them against just such a happening. He had pointed out to them the singular danger of a clumsy recovery from a spin and had taken each of his students up and demonstrated how to recover if it should happen. This training, this warning from his teacher, had insured my friend against mortal danger. There arose in me an intense resentment for my instructor. Why hadn't he told us? Why hadn't he warned us? Another second or two in that spin and -well, I would not have been writing this story. His negligence as an instructor had come that close to costing me my life.
"Great responsibility rests upon those of us who are teachers-both faculty members in the Church school system and teachers and general officers in the priesthood and auxiliary organizations of the Church. Jacob was a conscientious instructor: Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord. For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi. And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day. (Jacob 1:17-19.) All of that for this single point: Against the possibility that some unwarned person may spiritually falter, and stall, and "spin in," I offer this counsel. Many are the fronts on which the adversary can attack: the enticements of sexual sin; worldliness in its many forms; exalting man's reasoning over God's revelation; criticizing the Church leaders; to mention only a few".
- - Boyd K. Packer, Shall the Youth of Zion Falter, full text in LM's files.14. God is the author of our 'instruction' manual: the commandments! They are given to save us from spiritual (and sometimes even mortal) death. They are given to help us experience a happier life, free from the consequences of sin. As was asked by a teacher Sunday:
What would it be like if the whole world obeyed the ten commandments?
As the Primary songs says to memorably:
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