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“There
is a key relationship between obedience and understanding eternal truths,”
Paul Johnson told students in his devotional address Tuesday at Brigham
Young University-Idaho. “Satan can’t take away light and truth
from us as long as we are obedient, as we have covenanted to be.”
An
administrator of religious education for the Church Educational System of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Johnson challenged
students to be obedient so they can understand truth.
“When
truth is taken away because of disobedience, things that were obvious
before become more difficult to see and understand,” he said. “Even
people who once had strong testimonies can get to the point of doubting and
wondering about basic gospel beliefs as a result of their disobedience.
Disobedience leads to a loss of light and truth and also to misery.”
He
read Doctrine and Covenants 93:28, “He that keepeth
his commandments receiveth truth and light, until
he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.”
“Throughout
our lives we can increase in knowledge of the truth if we will keep the
commandments,” he said.
He
pointed out how a child reacts when corrected for doing something wrong.
They may accuse the parent of yelling at them even if the parent is
speaking with a calm voice.
“If
the truth clashes with our behavior or some of our strong personal beliefs,
we may not want to hear it,” he said. “To a guilty person the
truth seems harsh.”
He
gave students specific examples of how to recognize lovers of truth.
“A
lover of truth wouldn’t let personal study of the scriptures get
squeezed out of their lives because of a busy schedule,” he said.
“A
lover of truth wants others to know the truth and is willing to share it.
“A
lover of truth has faith in the Lord and His teachings and doesn’t
tremble because some teachings of the world seem to conflict with gospel
truths. When there are issues that seem to contradict the teachings of the
Lord the lover of truth is patient and knows that truth will prevail.
“A
lover of truth is very careful not to expose themselves to unworthy media.
“A
lover of truth understands the link between obedience and gaining true
knowledge. A lover of truth doesn’t try to push the limits of the
commandments or see how close to the line they can walk, even with dress
and grooming standards.
“A
lover of truth does not resist the promptings of the Spirit, but learns to
feel the Spirit and act on the inspiration.
“The
Holy Ghost as a source of truth is such a powerful influence in our lives.
We choose how we react to the truths that come from the Spirit,” he
said. “If we can learn to love those truths and live worthily to
receive more truth we can eventually know the truth of all things.”
Next
week’s devotional speaker will be Elder Bruce D. Porter, a member of
the First Quorum of the Seventy. Devotionals are broadcast live on Tuesdays
at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. on KBYI, 100.5 FM.
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