Look at this urgent quote:
“…reading and knowing the scriptures is not sufficient. that the Lord has given us should be sufficient incentive for us to acknowledge him and do his will:
“‘And all saints who remember to keep and do these saying, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
“‘And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
“‘And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
“‘And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the childrenof Israel, and not slay them’ (D&C 89:18-21).
“May this glorious promise be fulfilled in our behalf as we search the scriptures and find the way to eternal life” (N. Eldon Tanner, “Right Answers: First Presidency Message,” Ensign, Oct 1973, 6).
I would include the rest of President Tanner’s talk, but it is not available online. But truly, even this quote – though short – is quite powerful. (President Tanner served previously in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon church.)
Regardless of what book of scripture you might be reading right now, how important it is to keep close what is read, in other words to actually DO what we’re reading.
I wonder how much the Lord sits in His heavens watching His children on this earth – watching as we read His holy word. How happy He must be at that.
But what then? Do we read and then go off and still do our own “thing”? Do we cast off blindly, obliviously, the wisdom He has given to His servants the prophets? Do we ignore their scriptural words of caution and insist on doing things our own way?
Oh, how frightening if we do!
Oh, how important to be not just hearers (or readers) of the word, but doers also.
Can you imagine how much joy you bring the Lord by applying His teachings in your life? Regardless of what those around you do, you still remain true and steadfast to His teachings given through His prophets, whether ancient or modern?
This is how I desire to be too. I want to bring my Lord bright pieces of comfort and happiness. Even though so much of the world around me gets blighted by sorrowful choices of so many, cruel and unkind people, isn’t is comforting to know that there are those who seek to bring God joy by living in kind ways?
Thus, let us be the kinds of “saints” mentioned above, those who “remember to keep and do [the Lord’s] sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments.” In fact, let us exert ourselves so that when we meet our Maker we will find indeed we brought Him comfort, even in spite of what was going on around us!
And just think, by being “doers” of the word of Christ, we might actually influence more to join us!
