General Conference Book Club Week 10:

“When the Lord Commands” by Elder Bruce A. Carlson

First, a little congratulations to all of you who commented on last week’s General Conference post:

1. Jessica,

2. Kristen M. and…

(crickets chirping)

Huh, I guess that’s it.  Thanks, Jessica and Kristen.  Now for the rest of you, get your GCBC pants back on and join us!  Because we miss you.

We live in a society of convenience, sometimes called entitlement.  “If you don’t feel like it, don’t do it.  It’s your choice.” I’ve written before about the danger in treating obedience like a buffet– we can’t just pick and choose the commandments we like the most and expect to receive a fullness of blessings.  Elder Carlson teaches in this talk that :

“Faithful obedience, regardless of the apparent size of the task, will bring the Lord’s guidance, assistance, and peace.“

He outlines the reasons we often use to release ourselves from the obligations of our covenants and points out the folly in our excuses.  Simply put, he testifies that to access the blessings, we must obey.  Period.  It’s a refreshing reminder of a basic gospel principle and a stern warning against lame excuses.  What do you like about this talk?

Go here to find the media versions of the talk (audio, video, mp3, etc.).  If this is your first visit to the General Conference Book Club,  click here to learn more about it.