Related Information to Obedience And Exact Obedience

Obedience And Exact Obedience

Obedience And Exact Obedience

"How many of us . . . really understand that when we were baptized we took upon us not only the name of Christ but also the law of obedience?

"Each week in sacrament meeting we promise to remember the atoning sacrifice of our Savior as we renew our baptismal covenant. We promise to do as the Savior did--[b]to be obedient to the Father and always keep His commandments. The blessing we receive in return is to always have His Spirit to be with us."[/b]

(Robert D. Hales, "The Covenant of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom," Ensign, Nov. 2000, 8)


Discussion: Is there a difference between EXACT obedience and obedience?

Obedience Exact Obedience

Exist only Obedience or Disobedience, no gray areas here, in my opinion. What happens is that the world has become so corrupt that even in the Church we hear comments such as "Well, God did not mean exactly that", and they sin justyfying and rationalizing the commandments.
Nowdays in the Church obedience and exact obedience is a divider factor between faithful Latter-Day Saints and those who are not that faithful, or I should say 'between the wise virgins and the foolish ones'. I hear rationalizations of the Word of Wisdom, Visiting and Home Teaching, law of chastity and so on...they think they are being obedient by doing only one part of what is being asked.

Obedience And Exact Obedience Studies Doctrine Mormon

Good observation LDS. We can look the difference between obedience and exact obedience in another way where exact obedience is actually a lesser form of obedience the plain obedience. For example, in the Word of Wisdom. If I drink a lot of caffeinated soda, I am still in obedience with the Word of Wisdom because it doesn't prohibit caffeine, but am I in exact obedience. In other words, since I know caffeine to be a harmful substance, wouldn't the spirit of the law suggest to be fully obedient I should avoid it? However, exact obedience doesn't require this. I do not want this to turn into a discussion regarding the Word of Wisdom or caffeine, we already have a thread(s) for that. I am using it as an example where I see exact obedience as being less than obedience. It also is a justification as LDS said, but in this case, from a technical view they are being obedient.

Obedience Exact Obedience

All good points. Exact obedience is used a lot in the Book of Mormon and I believe it represents that they (those who were exactly obedient) 'overlooked nothing', or in other words they seeked to be obedient rather than just followed - in my opinion.

Obedience Exact Obedience

I suppose it depends on your definition of exact obedience. You can take any commandment and form your own interpretation as to what it means.

We are commanded to observe the Sabbath Day but in the present circumstances, some cannot give exact obedience due to work commitments.

So I guess my point is, exact obedience is not always possible.

Message Edited! JB@Trinidad: Gaucho, your words about the temple were too open for this forum - your post has been edited.

Obedience And Exact Obedience

Then that would not be exact obedience. I firmly believe that if one wanted to live with exact obedience then that individual would do just as I said before... seek, in other words.... they would know of a surety that 'x' is what they are supposed to be doing, exactly as they are supposed to be doing it. Conversely - rationalizing commandments is by no means an 'exact science' in my opinion of course.

Obedience Exact Obedience

There is a scripture in the D and C where the lord says it is not meet that he command us in all things. We should be anxiously engaged in doing good without being commanded. You might ask how does that fit in a discussion of obedience and exact obedience.

There's two ways you can look at this.

1) Since the Lord has told us we must be about doing good works on our own free will without being commanded, then exact obedience would mean we need to do all he has said and then some. For exampe, not just do your home teaching, but maybe care for others in the ward not under your responability when you see a need.

2) Another way to look at this would be since the Lord states he does not need to command us in all things, we need to make certain choices on our own, learn through trial and error and grow from our experiences, even if at times it may require doing something against the grain, or what most people think is right. For example, it is generally considered by LDS that the place to be on the Sabbath is in church. Well, what if a neighbor is in need of assitance of some kind and in order to provide this assistance, you have to skip church. According to the commandment, we are to attend our meeting, but since we aren't supposed to be commanded all the time, or in all things, we may make the decision to help the neighbor and miss church. Some would say this is not exact obedience because you skipped church but I think the Lord would be happy with your decision.

Obedience Exact Obedience Mormon Doctrine Studies

"The world says . . . I am my own master; I am an independent being; I will take my own course, etc. Some of the Latter-day Saints almost say the same thing; not quite, but they would like to get near it. 'I am a free man; I will be damned if I don't do as I please, etc.' Well, I will tell you another part of that story. You will be damned if you do act as you please, unless you please to do and to keep the laws of God. We cannot violate his laws with impunity nor trample under foot these eternal principles which exist in all nature. If all nature is compelled to be governed by law or suffer loss, why not man?"

-- John Taylor, in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor [2001], 33