So What Are Some
BASIC COMMANDMENTS We Should We Follow?
LOVE. Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart... soul... (and) mind... and love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)
So, Love God--put Him first in your life, and then Love others. That doesn't mean sometimes. It means all the time.
PRAY. Prayer brings us closer to God, can bring us peace and comfort, and can help us find answers to questions. We can pray anytime, anyplace, kneeling, standing, outloud, or silently. It is a direct way to communicate with our Heavenly Father.
Study the SCRIPTURES. Scriptures are the words of God, written by prophets for our benefit. Because scriptures contain God's words to us, and God's words and teachings are eternal, we will find wisdom and enlightenment by studying them and applying them to our lives.
TEN COMMANDMENTS. Given to the House of Israel thousands of years ago, they still apply to us today. Need a refresher? See the picture above!
PAY an HONEST TITHE. God has asked His people to keep the Law of Tithing since ancient times. Paying tithing means to give back to the Lord one tenth of what we earn, which may sound like a lot, but considering what the Lord gives us in return, it is a blessing.
We are all stewards of what God has given us on the earth, which means everything we have is His to care for, much like a steward who is in charge of a rich man's home. Tithes are used to build God's kingdom on earth: help build churches and temples, pay for electricity, etc.
There are other commandments like the Law of the Fast, the Law of Chastity, the Word of Wisdom, Following the Prophet, Obeying the Law of the Land in which we live, etc., yet God does not wish us to follow any of these laws blindly or out of fear. He wants us to use our free will, to use faith to gain our own knowledge until we know for ourselves these laws are divinely inspired.
God gives us commandments to follow, not to be mean or strict,
but laws to live by so that we can learn, grow, live better lives, and have divine guidance to keep safe. He has our Eternal Happiness
and our eternal growth in mind.
God is God because
He knows all—including all
scientific laws, mathematical laws,
universal laws, spiritual laws—He is a
God of Law. If He did not follow laws,
He would cease to be God, yet He is
perfect, and follows laws—laws we
cannot even fathom--
perfectly, therefore
He is God.
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated....And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
(Doctrine & Covenants 130:20-21)
“It's too hard to keep all the commandments!
There's too many!”
I've heard people groan.
I wondered why I didn't seem to find it hard to keep God's commandments. After years of people watching, I've figured it out!
The secret? It is easy for me to keep the Lord's laws because when
I do, He blesses me immediately with a calmness and peace of mind.
I also feel a connection to Him, which—believe me--is no sacrifice but a great blessing. So instead of feeling like keeping a commandment
is a burden, sacrifice, difficult, or hard, I feel quite the opposite--
I feel empowered! Which makes it easier for me to keep
the next commandment!