Tuesday, May 6, 2008

What Is Our Law Today?

In preaching to the priests of Noah, Abinadi carefully explains the purpose of the law of Moses emphasizing how useless it is without the Atonement of Jesus Christ our Savior. No matter how faithfully the people followed the law, it would do nothing to save them had Christ not redeemed them (and us). And yet, he continues to point out the value of the law in their daily lives.
29 And now I say unto you that it was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very astrict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, bquick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God;
30 Therefore there was a alaw given them, yea, a law of performances and of bordinances, a law which they were to cobserve strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him. (Mosiah 13:29-30)

Upon reading this, it got me thinking of "performances" and "ordinances" that we are asked "to observe strictly from day to day." Are we not asked to have daily scripture study and prayer? What about weekly Family Home Evening and especially attending our Sunday meetings and keeping the Sabbath day holy? Renewing our baptismal covenants with the sacrament, visiting and home teaching (and receiving them as well), magnifying our callings, helping the poor and the needy, paying tithing and fast offerings...and the list could go on. Are not these duties the "law" we are asked to keep? The purpose, then, is to keep us in remembrance of God and our duty towards him. Our salvation may not rest on whether or not we miss a day of scripture study or we skip out on FHE or church activities, but if we do these things, we will remember God and God will remember us.

I invite everyone to ponder on performances and ordinances required of them and find in what areas improvement could be made. Then, observe them strictly.