Righteousness is something we all strive for and want to achieve, but how can we do this? We achieve righteousness by being obedient to the Lord and his commandments. Living righteously is the way we are to return to our Heavenly Father so to live righteously we must be living in accordance with the gospel principles and teachings of the prophet. Many people feel that the commandments are burdensome and that they limit freedom and personal growth. But the Savior taught that true freedom comes only from following Him: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31–32). God gives commandments for our benefit. They are loving instructions for our happiness and for our physical and spiritual well-being. One of the main reasons we are here on the earth is to show our willingness to obey Heavenly Father's commandments. By following the commandments we show our love for Heavenly Father.
When we live righteously our lives are greatly blessed, I have personally understood this to be true in my own life. When I first started high school I went through that awkward phase of trying to decide who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do in life. I started hanging out with different people and trying new things, unfortunately some of these new activities were not ones that the Lord would have me participate in. I thought that by making these new friends and trying new things I would be happy but I was wrong and the exact opposite happened. I realized that I wasn’t happy and that my life didn’t have much meaning when I wasn’t living the way the Lord would have me live. I knew that the only way to find happiness was through living a righteous life and following the commandments. So I changed my friends and the activities I was participating in. By going to church and dwelling in places where the spirit can be present the joy I felt was beyond description. My life had a purpose, I knew who I was and what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of neverending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it” (Mosiah 2:41)”. By living a righteous life we can experience true and everlasting happiness.
Following the commandments and living a righteous life is not always the easiest thing to do, sometimes it is very difficult and requires a lot of effort to make the right decision. Whenever I am having a hard time making a right choice I turn to one of my favorite hymns called Choose the Right. My favorite verse is the third verse; I feel that the words of this verse apply directly to me. I especially like the part that says, “Choose the right in all labors your pursuing; let God and Heaven be your goal.” When I think of this it makes making the right decision so much easier because I remember my goal of returning to my Heavenly Father and how bad I want it. “Choose the right! There is peace in righteous doing”, we will know we have made the right decision when we experience the peaceful feeling that comes with making righteous decisions.
It is so important to make righteous decisions and live a righteous life because our decisions don’t just affect our own lives but the lives of those around us. People are constantly watching the members of the Church so we need to always be an example. As I have moved out and left home I realized the example I was to my little sister. A couple of weeks after moving out I came home for the weekend to visit my family and my little sister pulled me aside to tell me that she really missed me. She told me that it had been hard not having me there to look to for guidance but at the same time she said that she knew the right things to do after she reflected back on the decisions that she had watched me make when I was home. I was so happy to know that I could be example to her and help her to further her progression to eternal happiness. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). It is our duty to live our lives in such a way that we may be examples of righteousness.
I know that by living righteously I will be happy and that the Lord will be happy with me. By living the commandments I am showing obedience to the Lord and my love for him. Also living righteously helps me in furthering my goal to eternal life which is the most important thing in life for me. I hope that all my actions can be pleasing unto the Lord and that I can be an example to those around me and help them come closer to the Lord. I know that there is peace in righteous doing and that when I choose to follow the Lord and his prophets on the earth today I will never be wrong.
Works Cited
John 8: 31-32
Mosiah 2:41
Hymn Book #239 Choose the Right
1 Peter 2:9
www.lds.org
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11 comments:
Chelsey, thank you for sharing your personal experiences. I like how you talked about being an example -- and the scripture in 1 Peter 2:9 about being a peculiar people. Did you have any comments on this scripture? The footnote in the scriptures says about peculiar, "GR purchased, preserved; note that in Ex. 19: 5 the Heb. word is segullah, meaning ‘special possession or property.’" Interesting!
i really enjoyed how you incorporated personal expeirences to prove that when we are living in accordance with Heavenly Father we are happy. i also liked how you used the hymn to give it a more personal touch. i thought you did an excellent job.
its interesting to see how some people see living by the commandments as a burden and others see how it is the path to true happiness.
Chelsey, great blog! I like the way you used the hymn "Choose The Right". The third verse fit perfectly with what you were saying. Everything flowed well.
Thanks for sharing the personal experiences - it really helped demonstrate the meaning you were trying to convey.
I like how your personal experience really demonstrated how true and lasting happiness comes only through being righteous.
I love the hymn Choose the Right too. That hymn has saved me several times when I have had a bad thought creep into my mind and I need to get rid of it.
Your message is something I am constantly struggling with. In more ways then one it is increasingly difficult to overcome trials and stay on the right path. So, thank you very much for your words of hope and cheer.
I couldn't agree more with how you expounded upon the fact the others watch us so we have the responsibility to keep our actions in check. We *are* being watched, so let's make sure we make a good impression.
I love how you incorporated Choose the Right in here. It's so catchy and true, who can help but sing it in their head in any situation?
I totally agree that we need to be good examples to others. Even members of our own church look to us for examples, always keep that in mind. i enjoyed reading about your personal experience.
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