Manly Man Training #19: Obey at your own risk!

Often we hear about we are being risky if we choose to do something that isn't quite right. We might hear: disobey at your own risk or enter at your own risk. In reality the opposite is true as well: Obey at your own risk!

What is it we risk exactly when we choose to obey the gospel and do and become what the words of scripture and prophets both living and dead have encouraged us to become?

A young man once said to me that the church wanted everyone to become the same, cookie cutter Mormons so to speak. I could see how he came to that conclusion, because he was so used to seeing Priesthood holders coming to church wearing a white shirt and tie, typically with dark pants. Those who differentiated themselves wore a suit or maybe a bow tie at the most. In reality he was seeing only the outside part of the people. What would he think if he saw how people in other countries dressed to come to church? What about in India, or Samoa or even Thailand where their lack of tie, or their shirts in native fabrics or even wearing a lava lava?

But the real individuality that we have and that the Lord wants us to maintain and use in His work is our inner individuality.  When we get a little experience and are attentive, we see so many times in life that the Lord orchestrates opportunities for each of us to use our talents and individual strengths and even weaknesses and oddities for His work.  Missionaries are called to places where they can find and will be accepted by certain individuals.  People are brought into my own life because I have the ability to say something they need to hear in just the way they will listen, even if it is sometimes a little unorthodox.  The Lord seems to want to strengthen us in the very ways that make us unique.  We are valued by the Lord for the things that make us individuals.

So what are the risks?  Well it boils down to the fact that when you choose to obey the Lord, it is at your own risk because it will change you.  Minimally it will take other options off the table for that time period.  Secondly the experience will teach you things that you didn't previously know or understand.  It will give you experience to consider in the future and as a result of these experiences it will give you feelings and knowledge that will tend to carry you further along the path to God. 

So you risk parts of yourself that are not in conformity with Heavenly Father.  You risk sin or support for sin, or ideas that are not supportive of faith, hope and charity.  You risk rebelliousness and pig headedness, you risk being wrong more often and hurting and harming people around you.  You risk losing non celestial pursuits.  You risk being comfortable around people who are doing wrong.  You risk being able to see sin or doing sin without concern or caring.  You risk losing your ability to see someone hurt without a desire to help. 

But you do not risk your individuality!  You do not risk the things that make you who you are and the ideal recognizable pure D you.  Indeed you find the best you, the most you, that you can be.  You become and really accentuate all that makes you yourself. 

Elder James E. Faust once said, "when obedience becomes our goal, it is no longer an irritation, instead of a stumbling block, it becomes a building block....Obedience leads to true freedom.  The more we obey revealed truth, the more we become liberated." (Ensign May, 1999, p. 47 & 45)

Its a risk--go on, take it!