Obey with Exactness

K. Douglas Bassett

D&C 82:10; Ensign, July 1994, pp. 22-23; refer in this text to 1 Ne. 3:7

“Who wants the family unit to end at death? Our happiness and joy is in our families. But how do we get this major blessing? Obedience—obedience to the requirements of the restored Church of Jesus Christ. In the Brazil Sao Paulo South Mission there was an Elder Malheirow who entered into the field not being able to read or write very proficiently. He was even a little fearful of giving a prayer in public. But this young man, according to his mission president, Wilford Cardon, became one of the very greatest missionaries imaginable. The president asked him toward the end of his mission how he had turned into such a dynamic, very successful missionary. (He had baptized more than two hundred people and had baptized every week for fifty-two consecutive weeks). In a very humble manner Elder Malheiros answered, ‘Well, president, I never doubted you. You said one could baptize every week, so I knew I could baptize every week. I never doubted. It was not always easy, but I tried to obey.’ … In Alma 57 we read about the 2,060 sons of Helaman who fought valiantly in many wars… . Yet not one lost his life because they knew ‘that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.’ (Alma 56:47). In Alma 57:21 we read: ‘Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness.’ They were totally obedient. Hence, they had unbelievable protection and success.” (Teddy E. Brewerton, Ensign, May 1981, p. 69)

Latter-Day Commentary on the Book of Mormon

References