Why obey the commandments?

Why?

President Uchtdorf reminded me in a concise way of something that I already knew:

God gives us commandments so that we can qualify for blessings based on our obedience and faith!

When we qualify for blessings, we gain the things we truly and most want.  "There is a law irrecoverably decreed before the foundations of the Earth, 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” (D&C 130:20–21)--if you want 'B' you must do 'A' and if you don't do 'A,' then don't expect 'B!' If you want to be happy, you have to live in the way of happiness.  Luckily, Jesus Christ has shown us all the Way of happiness.  The commandments aren't there to hold us back or hold us down or hold us away from the "fun stuff," but are actually given to us so that He can bless us.  The more blessings you want, the more righteous you'll need to be.  The more righteous you are, the more light you'll be given and the more commandments you'll be able to obey.  If you want to be the happiest you can, you'll have to obey all the commandments you can.  In the same way that commandments make freedom possible, we are able to be joyful and happy only because we obey God's commandments first!

God wants us to be happy.  How many times did Jesus Christ say something to the effect of, "Be of good cheer" or "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them" or as Jehovah (when Christ was a pre-mortal spirit) "happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom" or "happy is that people, whose God is the Lord" or "but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he."


We want to be happy!  That is what everybody wants to be, and why everyone makes the decisions they do--to be happy!  So, just take the short-cut to happiness and obey as many commandments as you are aware of right now!




JPS