Sunday, September 1, 2024

D&C 80:3-4 -- On Exact Instructions versus Spiritual Guidance

"Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss.
Therefore, declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true."
Doctrine and Covenants 80:3-4


I like the "cannot go amiss" part here. I had a companion on my mission once who had been called to a different mission, but after struggling with the language was given a call to a new place. She was at peace with it, but it seemed like a hard thing to me... so much of me was wrapped up in wanting to be exactly the place I was "meant" to be.

Other things as well. Opportunites lost, choices made. Things you can't just go back and undo. I'm not saying that God is telling all of us that we can't fail, because sure we can. We do all the time. But I think that this verse perhaps illustrates that God's plan is flexible in that it allows for mistakes and repentance, and making one mistake (or many more than one) never locks us out of his plan, or out of heaven.

However we got here, to where we are now, God's path is still before us, and we may still walk it, and find success and joy and even perfection in time, as we continue to make an effort and learn from God how to follow him better. As we learn to follow the spirit, it really doesn't matter where we go, because the spirit will go with us and help us know in the moment how to act, and we will be able to do whereever we are.

Today, let's work on doing God's will, worrying less about exact instructions and more about taking advantage of the opportunities all around us to help and love and strengthen.

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