The Power Of Living Righteously

   Thirdly, President Monson has promised us safety in our lives as we "live righteously." That is a simple term and can become very cliche if we don't expound on its importance. Elder Richard G. Scott, of the quorum of the twelve apostles, defines what it means to be righteous:

"The Good Shepherd" by Simon Dewey

  "To be righteous is to seek intently to be obedient to the commandments of God." I feel like the key words in that inspired definition are the words "seek intently." President Ezra Taft Benson promises us that "when obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power." With that being said, obedience and righteousness sit parallel with each other.

  Elder Scott goes on to say that righteousness is also "to be clean in thought and act. It is to be honest and just. Righteousness is shown more in acts than in words. A righteous life requires discipline. Discipline is that characteristic which will give you the strength to avoid giving up what you want most in life for something you think you want now. It is a friend, not a harsh taskmaster that makes life miserable. Discipline is easier to acquire when it is rooted in faith in Jesus Christ, when it is nourished by an understanding of His teachings and plan of happiness."

  I recently asked myself, "Why do I do nice things for people? Why do I choose the right? Why do I constantly seek for the companionship of the Holy Ghost? Why do I complement people?" Shortly thereafter I had this question answered, and it is because that is what Jesus Christ would do if He were here. It is because I am trying to become like Him! Moroni's final words in the Book of Mormon are, ". .Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him. ." Christ is the good shepherd. He pleads with us to follow Him. If we want to live righteous lives, we must always be thinking of Jesus and be striving to be like Him.

  We should live righteously because Jesus asks that of us. Besides that obvious reason, why do we strive to be righteous sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father? Because we have amazing promises from an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ if we do live righteously. Elder Scott promises us that "as we make correct choices and follow Jesus, we will develop righteous characters and increasing strength to resist temptation. We are assured of the help of God in fulfilling our worthy decisions. We qualify to be led by the Spirit, to choose the correct path. It will warn us of temptations we might not otherwise recognize." As the power of the adversary continues to creep up on us in subtle ways, we cannot afford to miss out on these great blessing that are ours for the taking. Therefore, let us recommit ourselves to follow the Master's example and live righteously.