Blessings for obedience

     Yesterday we were teaching a family and they brought up a concern, they said "In the Book of Mormon it talks about how the Lamanites were cursed with a skin of darkness."  They then went on to ask, "is dark skin a curse, and are dark skinned people all cursed?"  

  This is a concern that many people have.  So the question:  Is dark skin a curse?  Does God really look at the color of our skin? The answer:  of course not!  In the Book of Mormon the Lamanites were cursed because of their own disobedience.  The Lord said early on the the people "Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper...and inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord." (1 Nephi 2:20-21) The Lamanites did not choose to follow the commandments of the Lord and they rebelled against the prophet, thus they were cursed.  The curse was that they were cut off from the Lord's presence.  He no longer was there to help or guide them, until they would repent and return to him.  The skin of darkness was placed upon them to distinguish them from the Nephites.  

                                              

      Later on in the Book of Mormon the Lamanites did repent, and they were blessed again with the help of the Lord.  The prophet Nephi said of the Lord, "He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." (2 Nephi 26:33)  

     I know that the Lord looks at the level of our obedience, not at the color of our skin or any other physical trait or charecteristic.  

It's true isn't it. Then what else matters?

    I wish too talk today of a situation that many people we meet face.  It is that of, fear of losing certain things for the gospels sake.  These fears go for many things:  Family rejection, broken friendships, activities not in harmony with the gospel.  Sometimes people even get to the point where they have a burning testimony of the Gospel and yet choose not to follow due to these reasons.  We as recently as last night talked with a man who faced this situation, his family did not approve of his decision to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We talked for a long time with him, then upon returning home a story from one of our prophets came to my mind.

                                                     

Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land.

President Hinckley asked the officer: "Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?"

The officer's face clouded, and he replied: "My family will be disappointed. . . . As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me."

President Hinckley asked, "Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?"

With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: "It's true, isn't it?"

President Hinckley responded, "Yes, it is true."

To which the officer replied, "Then what else matters?"

      What else does matter?  We know that Jesus is the Christ. He is resurrected. In our day, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the priesthood of God has been restored. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We know that the promises of the Lord are certain and will all be fulfilled.

       We all have things that do matter to us, and these things are very important.  We must have trust though that the command our Savior to follow him will bring eternal blessings, and that the things we must do or give up to follow him will all be worth it.  

                                                 

      I love the example of Peter and Andrew when the savior invited them to "Follow me: and I will make you fishers of men."(Matt 4:19)  then after this simple invitation "they straightway left their nets and followed him."(Matt 4:20).  then after this the response of James and John when the Savior called them. "They Immediately left the ship and their father and followed him."(Matt 4:22)

       These men left their careers and even family members at the simple command of the Savior to follow him, he gives us this same simple invitation.  Will we be as obedient as Peter, Andrew, James and John?