As Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Why couldn’t mankind do it without him? Joseph Smith said:
God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with Himself, so that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them in the world of spirits. (“Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” p. 354).
God has more light than any man. Without his offering us light, we could not acquire more. God instituted laws in order to enable mankind to advance towards his character and knowledge. God’s commandments have at least four functions:
- They expand your awareness by explaining properties of reality that you are not presently aware of.
- They teach you good and evil beyond your present understanding.
- They provide support and stability to you as you extend your awareness so that you are not overcome by the revelation of what you previously did not know.
- They protect you from negative consequences and help you obtain positive consequences of awareness beyond your present comprehension.
We see an example of each of these things when Adam and Eve were instructed by God prior to their expulsion from Eden. God gave them new commandments that did each of the above. For instance, he instructed them on how to sacrifice animals even before they could fully comprehend the purpose (see point 4).
The pattern and purpose of God giving new or expanded commandments is found throughout the scriptures and in the lives of every person who seeks God. Like scriptural personalities, every time you have a new level of encounter with God, you will receive new or expanded commandments. Whenever anyone attains a greater level of awareness, God gives them new or expanded commandments.
The commandments, then, aren’t ends in themselves, but means for developing greater capacity for truth. The relationship of commandments to awareness is like the foundation to the height of the building. A foundationless building is very limited in height. The stronger the foundation, the higher you can build the building.
The Lord created this earth to “prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25). Some have erroneously understood that the principle test of mortality is to see how you act in the absence of direction from God. This is simply not so. The test of mortality is to see how you act in relation to direction from God.
The Lord’s commandments are much broader than the explicit “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” found in the scriptures. The Lord’s instructions are the guidance provided by each person’s individual, sincere, best estimate of the Lord’s will for everything in their lives.
How do you know whether you are progressing in your acquisition of truth? You should receive commandments that expand or replace your previous understanding of God’s will: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” (D&C 50:24) God reveals new or expanded commandments at every stage of awareness:
3 ...feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
4 ...the Holy Ghost...will show unto you all things what ye should do.
6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ... (2 Nephi 32)
You should be learning. You should find yourself with greater trust in God. You should find your character is more like his, and less like yours used to be:
44 For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.
45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
49 And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.
50 And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.
51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. 52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. (D&C 84)
And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:5)
You should find yourself able to conquer things that previously challenged you: “And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you.” (D&C 50:25) As you grow in your understanding of truth, the power of illusion over you wanes, until you conquer all things:
7 And by hearkening to observe all the words which I, the Lord their God, shall speak unto them, they shall never cease to prevail until the kingdoms of the world are subdued under my feet, and the earth is given unto the saints, to possess it forever and ever.
8 But inasmuch as they keep not my commandments, and hearken not to observe all my words, the kingdoms of the world shall prevail against them.
9 For they were set to be a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men;
10 And inasmuch as they are not the saviors of men, they are as salt that has lost its savor, and is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. (D&C 103)