The Commandment to Change

About a decade ago, the leadership of the Church decided to send some of the apostles out to live in other countries.  Elder Oaks was sent to live for a couple years in the Philippines.  While he was there, he realized that the people in that country often felt that in order to join the Church, they had to change their lifestyles, unlike those in America, particularly Utah.  (But maybe not Los Angeles; they had probably seen enough movies to know that LA was populated by people who regularly participated in car chases while shooting guns.  People in LA would have to change to become Mormons.)  I think the idea was something akin to "it's not fair that we have to sacrifice and change, while those in Utah don't."

Elder Oaks gave a great conference talk about the fact that everyone has to change.  Those in Utah have to change.  The scriptures are replete with the commands like "Cry repentance unto every people," or "Repent and be baptized."  The term "every people" includes those in Utah as well as those in more remote locations.

Real growth and progression can only happen when we are humble and willing to change, to sacrifice what we are, to become something greater.  We have to sacrifice the bliss of ignorance in order to become educated.  The commandment to change is a reminder of a necessary part of our own road to happiness and salvation.  In the Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith taught, “A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.”

It's interesting that I often read of similar kinds of complaints among the gay Mormon community.  It seems that some people have more to sacrifice than others to be a faithful member of the Church.  But while some people's sacrifices are certainly more noticeable than others, everyone needs to sacrifice.  Everyone needs to change.  The call to repentance is for everyone.

I do not mean that we need to change our orientations.  Rather, we need to be humble, teachable, meek, and faithful, for there is power in humility, the power of change.