Alternatives to Obeying the Law

This thought starts with something not spiritual at all.  I drive according to the speed limit.  Admittedly, I used to be more careful, but I still consider it personally unacceptable to exceed that limit.  This means that I tend to drive slower than most people around me.  I don't mind that.  People tend to be polite and don't tell me I should drive faster, yet as with everything else, there is always a subtle pressure to conform to what everyone else is doing.  There are surely those who would look down on me for restricting myself to obeying a law that most people don't obey, especially in light of countless reasons to drive faster.  This was on my mind the other day, so I asked myself if I didn't follow the speed limit, what else would I do?

One of my options would be to match the speed of those around me, or, if I didn't happen to be in much traffic, to try to go as fast as I thought other people would drive if they were there.  I don't like this idea because I believe in acting out of principle.  I have a good mind that can think through problems and come up with reasons for taking any particular action, and I can use it when determining my driving speed rather than just going with the flow.  Sure, there are a lot of social conventions that are harmless to follow, where it would be more trouble than it's worth to defy, but if it comes to social pressure vs. principle, principle will always be more important for me.

Another option would be to increase my speed but limit myself to only going five miles per hour over the speed limit.  This is a pretty common practice, because people (like me) often want to take as little time as possible to get somewhere, but are content to get away with breaking the law a little bit when they know they won't get in trouble for it (which is not much like me).  In this case, people driving five-over are still constrained by the law without respecting it.  I don't like that.  To undermine one law is to undermine the rule of law in general, and I believe in law.  I believe that the commandments of God and usually the laws of the land are there for our benefit, and I don't want to undermine them.

I could also go flying down the road at very high speeds.  I see people do this commonly, and I always think poorly of their actions.  Not only would such an action show blatant disrespect for the law, but it can be very dangerous.  It also sends a clear message to everyone that the driver considers himself or herself to be more important than everyone else, because there's no practical way that everyone could drive recklessly on the road.  Even if I knew that there were no police officers or cameras on a given stretch of road, I wouldn't want to do this.

So the alternatives to obeying the law aren't acceptable to me.

I made the distinction between God's commandments and the laws of men.  In matters such as the payment of tithing, no one is going to fine me or imprison me for not obeying the law.  If I were to openly break the Word of Wisdom I wouldn't get tossed in jail either.  So when I choose to obey the commandments, it's because I know the value of the law and the blessing I receive from obeying it.

As with man-made laws, people tend to have social conventions regarding obedience to the laws of God.  The social pressure in a given context may be to obey the commandments or to disobey them.  I don't ever want to obey commandments only because it's the socially acceptable thing to do, and I do want to obey them even if it's not popular.  I'm not immune to social pressure; I do worry about being too concerned with what people think of me, and there have surely been times when social pressure has led me to do the right thing when I wouldn't have otherwise, but I believe in doing what is right just because it is right.

As a disclaimer, when my baby was born recently I sped while driving from an airport to the hospital.  I bear in mind President Monson's words that "it is easier to keep the commandments 100 percent of the time than it is 98 percent of the time."  But especially after missing the birth of my last child, I wanted to be there for this one.  So my obedience to law is evidently not perfect, but after this experience I've continued in my regular driving habits.

Last thoughts for now:
I believe in obeying the commandments because they are God's will and He loves us and knows what is best for us.  I believe in doing the right thing out of principle.  What's really most important to me is knowing that I stand well with God and with myself.  I will need the mercy of Jesus Christ, but I want to merit it by truly being His disciple.

A Full Quiver

I believe it was at my sister's wedding shower, at my Uncle Dale and Aunt Diane's house during some regular conversation, that Diane said one of those very simple things that I have always remembered (much like another simple statement about parenthood I mentioned before at http://inspirationandmusings.blogspot.com/2008/11/joy-of-fatherhood.html).  We were discussing family and I made some generic comment about them having quite a few children.  (They have eight.)

Diane responded, saying, "If I could do it again I would have them closer together, so that I could have more."

That quotation might not be word-for-word, but the idea is clear.  It is a sentiment that is vastly different from the majority of people in the world.  Many have few children, and some have none at all by their own choice.  People often enough speak of children as being a burden or a hassle, and in some ways it's very easy to sympathize with them.  But Diane saw a value in her children that inspired her to keep having them until she no longer could.

As for myself, I see parenthood as a great task, a great honor, and a great joy.  Psalms 127:4-5 reads, "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them".  My quiver now has five children; I don't think that's quite "full", but each of my children makes me happy.

Maybe I value my aunt's words partially because I like to think differently from the worldly masses, but I felt truth in what she said, or rather in the implication that it is a great blessing to have many children, and that the attitude that will be the best for us is one that brings us to seek out the joys of parenthood in great measure.  I know that many people are medically unable to have children, or to have more children, and I know I am very blessed with the children I have.

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful for my children, and grateful to my wife for not only bearing them for me but also for showing such astounding dedication to raising them well and for supporting me as I follow my heart in parenting, even when it means doing some unusual or uncommon things.  I don't know how many children I'll end up with, but I'm glad for those who are with me.