What a glorious Sabbath as we basked in the Spirit at Mission Conference at the MTC. The last and principle speaker was President Richard Boone, MTC President, and his subject was "The Consequences of Obedience." Below find some summary phrases and direct quotations he shared with us which are keepers!!

• Obedience is the first law of heaven. Refer to the First Article of Faith.
• It is a principle of promise,. "If you keep my commandments, ye will prosper in the land."
• See D&C 82:10. "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise!"
• See pp. 72 and 122 in Preach My Gospel. Read 3 accompanying paragraphs.
• See D&C 130:20-21." There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundation of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
• "If we are not obedient the Spirit withdraws." Elder Kenneth Johnson of the Seventy
• "If ye receive not the Spirit, ye shall not teach!"
• He referred to Tad Callister, recently released mission President from Calgary, Canada who, upon each of his missionary's release, asked to write in each of their Missionary Handbooks the phrase, "The Blessing Book."
• He stated that there are three reasons to be obedient: (1) fear (telestial); (2) duty (terrestial); (3) love (celestial).
• He quoted Hartman Rector who said, "The Lord will not make you obey, but will make you wish that you had!"
• "All obedience must be rendered obediently." We don't pick and choose what we will live.
• "Following celestial roadsigns while in telestial traffic isn't easy." Neal Maxwell
• "Obedience serves as the hinge on which the gaits of heaven swings."
• "All of our actions have consequences."
• "Most of our failures in life results because we get off track."
• Brigham Young said that "The man or woman who enjoys the spirit of our religion has no trails. But the man or woman who tries to live according to the Gospel of the Son of God and at the same time clings to the spirit of the world, has trials and sorrows acute and keen and that, too, continually...They will have a warfare inside and outside and the labor will be very galling for they are directly in opposition one to the other."
• "One of our most common failures is that we won't follow directions!"
• "Broad is the gate..."
• Two things offend God: (1) When we don't "confess His Hand in all things" and (2) when we don't keep His commandments.
• A.W.O.L.-we often find ourselves in greater bondage than that which we were attempting to escape!
• He quoted Neal Maxwell again then he said "the only thing we really give to God is our will."
• James E. Talmage said that "Obedience to law is the habit of the free man. The transgressor fears the law, for he brings upon himself deprivation and restraint, not because of the law, which would have protected him in his freedom, but because of his antagonism to the law."
• "My favorite quotation was given by David O. McKay when he said that "the day obedience becomes a quest and not an irritation, I begin to have power."

We bid adieu to the MTC this beautiful day to now head 'north' to the Church Office Bldg. to a new assignment.