Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worship a God who is both wrathful and loving. When Mormons say God, they usually mean our Heavenly Father or the father of our spirits. But God can also be Jesus Christ. We believe that the Godhead consists of three separate beings: God, the Father (or Heavenly Father), God the Son (or Jesus Christ), and the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies like we do but perfected. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament. He spoke to Moses and introduced Himself as “I Am” (Exodus 3:14). At times, Jesus Christ was and is a God of wrath. When He flooded the earth, when the Israelites were rebellious in the wilderness, when He cleansed the temple. And sometimes with us. But mostly I think of Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father as loving Gods who are ready to bless me.
I carry a lot of guilt for not keeping the commandments or doing my duty: for serving begrudgingly, not doing family history and attending the temple, not doing my visiting teaching, not attending Relief Society, not sharing the gospel with my friends and neighbors, not speaking kindly to my husband and children, not saying sincere prayers. Sometimes I wish my church leaders wouldn’t ask me to do those things so I wouldn’t have to feel guilty. But God gives us commandments because He loves us and He knows we’ll be happier if we keep them.
Over the years, I made valid excuses for not doing family history work. Finally a couple of months ago I prayed, took the time to do some research, and found family names through Family Search. In the past few weeks at church and general and stake conference, I have felt no guilt when counseled to do family history. It’s great! Even greater than no guilt are the other blessings I’ve received. I feel a greater connection to my ancestors. I’ve shared stories with my children so I feel closer to them. I’m more eager to attend the temple so I can do the work for the names I’ve found. My children have a greater desire to go to the temple. It’s not that God hates us if we don’t keep His commandments. He knows that if we do keep His commandments, we will experience the results of keeping those commandments. If I don’t do family history work, I’m not going to have those greater feelings and connections with my ancestors and my children. God knows that if I do family history work I will grow and be happier. “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of the 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” (D&C 130:20-21). It’s a law. God is bound. If we do what he says, we will have the blessings of keeping that commandment. If we don’t, we won’t.
At the General Women’s Meeting on September 27, President Uchtdorf, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explained that we need to put away our umbrellas so God can rain blessings on us. He said “Part of our challenge is, I think, that we imagine that God has all of His blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven, refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict, paternalistic requirements He has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.”
Collapse your umbrella of sin, fear, or doubt. Keep the commandments. Let God bless you. You will be happier.