There is a sentance that is sometimes quoted by members of my faith, though few know where it came from. It is this:
“Obedience is the first law of heaven.”
It was spoken by Joseph F. Smith in a conference talk on October 7, 1873. *
It is often used to advocate for compliance with laws that one does not see the reasons for, and therefore is disinclined to obey, intimating that if you don’t agree, or don’t understand, then just obey anyway, because obedience is that important.
But. In that same talk. Joseph F. Smith explains what he means by obedience.
“We talk of obedience, but do we require any man or woman to ignorantly obey the counsels that are given? Do the first Presidency require it? No, never. What do they desire? That we may have our minds opened and our understandings enlarged, that we may comprehend all true principles for ourselves; then we will be easily governed thereby, we shall yield obedience with our eyes open, and it will he a pleasure for us to do so.”
He is advocating an obedience that is very different from obedience for the sake of obedience. He is speaking of an obedience that is based upon an opened mind and the understanding that we have aquired of the heavenly principles behind the law and how they play out when we live them and a clear desire on our part to live those principles because those principles are ones we want to make a part of who we are and part of the world in which we live. It is an obedience that is totally different from “obedience just because obedience is super important.”
* https://scriptures.byu.edu/#:t27123:p565
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