Thus, commandments are individual instructions given to us on a regular basis -- daily. The experience of Nephi in obtaining the brass plates of Laban is a great illustration.
Lehi told his sons that the Lord commanded them to go get the brass plates from Laban. These are the words of Nephi:
"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7) He understood that the instruction given to the prophet, his father, by God was a commandment to him.
When they tried and his brothers wanted to give up, Nephi said, "As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us. Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord." (1 Nephi 3:15-16)
After they tried again, and failed, Nephi went into the city alone. "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." (1 Nephi 4:6)
This is a wonderful illustration of taking the Holy Spirit for a guide. First, Nephi expressed his faith that he was going to do what God commanded because he had total trust in God that a way would be prepared, though it seemed hard. Next, he utterly refused to give up -- to the death. Finally, after he had done all he could think of, he just went in spite of the danger, with complete trust, being led by the Spirit, without even a plan of how to proceed.
Growing in the commandments of God
A rich young ruler came to Jesus to justify himself asking what it would take for him to gain Eternal Life. The exchange is interesting. Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. The man then asks, "Which?" to which Jesus quotes the "Ten Commandments." The man affirmed that he had done all of them perfectly from his childhood. Jesus then gave him a commandment that wasn't written, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." (Matthew 19:16-22)
Like the young man when I was a child I understood as a child. I looked at commandments as fixed, unchanging, written in stone for all to follow at all times. I thought the Ten Commandments were everything. Having that concrete set of rules made life easy -- I could know everything. "Keeping the commandments of God" meant: don't steal, or lie, or cheat, or kill, and so forth. They were always the same for everyone. However, when I become a man I put away childish things. Keeping the commandments now means to do as the Lord directs in all things. Nephi again illustrates:
Nephi found Laban in a drunken stupor in the street. "The Spirit said unto me: "Slay him."' (1 Nephi 4:12) I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword. (1 Nephi 4:18)
Then he did something else without a plan. "I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body." (1 Nephi 4:19)
He went towards the house of Laban and happened to run into the exact person he needed at that moment. "I saw the servant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury." (1 Nephi 4:20) And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban. (1 Nephi 4:23)
He commanded the servant to go with him, taking the plates. "I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls." (1 Nephi 4:24)
Nephi found Laban drunk and killed him, then put on his clothes, pretending to be Laban stole the records. How many "commandments" were broken? "Thou shalt not kill?" "Thou shalt not bear false witness?" "Thou shalt not steal?" None! Remember, he was led by the Spirit. God was telling him what to do so he obeyed every commandment of God.
The point is that a commandment of God is really what we are told to do by the Spirit every minute of every day. "The words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3) "Again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:5) This is what it means to "keep the commandments." All the "performances and ordinances" of the Law of Moses are done away in Christ. We are instead to "receive the Holy Ghost" and "always have His Spirit to be with us" so we can receive commandments all the time -- individually given for us.
Free agents
Does this mean we shouldn't do anything unless we are commanded? No. We are given a brain to use it. Remember Nephi and his brothers did all they could before the Lord intervened to get the plates. They asked for them, they sacrificed all their wealth, which was considerable, and nearly lost their lives before being led by the Spirit.
For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned. (D&C 58:26-29)
Judge not
The interesting feature of understanding the commandments as individual instructions from God to His children is that we can never judge another. Since we are not privy to the instructions given by God to another, we don't know what they were commanded to do. We might judge Nephi in the story above to be a liar, thief, and murderer, but none of these are true. That is our limited judgment based on our own understanding. We don't know everything; in fact, we don't know anything about others, really, so we cannot judge another, unless it is given to us by God.
Receiving commandments
In order to keep the commandments we must know them. In order to know them we must understand the language of Scripture, or the "tongue of angels." This requires constant prayer and study of the Word of God. It is just like learning any new language, it takes immersion to really understand and speak it. We become immersed in the Spirit as we repent and are baptized (another symbol) in water, taking upon ourselves the name of Christ. Then, we feast upon the words of Christ, or the Scriptures. To be immersed in the Spirit is the "baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost." This is the spirit of revelation, where the thoughts of God can be revealed to us, giving us commandments.
If God reveals His desires to us and we don't listen and obey, He will stop. If we don't do what He has asked, we are in a state of disobedience and cannot have the Spirit. This is sin. In order to receive more commandments we must first obey the ones we have been given. This is repentance. We then take the Sacrament, the body and blood of Christ, every week to renew our covenants to follow Christ and always listen and obey. We are then able to again have the Spirit to guide us.
It isn't what was say or think, but rather doing as the Spirit directs keeps us in the way to Eternal Life. Jesus gives the example of two sons:
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. (Matthew 21:28-31)
Love
The Pharisees thought as I did that the commandments were defined in the "Law." Jesus, however, corrected their thinking: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matthew 22:37) To love God is to know Him. To come to know Him we must serve Him. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Satan came to tempt Jesus with the things of the world, but He answered: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) Coming to know God, making covenants with Him, listening for His instruction, and doing it every time is how we live by the Spirit. It is taking the Holy Ghost as our guide, and is a more excellent way to keep the commandments.
