There has been a great challenge for all mankind since God gave man his agency in the Garden of Eden, so we might choose Him as our Father. That challenge is: God’s way or our way! In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Alma, in advice to his wayward son, Corianton in 19:71 states “Now the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore the way is prepared, that whosoever will, may walk therein and be saved.” Alma, inspired by the Holy Ghost was very blunt and direct to his son, like God often is to us when He reminds us, as in DC 81:3, “And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new commandment that you may understand my will concerning you, or in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation. I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”

For many years, after the ascension of Jesus Christ, those who were His disciples were called, “followers of the Way.” The age old question still is, “Are we fans or followers?” A “fan” will support a team, project, etc as long as things are going well and no one stirs the water. But let things begin to unravel, and the “fan” generally, is no longer around. On the other hand, the “follower of Jesus,” will stay in the game, plan, program, etc. for the duration, regardless of what happens, even if it means persecution and death. Jesus even gave us an idea of what to expect in Matthew 5:13-14. Those who truly choose Jesus, as the Way, are committed from the time they make their covenant with Him, even if it is unto death. After all, our Lord and Savior was persecuted, suffered, bled, and died to show that He was and is THE WAY. Followers don’t give up or quit just because someone throws a rock, whips them, or throws them in jail. Where would the early Christian church be if Peter, James, and John gave up after being put in jail? What would have happened to the work if Paul, Barnabus, Silas, Nephi, Alma, Moroni, Joseph Smith Jr. and T many others had turned back just because they were persecuted? Everyone can answer that for themselves.

Often, however, the ridicule, scorn, and persecution comes from within the body of Christ, as evidenced in DC 105:9-10 which describes a whirlwind that starts in the house of the Lord among those who profess His name, but don’t know Him and who blaspheme against Him in the midst of His own house. WOW! How does that happen? When we choose our own way instead of His Way. Why were there so many factions after Joseph Smith’s death? They wanted to do it their way. Why have there been so many factions since 1984? They want to do it their way instead of His Way.

Many singers have performed a song called, “I Did It My Way.” The song is somewhat boastful of those who do their own thing and rather than giving credit and glory to God as they, and we, should, we proclaim, “I did it my way.” The last verse of the song is shocking. It states, “For what is man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught, to say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels. The record shows, I took the blows, and did it my way. Yes, it was my way!

We know we cannot serve God and mammon. We know we cannot be lukewarm. We know we cannot enter the wedding feast of the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) without sufficient oil, spiritual oil, as described in DC 45:10, for that is how the wise will know Him.

The great lack of unity in the Restoration and the Christian world, at large, is due to our doing things our way. This is an indication that we either do not understand John 17 and DC 38:6a or we choose to ignore those scriptures thinking we have a better plan than God.

DC 38:7a, goes on to inform us, “And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people without spot and blameless:” No matter what reasons, excuses, or “rational lies,” we use to avoid our own sins, we will not fulfill this scripture or any of God’s guidance to us unless we “Choose Him as Our Father, and truly follow THE WAY, which is, of course, God’s Way