“Chapter 11: Divine Law and Absolute Truth,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Russell M. Nelson (2023)
“Chapter 11,” Teachings: Russell M. Nelson
Chapter 11
Divine Law and Absolute Truth
God’s laws are motivated entirely by His infinite love for us and His desire for us to become all we can become.
From the Life of Russell M. Nelson
People throughout the world know President Russell M. Nelson as a former heart surgeon. Far fewer people know that his practice of heart surgery began because of inspiration he received while he studied the scriptures.
“After graduating from medical school,” he said, “I pursued advanced education in surgery. At that time there was no such thing as heart surgery. Then I teamed up with other researchers in the daunting task of making an artificial heart and lung machine. We knew that such an apparatus could possibly maintain the body’s circulation while repairs might be made on the heart. But during that early era, there was much we did not know.
“Then one day, two truths articulated in the Doctrine and Covenants spoke to my inquiring mind. These truths were, first, that all blessings are predicated upon obedience to law [see Doctrine and Covenants 130:21] and, second, that to every kingdom there is a law given [see Doctrine and Covenants 88:38].
“Well, I reasoned that if every kingdom had a law, there must be laws that govern the beating heart. I was determined to discover those laws and obey them. By doing so, blessings would come and lives could be saved.
“In medical school I had been taught that if one touched the beating heart, it would stop beating. However, one of the first laws we discovered in the lab was that we could touch the heart of an animal without losing its heartbeat. This finding opened the door later to uncovering another law that made more complex open-heart operations possible.
“We learned that if we added potassium chloride to blood flowing into the coronary arteries, thereby altering the normal sodium/potassium ratio, the heart would stop beating instantly. Then, when we nourished the heart with blood that had a normal sodium/potassium ratio, the heart would spring back to its normal beating pattern. Literally we could turn the heart off long enough to repair it and then turn it back on again.
“Decades later, when I explained this to a group of medical students, one prominent professor asked, ‘But what if it doesn’t work?’ My answer? It always works, because it is based on divine law.”
That answer is characteristic of President Nelson’s teachings about divine law and absolute truth—straightforward, unflinching, unapologetic, and full of love. He said:
“Sometimes we as leaders of the Church are criticized for holding firm to the laws of God, defending the Savior’s doctrine, and resisting the social pressures of our day. But our commission as ordained apostles is ‘to go into all the world to preach [His] gospel unto every creature’ [Doctrine and Covenants 18:28]. That means we are commanded to teach truth.
“In doing so, sometimes we are accused of being uncaring as we teach the Father’s requirements for exaltation in the celestial kingdom. But wouldn’t it be far more uncaring for us not to tell the truth—not to teach what God has revealed?
“It is precisely because we do care deeply about all of God’s children that we proclaim His truth.”
Teachings of Russell M. Nelson
1
God’s laws reflect His perfect love and His desire for us to return home to Him
God loves every one of us with perfect love.
More than anything, our Father wants His children to choose to return home to Him. Everything He does is motivated by His yearning desire. The entire reason we are on this earth is to qualify to live with Him forever. We do that by using our agency to find and stay on the covenant path that leads back to our heavenly home.
God knew that because of the adversary’s deceptive tactics and traps, the covenant path would not be easy to find or to stay on. So He sent His Only Begotten Son to atone for us and to show us the way. The godly power available to all who love and follow Jesus Christ is the power to heal us, strengthen us, cleanse us from sin, and magnify us to do things we could never do on our own. Our Savior is the Divine Exemplar who marked the path that we are to follow.
Because the Father and the Son love us with infinite, perfect love and because They know we cannot see everything They see, They have given us laws that will guide and protect us.
There is a strong connection between God’s love and His laws. I have come to see the significance of that connection and the power of divine law. … God’s laws reflect His perfect love for each of us. His laws keep us spiritually safe and help us to progress eternally. …
My dear brothers and sisters, divine laws are God’s gifts to His children. … Let me say it as succinctly as I can: As you abide by God’s laws, you are progressing toward exaltation.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that God “institute[d] laws whereby [we] could have a privilege to advance like himself.” God’s greatest blessings are reserved for those who obey His laws, as He explained: “For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing” [Doctrine and Covenants 132:5]. God’s laws are motivated entirely by His infinite love for us and His desire for us to become all we can become. …
Each of the Lord’s apostles is in a position to observe and feel the love that Heavenly Father has for His children, particularly for those who are struggling. He cares deeply about those who have strayed from the covenant path, especially when they fear there is no way back. …
There is always a way back. Jesus Christ (and His gospel) is the way. You have not committed any sin so serious that you are beyond the reach of the Savior’s love and atoning grace. As you take steps to repent and follow God’s laws, you will begin to feel just how much Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son want you back home with Them! They want you to be happy. They will do anything within Their power that does not violate your agency or Their laws to help you come back.
Study Question
How have you seen that God’s laws reflect His love for you?
2
God’s laws are those absolute truths that prevail in the universe
I have learned to love divine law. What do I mean by divine law? I mean God’s laws—those absolute truths that prevail in the universe. In the Book of Mormon, Jacob so defined them: “Things as they really are, and … things as they really will be” [Jacob 4:13].
Divine law is incontrovertible and irrefutable. Divine law cannot be denied or disputed. And when God’s laws are obeyed, relevant blessings always result! Blessings are always predicated upon obedience to applicable law [see Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21].
Existentialists can expound; relativists can rationalize with their constricted views of reality—that truth is only a subjective experience—laws are laws! God’s truth is really true! What God says is right is right! And what He says is wrong is wrong!
That is why it is imperative that you know God’s laws. They control this universe and multitudes of others. When divine laws are broken, consequences follow. Even though our hearts ache for those who break God’s laws, penalties must be paid. Divine law must be obeyed.
Each day we depend upon divine law. Take the law of gravity, for example. … Mindful of the law of gravity, you may ask, “How, then, can a huge and heavy jumbo jet airplane ever get off the ground and fly us safely to our destination?” Because of another divine law that “the pressure in a stream of fluid is reduced as the speed of the flow is increased.” This principle was proclaimed by [Daniel] Bernoulli in the eighteenth century. It explains the interactions of thrust, foil, and lift. Now applied in practical ways, this phenomenon allows planes to fly. The principle was proclaimed by Bernoulli, but the law comes from God.
Now let’s talk about people. Divine law states that each person is a child of God. Male and female are created in His image [see Genesis 1:27]. Principles pertaining to that law have been written by prophets and apostles. Their document is known as “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” They penned the proclamation, but the law is divine. Consider these additional truths from that proclamation:
-
“Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.”
-
“The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”
-
“Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.”
-
“Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” …
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” [John 14:6]. He is the truth—the Creator of all things [see John 1:3; Doctrine and Covenants 93:10]. All truth, spiritual and temporal, is part of His gospel. As our Savior and Redeemer, His central role in the Father’s plan embraces these eternal truths:
-
We are children of God.
-
We live in a fallen world.
-
We are all imperfect and need redemption.
The Lord Jesus Christ atoned for us. As we repent, He has power to forgive, redeem us from sin, change our hearts, strengthen us, and keep us on the path to our Heavenly Father. This is divine law and absolute truth.
Study Question
Why is it important to you to know and obey God’s laws?
3
There really is absolute truth—eternal truth—full of divine light and power
Some things are simply true. The arbiter of truth is God—not your favorite social media news feed, not Google, and certainly not those who are disaffected from the Church. …
Many now claim that truth is relative and that there is no such thing as divine law or a divine plan. Such a claim is simply not true. There is a difference between right and wrong. Truth is based upon the laws God has established for the dependability, protection, and nurturing of His children. Eternal laws operate in and affect each of our lives, whether we believe them or not.
Truth isn’t relative. It is man’s understanding of the truth that is really relative. … Truth proclaimed by Deity is as absolute as Deity.
Contrary to the doubts of some, there really is such a thing as right and wrong. There really is absolute truth—eternal truth. One of the plagues of our day is that too few people know where to turn for truth.
I rejoice in learning more about the eternal truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as God’s laws govern our physical bodies, they also govern our spiritual development—our happiness and joy.
I have learned to rely upon these truths, and I love them. The Lord has commanded us to ask, seek, and knock in order to increase our understanding of truth. I love the search for new understanding and new insights about the everlasting gospel.
The blessings of truth—absolute truth—are all around us. Yet, and sadly, we live in a time when many people believe that truth is not absolute—that it is only relative. Erroneously, they feel that they are free to choose their own truth and define their own laws. Ironically, people who believe that truth is only relative live in God’s universe, where His divine laws prevail and protect them. Those laws operate every day—in the cars they drive and the phones they use. And when they travel in an airplane, they totally depend on the laws of aerodynamic thrust, foil, and lift. … Yet they hold to a belief that they can choose their own truth. This reliance on relative truth is especially prevalent in matters concerning marriage, children, gender, and personal identity and purpose. …
Confronted by popular waves of relativism in our society, even some of our brothers and sisters in the Church have lost their grip on God’s truth and His laws. Instead, they have grabbed hold of the ways of the world, with philosophies of men that rationalize sin and apostasy. Ignoring the words of the prophets, they slip into complacency and apathy. They lose the light, purity, and power of truth.
While we are to emulate our Savior’s kindness and compassion, while we are to value the rights and feelings of all of God’s children, we cannot change His doctrine. It is not ours to change. His doctrine is ours to study, understand, and uphold.
The Lord taught the Prophet Joseph Smith that “truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come” [Doctrine and Covenants 93:24]. In Heavenly Father’s plan, truth is not just a collection of facts. Truth is far more than that. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ descended below all things that He might comprehend all things and be the light of truth [see Doctrine and Covenants 88:6–7].
Moreover, “the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth” [Doctrine and Covenants 93:36]. “The word of the Lord is truth” [Doctrine and Covenants 84:45], and that truth is knowledge, light, intelligence, and glory.
There is divine light and power in truth. The plain and simple words of truth stir our souls. If we truly hear them, if we walk in the ways of truth according to the laws of God, the words of truth draw us to the Lord Jesus Christ [see Doctrine and Covenants 84:45–47]. We may come unto Him and enter into sacred covenants with Him. If we are true to those covenants, the Lord will sanctify us through His truth [see John 17:17]. We will know the truth, and the truth will make us free [see John 8:31–32].
Study Question
What are some absolute truths that bring light and power into your life?
4
Prophets and apostles communicate the Savior’s love and teach His laws and truth
The Lord Jesus Christ, whose Church this is, appoints prophets and apostles to communicate His love and teach His laws.
The Savior and His servants do not speak words of complacency but teach what people need to know. Through the ages, history attests that contemporary critics have pressed Church leaders to modify a decree of the Lord [for examples, see 1 Samuel 8:4–7; Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46; 3 Nephi 14:21]. But such is eternal law, and it cannot be altered. Not even for His Beloved Son could God change the law that required the Atonement. Divine doctrines cannot be squeezed into compact molds to make them fit fashionable patterns of the day.
Prophets are rarely popular. But we will always teach the truth! …
… Exaltation is not easy. Requirements include a focused and persistent effort to keep God’s laws, rigorously repenting when we don’t. But the reward for doing so is far greater than anything we can imagine, because it brings us joy here and “never-ending happiness” hereafter [Mosiah 2:41].
Thus our commission as apostles is to teach nothing but truth. That commission does not give us the authority to modify divine law. …
Though we of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles cannot change the laws of God, we do have the charge “to build up the church, and regulate all the affairs of the same in all nations” [Doctrine and Covenants 107:33]. Thus we can adjust policy when the Lord directs us to do so. … Because the Restoration is ongoing, policy changes will surely continue [see Articles of Faith 1:9].
Study Question
Why is it important for you to know that prophets can modify policy but do not have authority to modify divine law?
5
As you live by God’s laws, you will become increasingly free
Entrapments designed by Satan can only bring to you misery, spiritual captivity, and death [see 2 Nephi 2:27]. This is true every time. The sad consequences of yielding to Lucifer’s lures are predictable, dependable, repeatable, and regrettable.
Conversely, I promise that as you keep God’s commandments, as you live by His laws, you will become increasingly free. This freedom will unveil to you your divine nature and allow you to prosper personally. You will be free from the bondage of sin. You will be free to be you—an effective, righteous leader. You will be prepared to lead by precept and by example wherever you are needed. Happily, the blessings of keeping God’s commandments are also predictable, dependable, and repeatable.
Study Question
How have you seen that keeping the commandments leads to greater freedom?
6
To be a better disciple of Jesus Christ, fill your life with truth
Ours is the glorious privilege of searching for truth, teaching the truth, and applying it righteously in the service of others.
To be a better disciple of Jesus Christ, fill your life with truth. … Seek truth by learning the laws of God. He is the source of all truth. Your study of the gospel will help you discern truth from error.
If we continue to walk in truth, the Holy Ghost—“the Spirit of truth” [John 15:26]—will be our companion. The truth will be in us, in our hearts and minds, in our character and being, and it will abound in us [see Doctrine and Covenants 88:66], growing “brighter and brighter until the perfect day” [Doctrine and Covenants 50:24].
Study Question
What does it mean to you to walk in truth?
Invitations and Promises
If you continue to walk in truth, the Holy Ghost will be your companion
To be a better disciple of Jesus Christ, fill your life with truth. … Seek truth by learning the laws of God. He is the source of all truth. Your study of the gospel will help you discern truth from error.
There is divine light and power in truth. The plain and simple words of truth stir our souls. If we truly hear them, if we walk in the ways of truth according to the laws of God, the words of truth draw us to the Lord Jesus Christ [see Doctrine and Covenants 84:45–47]. We may come unto Him and enter into sacred covenants with Him. If we are true to those covenants, the Lord will sanctify us through His truth [see John 17:17]. We will know the truth, and the truth will make us free [see John 8:31–32].
If we continue to walk in truth, the Holy Ghost—“the Spirit of truth” [John 15:26]—will be our companion. The truth will be in us, in our hearts and minds, in our character and being, and it will abound in us [see Doctrine and Covenants 88:66], growing “brighter and brighter until the perfect day” [Doctrine and Covenants 50:24].
There is always a way back
There is always a way back. Jesus Christ (and His gospel) is the way. You have not committed any sin so serious that you are beyond the reach of the Savior’s love and atoning grace. As you take steps to repent and follow God’s laws, you will begin to feel just how much Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son want you back home with Them! They want you to be happy. They will do anything within Their power that does not violate your agency or Their laws to help you come back.
I promise you that as you live by God’s laws, you will become increasingly free
When God’s laws are obeyed, relevant blessings always result! Blessings are always predicated upon obedience to applicable law [see Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21]. …
Entrapments designed by Satan can only bring to you misery, spiritual captivity, and death [see 2 Nephi 2:27]. This is true every time. The sad consequences of yielding to Lucifer’s lures are predictable, dependable, repeatable, and regrettable.
Conversely, I promise that as you keep God’s commandments, as you live by His laws, you will become increasingly free. This freedom will unveil to you your divine nature and allow you to prosper personally. You will be free from the bondage of sin. You will be free to be you—an effective, righteous leader. You will be prepared to lead by precept and by example wherever you are needed. Happily, the blessings of keeping God’s commandments are also predictable, dependable, and repeatable.
Videos
Heart Surgeons Honor President Russell M. Nelson’s Pioneering Efforts in Their Field
Related Talks
What Is True? (October 2022 general conference)
The Love and Laws of God (Brigham Young University devotional, September 17, 2019)
Prophets, Leadership, and Divine Law (worldwide devotional for young adults, January 8, 2017)
Truth … and More (Brigham Young University devotional, August 1, 1985; audio only)