Obeying God When the World Demands Disobedience: A Disciple's Guide

Brothers and sisters, as we continue to live in these complex times, the questions we face—the big, thorny, hard questions—often spill out from our homes, our workplaces, and even the very streets we walk. Nothing seems immune to debate, and sometimes, the debate touches on the very foundation of our citizenship: what do we owe to the temporal government versus what do we owe to the covenant we have made with our Heavenly Father?

It’s a heavy topic, one that requires us to pause, quiet the noise, and return to the bedrock of the gospel. I was recently listening to a discussion that tackled exactly this: When, if ever, is it appropriate for a Christian to disobey the laws of the land?

It’s easy to get caught up in the current headlines, to feel the pull of righteous indignation against perceived injustices, and to think that our personal conviction must outweigh the established law. But as returned missionaries, as disciples who have been taught to live by the Spirit, we know that our standard must be higher than mere opinion or political persuasion.

The Divine Standard: Submission vs. Sin

When we dive into the scriptures, particularly Romans 13, the counsel is clear: we are called to submit to governing authorities, because they are established by God. Rebelliousness against the government, in that view, is seen as rebellion against God Himself.

However, the discussion I heard was incredibly helpful because it didn't leave us in a place of blind obedience. Instead, it refined the boundary. The key distinction, I realized, is between disagreeing with a policy (which is a matter of opinion or conscience) and being commanded to perform an action that is inherently sinful.

The apostles in the New Testament give us the clearest model here. When they were told, "Don't preach," their response wasn't, "We disagree with your law!" It was, "We will take the punishment for it, but we are still going to do it." They were submitting to the *punishment* of the government, but not the *command* to silence the gospel.

A Disciple's Lens: It’s Not About Liking It

This is the shift I want us to take, especially as we prepare for our own missions or as we engage in our daily lives as Internet missionaries. It’s not a matter of, "I think this tax rate is too high." Even when we feel strongly about an issue of civic fairness, the gospel teaches us that our obligation is to the divine law, not to the optimal tax bracket. If the law requires us to pay taxes, we pay them, while continuing to advocate for change through the proper, peaceful, and lawful channels—voting, petitioning, etc.

Our focus must always remain on this: Are we being commanded to sin? If the answer is no, our default position, guided by the Spirit, is cooperation and submission to the civil order. If the command itself forces us into sin, then our obligation shifts, and we must defy that specific, sinful command.

This principle—that our obedience is measured against the eternal law of God, not against the prevailing cultural winds—is a powerful tool for every disciple. It gives us peace and clarity when the world feels chaotic.

✨ Mission Prep Skill: The "Why" Behind the "What"

As a quick mission prep skill today: When you encounter a difficult question—whether from an investigator, a family member, or even a challenging article online—don't just memorize the answer. Instead, memorize the *principle* behind the answer. In this case, the principle is: Our ultimate allegiance is to God's law, and our obedience to man is conditional upon that law.

I encourage you to take this principle and discuss it with your Bishop or your local Stake Leader. Sometimes just voicing the principle out loud helps solidify it in our hearts.

If you want to dive deeper into applying these principles to your own understanding of scripture, I highly recommend checking out the Book Club options in HolyPlaces, or joining a Bible Study Group. These are wonderful places to wrestle with the hard questions together.

For those of you who are ready to put this into practice, let's gather this week! Join us for our free weekly Disciple Challenge meeting via the link in our bio. Let's keep the momentum going!