Strictness

Nephi pleaded with God to shut the gates of hell and to open the gates of righteousness, “that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!” (2 Nephi 4:32). Jacob told his people that he had to give a difficult sermon “because of the strict commandment which I have received from God” (Jacob 2:9). And Alma urged his son Helaman to remember “how strict are the commandments of God” (Alma 37:13).

The Latin word strictus, means “tightly bound” or “compressed.” It describes something that is well protected but doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room. The English word “strict” has the same meaning, but in a more metaphorical sense: being exact and precise in following instructions, making no exceptions and admitting no excuses.

Mormon tells us that the Nephites were particularly obedient when Korihor came among them. After repelling two brutal invasions by the Lamanites, they “did observe to keep the commandments of the Lord; and they were strict in observing the ordinances of God” (Alma 30:3). This was an intentional choice, but Korihor saw it differently. “Ye say that this people is a free people,” he told the high priest, Giddonah. “Behold, I say they are in bondage.” Why? Because “they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges. Yea, they durst not make use of that which is their own” (Alma 30:27-28). In his worldview, a failure to rebel was an indication of captivity.

Anyone who chooses to become a disciple of Jesus Christ shouldn’t be surprised to discover that following Him is a discipline, requiring effort and sacrifice. We admire people like the sons of Helaman, who were “strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day…to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually” (Alma 58:40).

Still, it can be difficult to sustain that level of commitment over time. Only a couple of years after Korihor’s moment of celebrity, Alma observed to his sorrow “that the hearts of the people began to wax hard, and that they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word” (Alma 35:15).

Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained:

Some are wont to say, “The Savior loves me just as I am,” and that is certainly true. But He cannot take any of us into His kingdom just as we are, “for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence.” Our sins must first be resolved. …

The commandments of God are “strict” because His kingdom and its citizens can stand only if they consistently reject evil and choose good, without exception.

“The Love of God,” General Conference, October 2021`

The amazing news is that this ideal, which we fall short of daily, is actually attainable through the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of Him, life doesn’t have to be graded on a curve. Because of Him, we can all receive a perfect score.

Today, I will remember the strictness of God’s commandments. I will not let that strictness discourage me, and I won’t view it as an attempt to subvert my agency. Instead, I will see it as a vote of confidence in me, a vision of what I can become with His help.