A short story told by President Thomas S. Monson of when he was a child and set a field of grass on fire. Teaches a great lesson on commandments and how being obedient can keep us safe.   

Some of my favorite stories of all time are the personal stories shared by General Authorities. I love the small glimpse it gives us into their personal lives. All of their experiences that they share, have helped mold them into the great men that they are today.

This following story is a great example of this. I remember when Pres. Monson shared this story in the April 2013 General Conference, I loved hearing it then as much as I do now! It goes like this:

When I was growing up, each summer my family stayed at our cabin in Utah. One morning my friend Danny and I decided we wanted to clear an area in a nearby field so we could have a campfire. We began to pull at the tall grass, but we knew this would take the entire day.

I said to Danny, “All we need is to set these weeds on fire. We’ll just burn a circle in the weeds!” 

I want to make it clear that both Danny and I were forbidden to use matches without adult supervision. Our parents had warned us many times of the dangers of fire. However, I knew where my family kept the matches, and we thought we needed to clear that field. I grabbed a few matchsticks, making certain no one was watching. 

Back to Danny I ran. I struck a match and set the grass ablaze. It ignited as though it had been drenched in gasoline. At first, Danny and I were thrilled as we watched the weeds disappear, but soon we saw that the fire was not about to go out on its own. We panicked as we realized there was nothing we could do to stop it.

Finally, we had no option but to run for help. Soon all available men and women were dashing back and forth with wet burlap bags, beating at the flames to try to put them out. After several hours the last remaining embers were smothered.

Danny and I learned several difficult but important lessons that day—not the least of which was the importance of obedience.

There are rules and laws to keep us physically safe. Likewise, Heavenly Father has provided guidelines and commandments to help ensure our spiritual safety so that we can return to Him. It is my humble prayer that we may be blessed with the rich rewards promised to the obedient.

For President Monson’s April 2013 talk “Obedience Brings Blessings” from which this story was taken from, click HERE

Sometimes we just don’t comprehend the importance of a commandment until it’s too late and a sin has been committed. How thankful I am for the atoning sacrifice of our Savior who can help us make all things right again.

May we never take the Lord’s commandments for granted.

For a beautiful quote by Harold B. Lee on keeping the commandments that comes with a free PDF download, Click HERE

Yours truly,

Sign up to receive my monthly Finding JOY Newsletter filled with wonderful stories, quotes, and inspiring gospel resources! Perfect for FHE, Sunday Lessons, or Sacrament Talks. Everything you need to be the most effective teacher you can be at home and in your calling. Sign up today! 🙂