“The Lord commands Jacob to return to Canaan, and Jacob departs secretly.”
See Genesis 31:1–21.
President Howard W. Hunter said:
“. . . [W]hen Jacob was instructed to return to the land of Canaan, which meant leaving all for which he had worked many years, he called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was and explained what the Lord had said. The reply of Rachel was simple and straightforward and indicative of her commitment: ‘Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do’ (Gen. 31:16).
“We have, then, examples from the scriptures of how we should consider and evaluate the commandments of the Lord. If we choose to react like Joshua, and Abraham, and Rebekah and Rachel, our response will be, simply, to go and do the thing that the Lord has commanded.
“There is good reason to make our decision now to serve the Lord. On this Sunday morning, when the complications and temptations of life are somewhat removed, and when we have the time and more of an inclination to take an eternal perspective, we can more clearly evaluate what will bring us the greatest happiness in life. We should decide now, in the light of the morning, how we will act when the darkness of night and when the storms of temptation arrive.
“I pray that we will have the strength to decide now to do what we ought to do. I pray that we will decide now to serve the Lord.”
(“Commitment to God,” Ensign, Nov. 1982, 58.)
