In some high school classes, students are prepared for parenthood by being assigned to take care of an egg for a week. They have to keep the egg with them at all times to ensure that it is not broken. In a similar way, to prepare us for Godhood, God gives us commandments and tells us to keep them with us at all times and make sure they are not broken. If we can in such a way be faithful over a few things, God will make us rulers over many things. Just as a student might get annoyed with carrying an egg around, missing the freedoms they used to enjoy, questioning why this is even necessary, telling themselves that carrying a stupid egg around is meaningless but of course if it was a real baby they would actually care and pay attention, we face the same kinds of challenges, rationalizations, and justifications with the commandments we are given. What does God care if we do X, or we don't do Y, or we do Z, but only sometimes and half-heartedly at best? But we have to prove to our Heavenly Father and perhaps even more importantly to ourselves that we can do the small and simple things first, before our Heavenly Father knows He can trust us with the great things. Our Father wants to give us everything that He has. If we can keep the commandments without breaking them, then God will give us other things - forgiveness, mercy, grace, strength, power, wisdom. If we want the Lord to trust us with wealth, then we have to start by keeping the law of tithing even when we are poor and broke and can't really afford it. If we want the Lord to trust us with greater health, then we have to start by keeping the Word of Wisdom. The Lord gives us blessings after we obey in part because we have shown ourselves to be good and faithful stewards over His commandments, so He knows if we will keep His commandments with all faith and diligence and humility and respect, we will treat His blessings with the same level of care and devotion. I hope that we can all practice keeping the commandments so that we can prepare ourselves to keep everything else that our Heavenly Father can't wait to give us.
