Mandate 8

He said, “I told you that the creatures of God are twofold, and self-restraint is also twofold. In some things you must exercise restraint, but in others you must not.” I said, “Make known to me, Sir, in what things I must exercise restraint and in what things I must not.” “Listen,” he said. “Restrain yourself from evil and do not do it; but do not restrain yourself from good—do it. For if you restrain yourself from doing good, you commit a great sin; but if you restrain yourself from doing evil, you work great righteousness. Therefore restrain yourself from every wickedness while doing what is good.” I said, “What kinds of wickedness, Sir, must we restrain ourselves from?” “Listen,” he said: “from adultery and sexual immorality, from lawless drunkenness, from wicked luxury, from excessive food and extravagance of wealth, from boasting, haughtiness, and pride, and from falsehood, slander, hypocrisy, resentment, and every blasphemy. These works are the most wicked of all in human life. The servant of God must therefore restrain himself from these works, for whoever does not restrain himself from them cannot live to God. Listen now also to the things that follow these.” “Are there still more evil works, Sir?” I said. “Yes,” he said, “there are many from which the servant of God must restrain himself: theft, falsehood, defrauding, false witness, greed, evil desire, deceit, vainglory, arrogance, and whatever is like these. Do these not seem evil to you?” “Very evil indeed,” I said, “for the servants of God.” “The one who serves God must restrain himself from all these things. Restrain yourself, then, from all of them, so that you may live to God and be enrolled among those who restrain themselves from them. These are the things from which you must restrain yourself. Now listen,” he said, “to the things from which you must not restrain yourself, but must do. Do not restrain yourself from what is good; do it.” I said, “Sir, show me also the power of the good things, so that I may walk in them and serve them, and by doing them may be able to be saved.” “Listen,” he said, “to the works of the good that you must do and from which you must not restrain yourself. First of all: faith, fear of the Lord, love, harmony, words of righteousness, truth, and endurance. Nothing is better than these in human life. If someone keeps these things and does not restrain himself from them, he becomes blessed in his life. Then listen to what follows them: minister to widows; visit orphans and those in need; rescue the servants of God from their hardships; be hospitable—for in hospitality there is sometimes an opportunity to do good; oppose no one; be peaceful; make yourself lower than everyone; honor the elders; practice righteousness; preserve brotherhood; endure insult; be patient; hold no resentment; encourage those who are weary in soul; do not cast away those who have stumbled from the faith, but turn them back and make them cheerful; admonish those who sin; do not oppress debtors or the needy; and do whatever is like these things. Do these things,” he said, “seem good to you?” “What could be better than these, Sir?” I said. “Walk in them, then,” he said, “and do not restrain yourself from them, and you will live to God. Keep this commandment, therefore. If you do good and do not restrain yourself from it, you will live to God, and all who act in this way will live to God. Again, if you do not do evil and restrain yourself from it, you will live to God; and all who keep these commandments and walk in them will live to God.”