Obedience brings success; exact obedience brings miracles.

The prophet of our age, Russell M. Nelson, declared with clarity and power: “Obedience brings success; exact obedience brings miracles.” These words are not mere counsel for the timid, but a proclamation of eternal law. They remind us that true greatness is not found in rebellion without purpose, nor in wandering without direction, but in aligning one’s will with principles higher than the self. For obedience is not the chain of bondage, but the key that opens the doors of power.

To obey is to harmonize with order. The ancients taught that the stars themselves moved in obedience to unseen laws, and that their constancy gave stability to the cosmos. A soldier obeying his commander does not diminish his strength; he multiplies it through unity. A disciple obeying divine law does not lose freedom; he finds it by walking the path that leads to light. Thus, Nelson proclaims that obedience brings success, for it channels energy, prevents ruin, and guides effort to its rightful end.

But there is a deeper truth: exact obedience brings miracles. It is not enough to follow halfway, nor to choose which commands we prefer. The miracle is born when one gives the whole heart, holding nothing back. It is like the archer whose aim must be precise—one inch astray, and the arrow misses its mark. In the same way, when the soul yields exactness in obedience, unseen powers are unlocked, and what seems impossible becomes possible.

Consider the story of Naaman the Syrian, told in the ancient scriptures. Afflicted with leprosy, he sought healing from the prophet Elisha. He was told to wash seven times in the river Jordan. At first he scoffed, thinking the act too simple, too beneath his dignity. Yet when he humbled himself and obeyed with exactness, his flesh was restored, and the miracle came to pass. Had he washed six times, no healing would have followed; only through exact obedience was the power of heaven revealed.

History, too, bears witness. The armies of Alexander the Great were bound by strict obedience, and because of their discipline, they conquered lands far larger than their own. Success was not in their numbers alone, but in their unity of will. And in the spiritual realm, men and women who have yielded their lives to divine law have found themselves strengthened beyond mortal capacity. They walked into the fire and were not consumed; they entered the lion’s den and were not devoured. Such wonders are not wrought by chance, but by unwavering obedience.

The lesson, then, is both simple and profound: if you desire success, live by principles with diligence; if you desire miracles, live by them with exactness. Do not half-keep your promises, do not partially follow what you know to be right. The full power of heaven and earth is revealed not to the lukewarm, but to the steadfast.

So, children of tomorrow, let this wisdom guide your steps. Begin with small acts of obedience: honesty in word, discipline in labor, faithfulness in duty. Do them not halfway, but with precision and devotion. As you prove faithful in small things, greater power will be entrusted to you. And when trials come that seem insurmountable, you will find that your exact obedience has prepared the way for miracles.

Thus remember always: obedience is the seed of success, exact obedience the seed of wonders. If you will give your whole heart to what is good and true, the very powers of heaven will be moved in your behalf. What is impossible for man alone becomes possible when the soul yields itself fully to divine law. For in obedience lies not weakness, but the strength that makes miracles.