Why Be Good?

I ran into one of my old Sunday school teachers a while back and he told me that I had asked him a question that somewhat stumped him back when I was 12-years-old. He said that he tried to answer it but was curious what, as an adult, my answer to my own question would be. The question? Why be good? I find it interesting that he remembers that after all these years (that was after all 18 years ago) yet, I myself have been thinking about it since. My initial answer was probably something similar to his response years ago: "in order to be happy." But I find that the concept of the question resonates within me. I remember well my outlook and perceptions as a teenager. I was a mess and I couldn't understand why to chose the more challenging and seemingly less fun road over the exciting, but less rewarding one. In this age of instant gratification and bought salvation, it's any wonder that we can instill morals into any of our youth, let alone so many. I wonder if Xiana comes to me with a similar question will I have an answer that will speak to her the way none spoke to me when I questioned integrity? I know now that being good provides happiness, contentment, and, above all, clarity and confidence. I feel that when I am doing what's right, I understand.... everything. I feel peace and comfort, and I am confident in my choices because I know that the Lord is with me and I know that I have consulted with Him prior to making big (or small) choices. Still, at 12, the world was glamorous and being bad appealing. Even now I am sometimes envious of friends who simply don't know better and therefore don't have to adhere to a higher standard. It only takes a moment to recognize how much they are missing out on by not having an understanding of God's plan and not being able to feel His presence and guidance, and great comfort. I look around at my little family and know with every fiber of my being the blessings and happiness we achieve are dependent on being good. I also feel gratitude for my husband, his leadership, his Priesthood, his ability to lead, his willingness to be led by the Spirit. It increases my confidence in and support of all his choices as he guides our little family through promptings of the spirit. Also, it is a marvelous thing to be able to pray about all decisions and feel confirmation that those choices are right. As we pray and read the scriptures with Xiana, it is a feeling of indescribable joy when I see the light bulb click as she recognizes an old or understands a new concept. The other day she brought be a picture of the prophet and said, "I know who this boy is.... he's President Monson." Every time she sees a picture of Jesus she exclaims that's Jesus. She understands that we have great love for Him and one of the ways that we express that love is by obeying God's commandments and living righteously, as He would have us do. Still, why be good? I think the answer lies not in what it can do for us, but in that it's the right thing to do. As children we are often told to do things that we don't understand. Later in life we recognize these tender mercy's as things that saved us countless heart aches. Nevertheless, we obey because that's what we are asked to do. Some might call it blind obedience which is an interesting concept in and of itself because in my experience, nothing is quite so blind as making wrong choices, even when you know they're wrong. Still others call it integrity... doing what's right even when nobody is looking. Beyond that, being good creates self mastery, progression, knowledge, and empowerment. (I'm not gonna lie.... I hope Xiana never asks this question :)