...the priests were not to depend upon the people for their support, but for their labor they were to receive the grace of God, that they might wax strong in the spirit, having the knowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God
T&C 93:4 explains that we lose intelligence and light through disobedience,
The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one. Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning, and God having redeemed man from the Fall, man became again, in their infant state, innocent before God. And that wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.
It stands to reason that we then gain truth and light through obedience. Obedience is action in this temporal sphere to the commands of God.
T&C 159:41 tells us the value of this temporal sphere:
While mortal, we are all rich because it lies within each of us to help others.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard "We just need to be meek." or "We just need to be humble" or "We just need to love more."
Ok, fair enough. But I'm not going to get more of these things by talking about them or trying really hard to be them. I'm going to learn mercy by sacrificing of myself to benefit another. I'm going to learn justice by giving people what I owe them. I'm going to become a peacemaker by patiently engaging with the contentious. I'm going to realize mysteries by laboring in my garden, learning to heal the human body, crafting wood, metal, rock, or clay, and then blessing others with these things.
Obviously, we are not supposed to love the material world, but by the works we perform here on behalf of others, we learn the mysteries:
You pray each time you partake of the sacrament to always have my spirit to be with you. And what is my spirit? It is to love one another as I have loved you. Do my works and you will know my doctrine, for you will uncover hidden mysteries by obedience to these things that can be uncovered in no other way. This is the way I will restore knowledge to my people. If you return good for evil, you will cleanse yourself and know the joy of your Master. You call me Lord, and do well to regard me so, but to know your Lord is to love one another. Flee from the cares and longings that belong to Babylon, obtain a new heart, for you have all been wounded. In me you will find peace, and through me will come Zion, a place of peace and safety. (T&C 157:18)
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And the spirit gives light to every man that comes into the world, and the spirit enlightens every man through the world that hearkens to the voice of the spirit, and everyone that hearkens to the voice of the spirit comes unto God, even the Father. (T&C 82:18)
