BYU law professor teaches how the laws of the gospel unite our hearts with God

Shima Baughman, Woodruff J. Deem Professor of Law at BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School, taught the importance of uniting our hearts to God through gospel principles in her devotional address on Tuesday, October 1 .

In her devotional address, she kept the theme close to heart by discussing the importance of our hearts and the connections we have with God.

“There is a connection between loving God with all your heart and His covenants with us,” she said. “I want to look at each of the five covenants we make with God in His holy house and how they purify our hearts – helping us to love Him with all our hearts and ultimately unite with Him forever.”

Baughman began with a discussion of gospel principles and the law of obedience.

According to the principles taught at John 14:15, “our obedience is an expression of our love and desire to be reunited with him.” It is the simple act of trying to be obedient that God requires of us,” she explained.

Baughman further explained that obedience does not have to be perfect, but that people just have to be willing to try.

“When our hearts are set on God, every major or minor course correction by a loving church leader is welcome, every interruption of our time to serve another is a joy, and worldly interests that distract us from the Holy One who captures our hearts “It's just not tempting,” Baughman said.

She told a story about Van Halen, the 1970s American rock band. During the band's tour, they became infamous for a clause in their contract that stipulated that there should be no brown M&Ms in their dressing room.

Although this may have seemed exaggerated, it turned out to have a deeper meaning. Since their performances involved many dangerous stunts, they had to ensure that safety measures were in place on and off stage. The brown M&M's were a simple aspect that allowed them to easily check that their instructions were being followed.

“What brown M&Ms do we need to remove from our backstage areas,” Baughman asked the audience. “The little requests of our Heavenly Father that we neglect and hope He hasn’t noticed?”

She explained that you can't let pride stop you from fixing these small mistakes.

The second element of the gospel that Baughman illustrated was the sacrificial law. She told the story of her own mother, who converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after leaving Iran and moving to Los Angeles.

“My mother was baptized because she thought she might be sentenced to death for her faith. She had no idea at the time if her family would be able to stay in America, but she was willing to sacrifice everything for God,” she said.

The faith Baughman's mother demonstrated in this case shows how her mother gave her heart to God, she said.

In discussing the third law, the law of the gospel, Baughman quoted the Persian poet Rumi, who said, “Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take its place.”

Baughman elaborated on the quote, talking about those who choose to follow Christ and those who are less willing to give up everything and follow him.

“Are we ready to give up our plans and pet sins and give him our whole heart?” she asked, addressing the audience directly.

Next, she brought up the law of chastity and shared her thoughts on why the law is so important to God. “To align our hearts with His, we must know ourselves and Him,” she said.

“We know that sometimes our hearts want and feel things that are not consistent with what Jesus wants us to do. That’s the nature of mortality,” she said.

When she spoke about the law of consecration, she emphasized that we must be willing to give everything we can, including our hearts, to the Lord.

“Our Savior gave His whole heart for each and every one of us, and God has blessed us with every comfort we enjoy,” Baughman said. “When we consecrate our hearts to Him, it becomes a privilege to devote our time, talents, and resources to building His Kingdom.”

Baughman then gave the BYU students some advice.

“I've come up with two tricks – or dare I say tricks – to help you give your whole heart to Him when you're irritable and can't muster the love, when you're feeling less divine, or when you're stressed and peace seems unattainable,” Baughman said.

The first piece of advice Baughman gave was to spend more time in the temple. In the early days of their marriage, Baughman and her husband decided to attend the temple weekly to overcome their conflicts. She explained that the “lasting impact” the temple has had on her life “can hardly be overstated.”

“When we accept the love of God regularly in His home, our hearts are connected to His and we are blessed with His abiding peace,” she explained.

The second “trick” was to “feel the power of wearing your name on your heart.” She described the strength one can have when wearing her clothes and how it is a way to feel a “permanent embrace from heaven.”

“Our clothing covers our chest, our beating heart, with the sacred symbols and accompanying sacred commitments we make when we agree to take the name of Jesus Christ,” she said.

Baughman taught that our hearts remind us of the cleansing power of God that is always available, and if we unite our hearts with His and seek His love, He will bless us.