Does God Require Worship?

[Brian 2.0]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

[cdowis]

We all worship something. There are only two choices where our devotion lies -- God or Mammon.

It is a fact that what we worship determines how we live our lives, what decisions we make. It is not so much a "commandment" as an acknowledgement of reality that worshiping God is in our own personal best interest.

[thesometimesaint]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

Yes God requires us to worship him. Not for his benefit, but for ours. Worshiping anyone or anything else is idolatry.

[Bernard Gui]

Worship must be voluntary.

[Kenngo1969]

God seems like a pretty cool guy to me. I really don't mind worshipping Him!

Edited May 24, 2013 by Kenngo1969

[CV75]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

Some forms of worship are commanded, and some are voluntary. You tell your son to listen to you and follow your instructions (one form of worship); he may idolize you (another form of worship). Within the constraints of neither of you being God, you can discern when his obedience or adulation is appropriate or not, and respond in a mutually edifying manner. Ideally you are both worshipping God in both types of worship.

[The Nehor]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

The mortal/immortal parent-child relationships are not identical in that respect. We do not want or desire our children to emulate us perfectly. God does. He is also the source of happiness and worship is a way of accessing that happiness.

It is a commandment. God does not need it. If he did the apostasy would have been a rough time. He appreciates it but we need it to access saving grace which is something else mortal parents cannot offer.

[Ahab]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

Both. We all worship God in some way whether we intend to or not, since all of us are like God in some way. Worship is all about emulation and we're all like him in some way. It's just that some of us want to be more like him than some others want to.

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

It is necessary only to the extent that we want to be like him in some way.

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

Our Father doesn't force us to do anything we don't want to do, either, but we still end up being like him in some way. We can't escape it. Worshipping God is something everyone does, with some just being better at it than some others.

[Stone holm]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

Or possibly we are hardwired to sort of want to worship something or someone who makes sense of all the craziness going on around us since the beginning of time?

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

God needs it as any father needs love...which is worship. I know I need my children to love me.

[tyler90az]

Worship is something very similar to meditation. It is that song, prayer or sermon where you are in the moment. You are not worried about what has happend or what will happen. Only about one thing, what is happening right now and that is being focused on God. The duration of th song, prayer or sermon is a serene transcending experience. It takes us to heights rarely experienced in mortality. Those heights are something God desires us to experience. They are not someting he requires of us, rather, something we must require of ourselves.

[Stone holm]

God needs it as any father needs love...which is worship. I know I need my children to love me.

Do you need them to worship you?

[Lightbearer]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

Yes it is a commandment according to this:

"And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord."

(Pearl of Great Price | Moses 5:5)

[Stone holm]

Yes it is a commandment according to this:

Okay we need the original language geek squad to weigh in on the meaning of the original word used for the English word "worship"

[Deborah]

If we don't worship God we will worship something or someone else, which is probably why we were commanded to worship God to get our priorities straight. Worship is part of our nature. There are nature worshippers, devil worshippers, celebrity worshippers, etc. There are even self-worshippers.

Our children may worship us when they are young but as they get older and get away from our singular influence and begin to see other choices, and to see our flaws, they draw away from that worship. But if we have taught them correctly, they choose those things that will bring them the greatest happiness in the long run. In that sense their initial worship of us was worthwhile.

Adam at first obeyed because he was commanded, not knowing why. As he gained more knowledge he chose to worship because he understood the value of following God. Could not the commandment to worship God be to get us started on the right path so that once we have gained sufficient knowledge and seen the value of that path we then will choose to follow on our own, freely worshipping God and following him.

[Questing Beast]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

Your definition of "worship" appears to me to be "prayer" and "the song of the heart is a prayer unto me", etc. These are very specific and dogmatic definitions, i.e traditional definitions, of "worship" If someone refuses to participate with the group "worship" services, does that make them into some sort of unbeliever? Not imho. I have always disliked "corporate prayer". Joseph Smith once pressed upon Newell Knight to offer a "corporate prayer", i.e. be "mouth" for a roomful of congregants, and Newell demurred and offered as his excuse that he did not feel comfortable doing so. JS assured him that Satan was trying to keep him from praying, and opined that Newell go out alone and pray until he could return and offer prayer. Newell went out as instructed and felt a similar "combat" with the adversary as JS describes in his "first vision" experience. Newell, upon returning, had a changed countenance so pronounced to JS's observation, that he immediately cast out the devil in the presence of all, and Newell subsequently lay down to recover. He described "floating" in a seemingly disembodied state of peaceful deliverance, "near the ceiling", while the rest of the roomful of people continued their worship service. It all smacks of very predetermined assumptions about how Satan works, and what constitutes "prayer", and how exorcism worked in the early Mormon religion, etc. I found/find the account very disturbingly superstitious. I do not see anything wrong with Newell's original dislike for offering public/corporate prayers. That would be because of my own (from childhood) dislike of doing the same thing. Interestingly, I discovered that our current RS president will also not offer public prayers. There is nothing wrong about this stance. "Worship" is not a willingness to pray publicly. And many people don't enjoy singing around others either. Compulsion to participate is wrong, imho....

[changed]

...as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you.

C. S. Lewis

To me, worship is an act of seeing what is above me - provides motivation and direction for becoming a better person.

The higher we are willing to look, the more humiliated of our lowly state we will be, but the greater the inspiration we will receive to progress.

The reward for recognizing someone who is above you is personal growth. The best way to learn is from a teacher who is smarter than you are. You won't learn calculus or diff-e-Q from someone who only knows how to add/subtract... You might feel smart and have good self-esteem if you surround yourself with those of lesser ability, but you will not grow. You have to be humble/willing/ able to admit that there are beings who know more than you do, then look to them for further knowledge and light. Worship is looking up. It is how we learn and progress.

No, God does not get anything out of being worshipped, He is all powerful / all knowing etc. etc. with or without us - there is nothing that we can give God - He already has it all - is glorious with or without us.

It is not an egotistical act, it is an act of humility – I am weak, thou art strong. It is the act of a student who wants to grow and learn. The act of a student who has found the perfect teacher. The act of a student who is humble enough to look way way up - reguardless of how low it makes one feel.

Of coarse the point is not to grope in a state of depression/self-pity/self-loathing – the point is to be determined to become as God is, to have hope, to be excited and overwhelmed at the possibilities that They have opened to us.

[Stone holm]

Your definition of "worship" appears to me to be "prayer" and "the song of the heart is a prayer unto me", etc. These are very specific and dogmatic definitions, i.e traditional definitions, of "worship" If someone refuses to participate with the group "worship" services, does that make them into some sort of unbeliever? Not imho. I have always disliked "corporate prayer". Joseph Smith once pressed upon Newell Knight to offer a "corporate prayer", i.e. be "mouth" for a roomful of congregants, and Newell demurred and offered as his excuse that he did not feel comfortable doing so. JS assured him that Satan was trying to keep him from praying, and opined that Newell go out alone and pray until he could return and offer prayer. Newell went out as instructed and felt a similar "combat" with the adversary as JS describes in his "first vision" experience. Newell, upon returning, had a changed countenance so pronounced to JS's observation, that he immediately cast out the devil in the presence of all, and Newell subsequently lay down to recover. He described "floating" in a seemingly disembodied state of peaceful deliverance, "near the ceiling", while the rest of the roomful of people continued their worship service. It all smacks of very predetermined assumptions about how Satan works, and what constitutes "prayer", and how exorcism worked in the early Mormon religion, etc. I found/find the account very disturbingly superstitious. I do not see anything wrong with Newell's original dislike for offering public/corporate prayers. That would be because of my own (from childhood) dislike of doing the same thing. Interestingly, I discovered that our current RS president will also not offer public prayers. There is nothing wrong about this stance. "Worship" is not a willingness to pray publicly. And many people don't enjoy singing around others either. Compulsion to participate is wrong, imho....

I am always disturbed by the description of events as "superstitious"

[Questing Beast]

And I am disturbed by such beliefs as Satan possessing a man who simply does not prefer to pray aloud in public, or even in private. Such beliefs, to me, are superstitions....

[Stone holm]

And I am disturbed by such beliefs as Satan possessing a man who simply does not prefer to pray aloud in public, or even in private. Such beliefs, to me, are superstitions....

Labelling things superstitious tends to be a bit arrogant, and sometimes may simply mask a lack of understanding with a word of dismissal . I tend not to believe in possession by demons, but I am unwilling to simply dismiss the concept.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Do you need them to worship you?

I thought I made it clear love is worship, in its most beautiful and simple terms...so yes I need my children to love me and respect me. If they don't I have failed.

[teddyaware]

Is worshipping God a commandment, or simply a by product of what we do because God has done so much for us?

And if it is a commandment, why is it necessary?

In relating our Father in Heaven's relationship to us as parallel to my relationship to my young son... I want my son to listen to me and follow my instructions because I'm trying to teach him what's best, but I'm in no way requiring him to sing songs to me or other general "worshipping" actions.

The following verses from Doctrine and Covenants 93 explain why we should worship God and how we should worship Him:

12 And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;

13 And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;

14 And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.

15 And I, John, bear record, and lo, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of heaven saying: This is my beloved Son.

16 And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father;

17 And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him.

18 And it shall come to pass, that if you are faithful you shall receive the fulness of the record of John.

19 I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.

20 For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace.

Amongst other things, the above plainly explains how to worship God. We worship Him by receiving "grace for grace" (i.e. putting to effective use the gifts and powers of God we already possess in service to God and man), and by this means we "continue from grace to grace" (i.e. go from one degree of spititual power and enlightenment to higher and higher ones). Worshiping God is to faithfully follow in the same path that Jesus Christ walked, until, like him, we receive of the fulness of eternal glory. Worship is honoring God for his eternal perfections, and fervently desiring to obtain similar eternal perfection ourselves.

Edited May 27, 2013 by teddyaware

[Avatar4321]

I would have to say that the Ten Commandments make it clear that He does.

The question isnt whether He requires it, but why does He require it?

Asking that question might teach you more.