Jay E. Jensen
"A truth about which I want to speak comes from Alma: 'Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption.'
"The sequence in the teaching process from this verse is that our Heavenly Father first taught Adam and Eve the plan of redemption; then he gave them commandments. All commandments have their eternal importance in the context of the great plan of happiness (see Alma 42:8; 34:9).
"I know that this truth is a key to conversion, retention, and activation. If we can help people first understand the plan, they will find a deeper and more permanent motivation to keep the commandments.
"Another way of saying what Alma taught came from an experience one of the General Authorities shared. He related how he spoke with a sister he knows who years earlier went through a divorce. She approached him to thank him for the counsel he gave her during her darkest hours. She reminded him what he had told her; 'Now sister, don't lose your eternal perspective. Always keep an eternal perspective.' She said that truth became her pillar of strength.
"When we understand the great plan of happiness, we are gaining an eternal perspective, and the commandments, ordinances, covenants, and the experiences, trials, and tribulations can be seen in their true and eternal light." (Conference Report, Apr. 2000, May Ensign, p. 27)