Our Obedience to the Prophet Is a Measure of Our Faithfulness

Jacob, the brother of Nephi, said:
“O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God” (2 Nephi 9:28–29).
Of course, each of us has our agency; we can refuse to obey if we choose. If we do, however, we must take the consequences of our choice. Sometimes we do not fully weigh the results because some of our hardest choices are between the advice of friends and the advice of prophets.