--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This command seems to me to be strictly a…" description: "\"This command seems to me to be strictly a missionary injunction; so that, apart altogether from choice and other lower reasons, my going forth is a mat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/james-gilmour-43980_choices_this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly_699725.png" --- # This command seems to me to be strictly a missionary… ![“This command seems to me to be strictly a missionary injunction; so that, apart altogether from choice and other lower reasons, my going forth is a matter of obedience to a plain command.” quote by James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/james-gilmour-43980_choices_this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly_699725.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/james-gilmour-43980_choices_this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly_699725.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/james-gilmour-43980_choices_this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly_699725.png) > “This command seems to me to be strictly a missionary injunction; so that, apart altogether from choice and other lower reasons, my going forth is a matter of obedience to a plain command.” [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obedience to a clear directive can motivate action beyond personal desire or rational choice. **In simple terms:** Follow orders even without personal reason. Key Takeaway Trust and act on clear commands. Themes obedience mission discipline faith authority Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - Military orders - religious vows - corporate directives - team projects Key Concepts Moral duty voluntary service hierarchical obedience Questions to Reflect On - When should one question a command? - What if the command conflicts with conscience? A Different Perspective Blind obedience may ignore ethical concerns or personal well‑being. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Missionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missionary/) [Missions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missions/) [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [This command seems to me to be strictly a missionary injunction, and, as far as I can see, those to whom it was first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly-a-missionary-injunction-and/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [“Serving God is not a matter of location, but a matter of obedience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nik-ripken/serving-god-is-not-a-matter-of-location-but-a-matter-of-obedience/) [Nik Ripken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nik-ripken/) > [The wife's submission is not a matter of superior versus inferior; rather, it is self-imposed as a matter of obedience to the Lord and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pearce/the-wife-s-submission-is-not-a-matter-of-superior-versus-inferior/) Steve Pearce > [“It is a simply matter of obedience. If He is our Lord, then we will obey Him. If we do not obey Him, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nik-ripken/it-is-a-simply-matter-of-obedience-if-he-is-our-lord-then-we-will/) [Nik Ripken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nik-ripken/) > [I thought it reasonable that I should seek the work where the work was the most abundant and the workers fewest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/i-thought-it-reasonable-that-i-should-seek-the-work-where-the-work/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [If in the sight of God you cannot say you are sure that you have a special call to stay at home, why are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/if-in-the-sight-of-god-you-cannot-say-you-are-sure-that-you-have-a/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [To me the soul of an Indian seemed as precious as the soul of an Englishman, and the Gospel as much for the Chinese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/to-me-the-soul-of-an-indian-seemed-as-precious-as-the-soul-of-an/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [If missions languish, it is because the whole life of godliness is feeble. 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He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/) [Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/) > [I am a missionary, heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livingstone/i-am-a-missionary-heart-and-soul/) [David Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livingstone/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) ## More by James Gilmour > [...in place of seeking a reason for going abroad, I would prefer to say that I have failed to discover any reason why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/in-place-of-seeking-a-reason-for-going-abroad-i-would-prefer-to-say/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [Do not we rest in our day too much on the arm of flesh? Cannot the same wonders be done now as of old?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/do-not-we-rest-in-our-day-too-much-on-the-arm-of-flesh-cannot-the/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [To me the soul of an Indian seemed as precious as the soul of an Englishman, and the Gospel as much for the Chinese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/to-me-the-soul-of-an-indian-seemed-as-precious-as-the-soul-of-an/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [I thought it reasonable that I should seek the work where the work was the most abundant and the workers fewest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/i-thought-it-reasonable-that-i-should-seek-the-work-where-the-work/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [But I go out as a missionary not that I may follow the dictates of common sense, but that I may obey that command…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/but-i-go-out-as-a-missionary-not-that-i-may-follow-the-dictates-of/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [ The ten days we passed there \[at Ta Chêng Tzu\], we were the song of the drunkard and the jest of the abjects; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/the-ten-days-we-passed-there-at-ta-ch-ng-tzu-we-were-the-song-of-the/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [I go out as a missionary not that I may follow the dictates of common sense, but that I may obey that command of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/i-go-out-as-a-missionary-not-that-i-may-follow-the-dictates-of-common/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) > [This command seems to me to be strictly a missionary injunction, and, as far as I can see, those to whom it was first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly-a-missionary-injunction-and/) [James Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) [Explore all 9 James Gilmour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This command seems to me to be strictly a missionary injunction; so that, apart altogether from choice and other lower reasons, my going forth is a matter of obedience to a plain command.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Gilmour" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly-a-missionary-injunction-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choices" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly-a-missionary-injunction-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/james-gilmour-43980_choices_this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly_699725.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/james-gilmour-43980_choices_this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly_699725.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/james-gilmour-43980_choices_this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly_699725.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This command seems to me to be strictly a missionary injunction; so that, apart altogether from choice and…” — James Gilmour", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Gilmour", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilmour/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This command seems to me to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly-a-missionary-injunction-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilmour/this-command-seems-to-me-to-be-strictly-a-missionary-injunction-so/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```