Road signs warn an automobile driver approaching a school zone to reduce his speed. Children, heading home from school, are nearby. Their safety, it goes without saying, is far more important than the few miles-an-hour a driver pays to pass slowly through the zone.

But, of necessity, the school zone can't extend for the entire stretch of road near which children are walking. So most drivers choose to resume a faster speed when they leave the safety zone — even if children are still nearby.

The drivers are free to choose. No traffic law restricts them from driving a little faster once they have left the school zone.

But a higher law might better govern the drivers' behavior — if they determine a continued slower speed would significantly increase the children's safety.

Transferring the example to religious terms, one could say the restricted speed zone is a lower or a Mosiac-type of law. Once beyond the zone, the driver is still responsible to follow a speed law, but it is less restrictive. The less-restrictive rule might be considered to be a higher law.

Unfortunately, however, we sometimes use the term "lower law" to refer to a former practice that, for whatever reason, now seems to have less value than it did previously. Additionally, we sometimes — perhaps because of pride — determine that the "lower law" is now juvenile. Hence, we reason that we have outgrown the need for, or are somehow above, that law.

We might, for example, say that going slower than the posted speed limit is a "lower law" and, that because we're above that "lower law" the higher speed is best. Conversely, we might determine that though a posted speed limit doesn't require it, going slower would be a more prudent course.

Neither scenario is necessarily the best for all circumstances. But, unfortunately, human tendency seems inclined to more often jettison the "lower law."

As a matter of routine, that's just not a good practice.

Take, for example, the simple practice learned as a child of looking both ways before one crosses the road. The fundamental idea, of course, is to ensure that no cars are coming. Taking that advice to heart, a child will stand on the roadside and methodically look both ways several times before venturing across the street — and then venture only when there is ample time before the next car passes.

An adult, relying on the experience of having crossed roads hundreds of times, might quickly glance both directions, often without stopping, and then dart into the road with only minimal time before the next car arrives.

Some might say, then, that the adult is less restricted and thus operating under a higher law — and is no longer in need of following his childhood street-crossing practice.

That is not correct.

The adult is still relying on the fundamental principle of not crossing the street while cars are coming. The principle was sound as a child and equally sound as an adult.

So while the practice learned as a child is not followed precisely, the underlying principle should not be forsaken.

Another example comes from the mission field.

Rising early is a practice known well by full-time missionaries. The "rule" to rise by 6:30 a.m. has several purposes, some very practical, others of a teaching nature. Either way, the rule is to rise. Missionaries are not told to get up at whatever time they feel would be best. They're told to arise by a set hour. So, after two years of routinely rising at the appointed hour, a returned missionary might be ready to jettison the lower law and move on to a new practice — one that, because it is less restrictive, might be said to be a higher law.

Depending on career and other circumstances, it might be impractical or even unrealistic for some to rise by 6:30 a.m. each day. But that doesn't mean the mission rule was faulty. On the contrary. It served an excellent purpose at the appointed time — and for many, if not most, has great value throughout one's life.

Paul, of course, taught that the Law of Moses was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. (See Galatians 3:24.)

The "lower laws" of our daily lives should be viewed in the same light. As we use those earlier teachings to progress and move forward, we need to vigilantly ensure that we don't rationalize our way into thinking that former practices are now faulty.

When Christ left His mortal existence, He promised to send His Spirit to guide us. That Spirit, the Holy Ghost, is readily available to help us navigate this maze we call mortality. That guidance — a constant blessing to those who seek and live worthily of it — is an invariable source of essential strength.