not mere suggestions

Because of the Fall of Adam, every person on earth needs this Plan of Redemption. It's not a secret. Throughout scripture, Jesus invites us to partake of living water or His teachings.  Also ancient and modern prophets have explained that we must choose to repent and strive to live after the pattern giving to Adam and Eve. Of course some parts of that pattern were changed upon the atonement of Christ. But we must still live by faith, repent and strive to live virtuous lives, be baptized by immersion by one who holds priesthood authority, and endure to the end of our lives. Then we will be judged to see how well we followed the commandments laid out in the scriptures.

The commandments are not mere suggestions, but mandates by the Creator for how to live the type of life He would have us live. Believing  God exists is not enough; we must do what He commands in the scriptures. When Jesus comes to reward His followers, He wants to find us working at the work we were instructed to do.

"...Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people. And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat, thou shalt surely die. And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state' a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead. Now if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken. And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the work of God would have been void, taking none effect. But behold, it was not so but it was appointed unto men that they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment, even that same judgment of which we have spoken which is the end." Alma 12:22-27