Imagine a child lives in a large, white, beautiful house. His parents tell him to leave the house while it is cleaned. While he is out he plays around in the mud. His parents call him back to the house, but as he arrives, they refuse to let him enter the house because he is dirty and the house was just cleaned. In this life we are outside our heavenly home and are daily covering ourselves with "mud." We desire to return to our heavenly home, but our parents won't let us in if we are not clean like the house. This is the struggle we all have in life, but the "mud" we cover ourselves with is sin.
We all make errors in this life: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)." We are all given the ability to choose, known as agency, and we tend to feel bad, or guilty, when we choose to do things we know are wrong. This is a blessing, known as the Light of Christ, that helps us to correct the eternal consequences of our sin. When we persist in choosing the wrong choices, we are conditioned to ignore the bad feelings of guilt that come from sin. Thus the longer we fall into sin, the harder it is to decide to change as well as act to pull ourselves out of the pit. As we try to feel good about ourselves in this life, we must continually go through a process known as repentance, which rids the feelings of guilt that accumulate from our errors.
Repentance is a difficult process that can often be embarrassing, depressing, and even cause more feelings of guilt. But the results of repentance includes a clear conscience, a light burden, and joy. To analyze this process we will follow Alma the Younger's repentance found in Alma 36:6-25. The following steps occurred in Alma's pursuit of repentance: recognition, take responsibility, realize the effects, remember Christ and His Atonement, request forgiveness, receive forgiveness, rejoice, restoration of light, and recommitting to God. To be fully repentant, we must undergo a similar process each time we sin. If we only do a few of the steps required, we will not be forgiven of our sins. It's an all or nothing deal.
As we repeat this process on a daily schedule, we will feel a peace of conscience, God's love for us, and more self worth. We will be on a straight course heading to a Celestial life. We will be clean and will not feel out of place as we enter our Father's clean home. The only way this is possible is through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and also the Savior of all mankind. I am eternally in debt to Him and the best thing I can do to repay Him is to be obedient to the commandments. I will also share what I know so that others can be obedient as well. Please share what you know with the world.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Faith
Faith is one of the most mentioned topics in the scriptures. Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things, but rather to hope for things which are not seen, which are true (Alma 32:21). Or as another church leader put it, "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)." In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost (Articles of Faith 1:4)." This means that the steps necessary for our salvation are the four listed in this verse, first of which is faith. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation on which we need to base our lives (Helaman 5:12). All of the other principles and ordinances of the Gospel are based on faith. Without faith, we will not feel the need to repent, nor will we believe in the power of the Lord's Atonement to allow us to repent. If we don't repent, we can't be baptized. And if we aren't baptized by water, we can't be baptized by fire and by the Holy Ghost.
Faith is like a seed. If we plant a principle in our hearts, giving at least the benefit of a doubt that it may be true, and then nurture it by studying about it, it may start to grow within us. If we feel that it is growing, or feel a good feeling within as we learn more about it, then we know that it must be a good seed, or a true principle. We can apply this to any eternal principle. Prayer is one of the best ways to nurture the seed. We never need fear asking our loving Heavenly Father to know if something is right or not, or true or not. He has told us to many times to ask and promises that we will receive.
Faith precedes miracles and knowledge. Miracles only confirm faith, they don't build it. For this reason, people were able to see the Savior perform miracles or see angels, and still deny the existence of God or reject the miracle. The Book of Mormon starts out telling of a family that leaves Jerusalem in the year 600 b.c. There are four brothers in this family, two of which are rather rebellious. These two, the oldest two, see angels and miracles on several occasions, and their father is even a prophet of God, yet they doubt and return to their complaints time and time again. The youngest brother, Nephi, on the other hand, uses these experiences to confirm his faith which he has developed through small and simple things. It is by small means that the Lord confounds the wise (Alma 37:6). It is also line upon line that we grow in our faith. Each time we pray, read in the scriptures, serve, attend a church meeting, or do other simple acts, we add a bit to our overall faith, like drops of oil into a lamp. As we sin, or even just slack off, the lamp loses the oil we've put into it. If we wish to greet the Lord at midnight when he comes, we must have our lamps filled with these little drops of oil. We can't put it off till the end, or we won't be prepared. Elder David A. Bednar, one of the 12 living Apostles of Jesus Christ, explained in a conference to the world in October, 2009, that our simple actions are like paint strokes in a magnificent painting. If we just look at one stroke, there is nothing that impressive. But if we add many such strokes, and look at the whole picture, we have something beautiful. Our lives can become beautiful things if we fill them with lots of little good things. Thus prayer, scripture study, church attendance, service, and other similar acts will lead to a wonderful foundation of faith in our lives.
As we build faith on Jesus Christ we will be blessed with our needs. Plus our faith will convert into knowledge and testimony. Thus we may be confident of truths such as that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior, that our Heavenly Father loves us and has a plan for our happiness, that there is a living prophet of God today on the earth, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God together with the Bible, and that we can live together as families forever as we live the Gospel. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope and happiness it brings to my life, as well as the peace. I invite all to find out these truths for themselves by studying them with an open heart, and asking God if they are true. Only the Spirit can give us a confirmation of truth. Science can't, and neither can logic. If we already have an idea set, and won't move from it, then God can't give us additional truth, so keep your mind and your heart open to the fruits of the Spirit as you pray to ask our Heavenly Father. The fruits of the Spirit, as explained in Galatians 5:22-23, are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
The correct way to pray, as taught by Jesus Christ, is to address Heavenly Father, then express the feelings and desires of our hearts, such as gratitude or asking for something (including an answer of whether or not something is true). We close saying something like, "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." Jesus taught that "whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given you (3 Nephi 18:20). We should also avoid repeating the same prayers or words as Christ explained in Matthew 6:7. Here is a summary of how to pray:
1. "Dear Heavenly Father,
2. "I'm grateful for...(tell Him what you are grateful for)
3. "I ask thee...(ask for whatever you need or want, as long as it is a good thing)
4. "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
If you pray like this, with faith, you will receive answers to your prayers
For more on prayer see Matthew 6, Alma 33-34, Enos 1, Alma 36:18, and the Bible Dictionary.
For more on faith see Alma 32 (The Book of Mormon), Hebrews 11 (The New Testament), Ether 12 (The Book of Mormon), and also the Bible Dictionary.
Faith is like a seed. If we plant a principle in our hearts, giving at least the benefit of a doubt that it may be true, and then nurture it by studying about it, it may start to grow within us. If we feel that it is growing, or feel a good feeling within as we learn more about it, then we know that it must be a good seed, or a true principle. We can apply this to any eternal principle. Prayer is one of the best ways to nurture the seed. We never need fear asking our loving Heavenly Father to know if something is right or not, or true or not. He has told us to many times to ask and promises that we will receive.
Faith precedes miracles and knowledge. Miracles only confirm faith, they don't build it. For this reason, people were able to see the Savior perform miracles or see angels, and still deny the existence of God or reject the miracle. The Book of Mormon starts out telling of a family that leaves Jerusalem in the year 600 b.c. There are four brothers in this family, two of which are rather rebellious. These two, the oldest two, see angels and miracles on several occasions, and their father is even a prophet of God, yet they doubt and return to their complaints time and time again. The youngest brother, Nephi, on the other hand, uses these experiences to confirm his faith which he has developed through small and simple things. It is by small means that the Lord confounds the wise (Alma 37:6). It is also line upon line that we grow in our faith. Each time we pray, read in the scriptures, serve, attend a church meeting, or do other simple acts, we add a bit to our overall faith, like drops of oil into a lamp. As we sin, or even just slack off, the lamp loses the oil we've put into it. If we wish to greet the Lord at midnight when he comes, we must have our lamps filled with these little drops of oil. We can't put it off till the end, or we won't be prepared. Elder David A. Bednar, one of the 12 living Apostles of Jesus Christ, explained in a conference to the world in October, 2009, that our simple actions are like paint strokes in a magnificent painting. If we just look at one stroke, there is nothing that impressive. But if we add many such strokes, and look at the whole picture, we have something beautiful. Our lives can become beautiful things if we fill them with lots of little good things. Thus prayer, scripture study, church attendance, service, and other similar acts will lead to a wonderful foundation of faith in our lives.
As we build faith on Jesus Christ we will be blessed with our needs. Plus our faith will convert into knowledge and testimony. Thus we may be confident of truths such as that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior, that our Heavenly Father loves us and has a plan for our happiness, that there is a living prophet of God today on the earth, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God together with the Bible, and that we can live together as families forever as we live the Gospel. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope and happiness it brings to my life, as well as the peace. I invite all to find out these truths for themselves by studying them with an open heart, and asking God if they are true. Only the Spirit can give us a confirmation of truth. Science can't, and neither can logic. If we already have an idea set, and won't move from it, then God can't give us additional truth, so keep your mind and your heart open to the fruits of the Spirit as you pray to ask our Heavenly Father. The fruits of the Spirit, as explained in Galatians 5:22-23, are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
The correct way to pray, as taught by Jesus Christ, is to address Heavenly Father, then express the feelings and desires of our hearts, such as gratitude or asking for something (including an answer of whether or not something is true). We close saying something like, "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." Jesus taught that "whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given you (3 Nephi 18:20). We should also avoid repeating the same prayers or words as Christ explained in Matthew 6:7. Here is a summary of how to pray:
1. "Dear Heavenly Father,
2. "I'm grateful for...(tell Him what you are grateful for)
3. "I ask thee...(ask for whatever you need or want, as long as it is a good thing)
4. "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
If you pray like this, with faith, you will receive answers to your prayers
For more on prayer see Matthew 6, Alma 33-34, Enos 1, Alma 36:18, and the Bible Dictionary.
For more on faith see Alma 32 (The Book of Mormon), Hebrews 11 (The New Testament), Ether 12 (The Book of Mormon), and also the Bible Dictionary.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
An Infinite and Eternal Sacrifice
The Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, was unlike any other sacrifice. His sacrifice was the end of all animal sacrifices which were a type and a shadow unto His eternal sacrifice. His sacrifice was eternal due to his foreordination, his birth, and his righteousness. Though His sacrifice is eternal, it is applied personally to each son or daughter of God.
Christ's was the great, the last, the infinite, and the eternal sacrifice. Each of these words is significant in understanding the significance of His sacrifice. Adam was told to offer up the firstlings of the flock. He was later told by an angel that this sacrifice was a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father. In the Law of Moses, unblemished animals were brought to the tabernacle where a priest would perform a sacrifice for sin, shedding the blood of the animal. These sacrifices were needed many times in a person's life. Christ's sacrifice was the great sacrifice because it was a higher type of sacrifice, and was the last sacrifice because His is infinite and eternal.
Christ's sacrifice was infinite, which means without limits, or without end. His sacrifice reaches unto all of God's children who have ever come, or ever will come to the earth to receive a body. It spreads to all time and to all creatures of His creating. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve explained that “some gifts coming from the Atonement are universal, infinite, and unconditional. These include His ransom for Adam’s original transgression [and] the Resurrection from the dead of every man, woman, and child who lives, has ever lived, or ever will live on earth (Liahona, March, 2008).” This helps to see that it applies to everyone. All who once lived will be resurrected, and all will be returned to God to be judged. The fall of Adam has been overcome.
Christ was foreordained to be the Savior of the world, the one to save the world from sin. He was humble and offered to give all of the glory of such an Atonement to the Father, whose perfect plan required a Savior. Being foreordained did not guarantee that Christ would be able to perform such a sacrifice. Two other important aspects prepared Christ to perform this Atonement: His birth and the life He led.
Christ was the offspring of Mary and God the Father, born into the humblest of circumstances. Having these parents He inherited special abilities to help Him perform the Atonement. Being the son of a mortal Mary, Christ was able to be tempted, was a mortal Himself, and could therefore die. Being the Son of the Living God meant that He had power that man does not have, and a special connection to the Father that would help Him shape His life. Christ learned at a very young age that He was the Son of God, and followed the Spirit to learn of his foreordination. He lived a perfect life and overcame temptation. Thus He was unblemished and able to be sacrificed for sin.
Christ's sacrifice, as previously mentioned, was not on the same level as those required by the Law of Moses. As Alma 34:10 states, it must not be “a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.” Eternal in this scripture can mean “godly.” Since Christ was the literal Son of God in the flesh, He was able to perform a godly, or eternal sacrifice. Any other man who attempted to do so would die in the agony of such a sacrifice. And even if one did so without dying, his sacrifice would not be eternal because he were merely a man. This is why Christ's sacrifice is at a higher level than those made previously.
Jesus Christ's Atonement was performed for all of His creations. Some might see this as being impersonal, but studying the scriptures reveals that it is not so. In Alma 7:11-13 it teaches that the Son of God would suffer “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind.” He suffered all things that He would be able to understand the pains and difficulties of any single person, since everyone passes different circumstances in life. The word for succor in Spanish is socorrer. This is translated as “to help” or “to come to the aid of.” Christ succors us as He comes to our aid and helps us in our trials. But we must go to Him for His help. We must take His yoke upon us, and His Atonement provides the process needed to take His yoke and burden upon us, which yoke is easy and which burden is light (see Matthew 11:28-30).
I know that Christ's burden is light. Sin carries a heavy burden that is awkward, uncomfortable, and shameful. Though Christ's yoke is not without weight, it is so easy and light when compared to sin. To me this means that if I am willing to put off sin, and make a commitment, or covenant with Christ, then I can have a small burden of commandments, as opposed to the damnation which is sin's burden.
Only through the correct process of repentance will Christ's Atonement heal us and free us of our sins. I know that through my personal prayers I can be forgiven of the large majority of my sins. I know that through my priesthood authority I can receive forgiveness of all other sins, besides denying the Holy Ghost. The Celestial Kingdom is the destination that we all have in this life. As President Uchtdorf explained in the April, 2008 General Conference that a few degrees can make a huge difference in our final destination, as opposed to our desired destination. Christ wants us to receive Exaltation and His Atonement provides the corrections that we need to be on course for that goal. We must daily analyze our lives and make adjustments to reset our destination of Exaltation.
The Atonement also means that I can put off the natural man and become a saint (see Mosiah 3:19). If I am to enter the Kingdom of God, I must be even as a little child. A child is humble, and as Alma taught his son Helaman in Alma 37:33, humility and lowliness of heart are fruits of faith. Proverbs 3:34 teaches that the LORD gives grace unto the lowly. And Moroni 10:32 teaches that if we deny ourselves of all ungodliness, then Christ's grace is sufficient for us to make us perfect, through his Eternal sacrifice. If we desire perfection, like we have been commanded to obtain, we must be humbled by Christ's Atonement.
I love the parable by President Packer on Justice and Mercy. I know that I am eternally in debt because of my sins. I know that when I make mistakes, I can always find Christ in a quiet place, waiting to help me pay the price of my foolishness. I can never repay all that Christ has done, and the only way that I can be sure that He will help free me from such a great debt, is to be His friend. He has already said that His servants are His friends. So I must be Christ's servant by living His Gospel, sharing it with others, serving my fellow beings, and keeping my covenants. I know that as I do so I will grow closer to my Savior, which will help me to make better decisions and avoid sin that I might otherwise encounter. Christ's Atonement is the only way that any of God's children can expect to return to His presence, and gain all that the Father has. I know that this is the Father's plan and His desire for each of us. I know that Jesus Christ's Atonement is the ultimate expression of love.
Christ's was the great, the last, the infinite, and the eternal sacrifice. Each of these words is significant in understanding the significance of His sacrifice. Adam was told to offer up the firstlings of the flock. He was later told by an angel that this sacrifice was a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father. In the Law of Moses, unblemished animals were brought to the tabernacle where a priest would perform a sacrifice for sin, shedding the blood of the animal. These sacrifices were needed many times in a person's life. Christ's sacrifice was the great sacrifice because it was a higher type of sacrifice, and was the last sacrifice because His is infinite and eternal.
Christ's sacrifice was infinite, which means without limits, or without end. His sacrifice reaches unto all of God's children who have ever come, or ever will come to the earth to receive a body. It spreads to all time and to all creatures of His creating. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve explained that “some gifts coming from the Atonement are universal, infinite, and unconditional. These include His ransom for Adam’s original transgression [and] the Resurrection from the dead of every man, woman, and child who lives, has ever lived, or ever will live on earth (Liahona, March, 2008).” This helps to see that it applies to everyone. All who once lived will be resurrected, and all will be returned to God to be judged. The fall of Adam has been overcome.
Christ was foreordained to be the Savior of the world, the one to save the world from sin. He was humble and offered to give all of the glory of such an Atonement to the Father, whose perfect plan required a Savior. Being foreordained did not guarantee that Christ would be able to perform such a sacrifice. Two other important aspects prepared Christ to perform this Atonement: His birth and the life He led.
Christ was the offspring of Mary and God the Father, born into the humblest of circumstances. Having these parents He inherited special abilities to help Him perform the Atonement. Being the son of a mortal Mary, Christ was able to be tempted, was a mortal Himself, and could therefore die. Being the Son of the Living God meant that He had power that man does not have, and a special connection to the Father that would help Him shape His life. Christ learned at a very young age that He was the Son of God, and followed the Spirit to learn of his foreordination. He lived a perfect life and overcame temptation. Thus He was unblemished and able to be sacrificed for sin.
Christ's sacrifice, as previously mentioned, was not on the same level as those required by the Law of Moses. As Alma 34:10 states, it must not be “a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.” Eternal in this scripture can mean “godly.” Since Christ was the literal Son of God in the flesh, He was able to perform a godly, or eternal sacrifice. Any other man who attempted to do so would die in the agony of such a sacrifice. And even if one did so without dying, his sacrifice would not be eternal because he were merely a man. This is why Christ's sacrifice is at a higher level than those made previously.
Jesus Christ's Atonement was performed for all of His creations. Some might see this as being impersonal, but studying the scriptures reveals that it is not so. In Alma 7:11-13 it teaches that the Son of God would suffer “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind.” He suffered all things that He would be able to understand the pains and difficulties of any single person, since everyone passes different circumstances in life. The word for succor in Spanish is socorrer. This is translated as “to help” or “to come to the aid of.” Christ succors us as He comes to our aid and helps us in our trials. But we must go to Him for His help. We must take His yoke upon us, and His Atonement provides the process needed to take His yoke and burden upon us, which yoke is easy and which burden is light (see Matthew 11:28-30).
I know that Christ's burden is light. Sin carries a heavy burden that is awkward, uncomfortable, and shameful. Though Christ's yoke is not without weight, it is so easy and light when compared to sin. To me this means that if I am willing to put off sin, and make a commitment, or covenant with Christ, then I can have a small burden of commandments, as opposed to the damnation which is sin's burden.
Only through the correct process of repentance will Christ's Atonement heal us and free us of our sins. I know that through my personal prayers I can be forgiven of the large majority of my sins. I know that through my priesthood authority I can receive forgiveness of all other sins, besides denying the Holy Ghost. The Celestial Kingdom is the destination that we all have in this life. As President Uchtdorf explained in the April, 2008 General Conference that a few degrees can make a huge difference in our final destination, as opposed to our desired destination. Christ wants us to receive Exaltation and His Atonement provides the corrections that we need to be on course for that goal. We must daily analyze our lives and make adjustments to reset our destination of Exaltation.
The Atonement also means that I can put off the natural man and become a saint (see Mosiah 3:19). If I am to enter the Kingdom of God, I must be even as a little child. A child is humble, and as Alma taught his son Helaman in Alma 37:33, humility and lowliness of heart are fruits of faith. Proverbs 3:34 teaches that the LORD gives grace unto the lowly. And Moroni 10:32 teaches that if we deny ourselves of all ungodliness, then Christ's grace is sufficient for us to make us perfect, through his Eternal sacrifice. If we desire perfection, like we have been commanded to obtain, we must be humbled by Christ's Atonement.
I love the parable by President Packer on Justice and Mercy. I know that I am eternally in debt because of my sins. I know that when I make mistakes, I can always find Christ in a quiet place, waiting to help me pay the price of my foolishness. I can never repay all that Christ has done, and the only way that I can be sure that He will help free me from such a great debt, is to be His friend. He has already said that His servants are His friends. So I must be Christ's servant by living His Gospel, sharing it with others, serving my fellow beings, and keeping my covenants. I know that as I do so I will grow closer to my Savior, which will help me to make better decisions and avoid sin that I might otherwise encounter. Christ's Atonement is the only way that any of God's children can expect to return to His presence, and gain all that the Father has. I know that this is the Father's plan and His desire for each of us. I know that Jesus Christ's Atonement is the ultimate expression of love.
Monday, January 24, 2011
I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
I know that God is our Eternal Father. I know that He is our creator, yet knows each of us personally. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our perfect example. Christ was born in the humblest of circumstances, yet rose to be the greatest of all. He was literally the Son of the Living God and of Mary. He lived a perfect life, free from sin. For these reasons, he was able to pay the price for sin in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was the ultimate and eternal sacrifice. He paid this price out of love for each one of us personally and also for His love for the Father. He decidedly died on the cross to overcome physical death, a result of the fall of Adam. Being the Son of God, he had power over death and was thus resurrected on the third day after His crucifixion. He completed His scrifice by suffering for our sins in Gethsemane, submitting to death on the cross, and resurrecting the third day. This sacrifice is known as the Atonement. Through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel (Articles of Faith 1:3).
Christ taught this gospel while he ministered during three years. He fulfilled the Law of Moses, and reinstated the full law that was in play before the Law of Moses. His gospel explains this full law, which contains all that we must do to inherit Eternal Life, or life with God the Father and with Jesus Christ. The gospel basically consists of five steps: first: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second: repentance; third: baptism by immersion; fourth: reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; and fifth: enduring in the faith 'till the end of our lives. Everyone who lives these five steps during their life will be eligible for Eternal Life. Christ will be the judge of whether or not we fulfilled these five steps sufficiently. Thus all may be "saved" by following these steps.
I know that Christ is the Savior of the world and my personal Savior. Without Him, I could never return to live with my Father in Heaven, because I, like all humankind, am imperfect. Like those in the New Testament, in following Christ's gospel, I am His disciple. His disciples were called saints then, and since He in unchangeable, I, being His disciple, am a saint. Christ established a single church when He was on the earth. When His true followers were all persecuted and killed in the years following the crucifixion, the Priesthood Authority of Christ was lost for many years. We are now in the last days, and in recent years, the Priesthood authority and the single true church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through a living prophet. I am a member of that church, and thus, I am a latter-day saint of Jesus Christ's church. Or in other words, I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ
"I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.
I know who I am.
I know God's plan.
I'll follow Him in faith.
I believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ;
I'll honor His name.
I'll do what is right;
I'll follow His light.
His truth I will proclaim."
-Children's Songbook
Christ taught this gospel while he ministered during three years. He fulfilled the Law of Moses, and reinstated the full law that was in play before the Law of Moses. His gospel explains this full law, which contains all that we must do to inherit Eternal Life, or life with God the Father and with Jesus Christ. The gospel basically consists of five steps: first: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second: repentance; third: baptism by immersion; fourth: reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; and fifth: enduring in the faith 'till the end of our lives. Everyone who lives these five steps during their life will be eligible for Eternal Life. Christ will be the judge of whether or not we fulfilled these five steps sufficiently. Thus all may be "saved" by following these steps.
I know that Christ is the Savior of the world and my personal Savior. Without Him, I could never return to live with my Father in Heaven, because I, like all humankind, am imperfect. Like those in the New Testament, in following Christ's gospel, I am His disciple. His disciples were called saints then, and since He in unchangeable, I, being His disciple, am a saint. Christ established a single church when He was on the earth. When His true followers were all persecuted and killed in the years following the crucifixion, the Priesthood Authority of Christ was lost for many years. We are now in the last days, and in recent years, the Priesthood authority and the single true church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through a living prophet. I am a member of that church, and thus, I am a latter-day saint of Jesus Christ's church. Or in other words, I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ
"I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.
I know who I am.
I know God's plan.
I'll follow Him in faith.
I believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ;
I'll honor His name.
I'll do what is right;
I'll follow His light.
His truth I will proclaim."
-Children's Songbook
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